The AIR Fine Art Gallery at Avance Day Spa welcomes spring with its new show, "Spring is in the AIR."

Light, bright, and breezy, the paintings express the sunny disposition of the season. Featured artists are Jeanne Eleck, Donna Kindel, Ron Knor, Aline LaPointe, and Michelle Rosenthal. Rounding out the show is a new collection of Renee Cotter wire sculptures.

Hosted by gallery curator Rosemary Rau and Avance owner Melanie Allen, the opening reception on Sunday, April 8, will formally open the exhibition while also introducing the Team Brick fundraiser for C.H. Booth Library.

Virgin bricks, hand painted by local artisans, will be available for purchase, with all proceeds to benefit the town library.

Offering an eclectic selection of subjects, the bricks are a wonderful addition to garden, home, and office, and make a unique gift for everyone. They will be suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

The idea for Team Brick came about while Ms Ray met with Mrs Rosenthal to look at some of Mrs Rosenthal's art for the upcoming exhibition.

"We were walking around her house, looking at all this beautiful art," Ms Rau told The Newtown Bee on March 26. "When I was leaving, I looked down and there were all these beautiful bricks. The wheels started turning.

"All the way home, my mind was working," she said. "Brick art is very trendy right now. It's very popular."

When she visited the day spa on March 26, Mrs Rosenthal had with her a pair of bricks that had been painted.

The first two offerings for the Team Brick collection featured a very detailed butterfly on a square brick with scalloped edges and the other was a traditional rectangular brick with a quintessential Newtown scene: the Main Street flagpole.

Mrs Rosenthal is one of four women chairing a gala fundraiser for the town library, which is celebrating its 86th anniversary this year. Mad Hatter's Party, to be presented at Rock Ridge Country Club on Saturday, April 28, is being organized by Mrs Rosenthal, Christene Freedman, Colleen Honan, and Donna Rahtelli.

The Team Brick collection will be available at the gallery for much of 2018. Additional artists are expected to be announced, but those confirmed as of Monday were Jeanne Eleck, Bill Glass, Aline LaPointe, and Adele Moros, in addition to Mrs Rosenthal.

"We plan to have the Team Brick project ongoing until October," Ms Rau said. "As bricks are sold, they will be supplemented with new offerings."

"Spring is in the AIR" will be on view April 4 to May 20 at the day spa, within The Village at Lexington Gardens, 32 Church Hill Road.

Open to the public, the Champagne Brunch Reception on April 8 will run from 11 am until 2 pm.

Live music will be performed provided by two of Newtown's own: guitarist and singer-songwriter Sasha Allen, accompanied on bass by Sarah Widmann.

The public is welcome to visit the AIR Gallery at the Avance Day Spa during regular spa business hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 am to 8 pm; Wednesdays, 10 am to 6 pm; Fridays, 9 am to 6 pm; and Saturdays, 9 am to5 pm.

The spa is handicapped friendly. Call 203-270-8911 for additional information.

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AIR Gallery Curator Rosemary Rau, left, was joined on March 26 at Avance Day Spa by Michelle Rosenthal, center, and Colleen Honan, two of the organizers for an upcoming C.H. Booth Library fundraiser. The three women are also collaborating in a seven-month project that will raise additional funds for the town's library.

-Bee Photos, Hicks

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-312200" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SH_Spring-is-in-the-AIR-at-Avance-Team-Brick-examples-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="SH_Spring is in the AIR at Avance -- Team Brick examples WATERMARKED" width="801" height="553" /]

The first two offerings in the Team Brick project arrived at Avance Day Spa on March 26. The bricks will formally debut during "Spring is in the AIR," the upcoming exhibition at the day spa's fine art gallery.

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