Watercolor Artists of the North Fork: New Suffolk County Historical Society exhibit

The Suffolk County Historical Society announces the opening of “Watercolor Artists of the North Fork,” a special fall/winter exhibition of the work of local watercolor artists Bernard Springsteel of Southold and Ralph Fanning of Riverhead at the society’s Weathervane Gallery beginning on Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at 10 a.m. The show, which will run through mid-January 2016, features watercolors depicting Long Island’s beautiful North Fork and other subjects.

About the North Fork artists

Bernard Springsteel taught himself to paint with watercolors as a young man when he went to Nantucket on a vacation years ago. “I sat on the curb with my paint and my brushes,” Springsteel recalled in his book titled A Life in Art. Mr. Springsteel is a graduate of Pratt Institute, where he received a BFA in illustration and graphics. He later went on to a successful career in the art direction business, working for Good Housekeeping magazine (1969-1980) as well as Mothers Today, Working Parents, and McCall magazine. He has studied with numerous artists during his long career in the arts, including Fritz Eichenberg, Richard Linder, Edward Lanning, and Frederico Castellon. His work has been shown at the Schlafer Gallery at Pratt Institute, Pleides Gallery in New York, and at both the Maple Hill and Santarella galleries, both of Massachusetts. He has also enjoyed the privilege of being invited to a number of special shows held by the Kent Art Association, Green County Council on the Arts, and the National Sculpture Society. Mr. Springsteel was honored with his election to the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City. For over 130 years the club has served the artists and art-going public of New York City. Many of America’s greatest artists have been members, including Howard Pyle, William Merrit Chase, Frederick Childe Hassam, and N. C. Wyeth.

Ralph Fanning (1889-1971), a watercolor artist and art historian, was born in Riverhead. A Quaker, Fanning served in France in compassionate non-military service during World War I. In the 1920s, he joined the Ohio State University Art Dept., becoming a full professor in 1924 after having earned master’s degrees in both art history and architecture. A skilled artist, Fanning taught the history of American and European art at Ohio State for 37 years. Often referred to by colleagues and students as “Mr. Art Historian,” Fanning had an energetic and stylistic approach to lectures, and in between lectures, he could be found in his office doing quick 12-minute paintings before his next class. Many of Fanning’s paintings give a historic perspective, taking us back to an earlier time. Fanning is quoted as once saying, “With a sketch pad, you learn more about people and places that you would find it hard to learn otherwise.” Fanning was recognized for his artwork and teachings as well as his humanistic and articulate personality.

The show of Mr. Springsteel’s and Mr. Fanning’s works will be on display in the Weathervane Gallery of the Suffolk County Historical Society, located at 300 West Main St. in Riverhead. The gallery is open to the public on Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Admission is free.

For further information please contact the Society at (631) 727-2881.

About the Suffolk County Historical Society

Founded in 1886, the Suffolk County Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the ongoing history of Suffolk County and its people. To fulfill these purposes, the Society offers a history museum, art galleries, a research library and archives, and a multitude of exhibits, programs, and educational lectures and workshops year-round. Our unique collections reflect more than three centuries of Long Island history. From the Civil War to civil rights, revolutions to restorations, spies to Suffragettes, boatbuilders to bootleggers, and whalers to wineries, Long Island’s history comes alive at the Suffolk County Historical Society.

Source: Press release issued by the Suffolk County Historical Society dated November 11, 2015