Valley Arts Council Hosts A Very Special Exhibit Starting This Weekend

Angelique Martina Tribus, a student at The Valley Arts Council, created artwork at the Ansonia gallery inspired by Bonita Knickerbocker, a 68-year-old resident in hospice care.


ANSONIA
 — An artist’s life’s work captured on canvas will make its debut this weekend at the Valley Arts Council’s Main Street Gallery.

Bonita Knickerbocker, 68, who is currently in hospice care, has a last wish for her art to inspire others to express their creativity, according to Valley Arts Council President Rich DiCarlo.

The Journey of Dreams,” an exhibition of Knickerbocker’s artwork, will kick off with an opening reception scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. Saturday (June 11) at the Main Street Gallery, 258 Main St. (across from Ansonia City Hall). The public is invited to attend the free event. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibit will run from June 11 to June 18.

DiCarlo said he was contacted by Knickerbocker’s caregivers at Griffin Hospital, who were inspired by the numerous paintings in Knickerbocker’s home. DiCarlo learned that Knickerbocker, in failing health, was worried about the fate of her artwork when she had to leave her Ansonia home for hospice.

She has very limited time due to the extent of her illness, and her last wish was to have people see her life’s work and touch the souls of those who encounter it,” DiCarlo said.

DiCarlo said he and VAC’s Vice President Steve DiRienzo didn’t hesitate after being contacted by Griffin.

We are grateful to Valley Art Council for displaying Bonita’s artwork,” said Christian Meagher, a spokesman for Griffin Health. It is wonderful to see her dream fulfilled, and we are sure it will be a source of joy for the community to view her paintings at a gallery as she had wished. This art show is a beautiful example of community organizations coming together to support one of our neighbors and to share the therapeutic benefits of the arts.”

DiCarlo said he and DiRienzo met at Knickerbocker’s home in Ansonia and explored the mountains of paintings and canvases” that had amassed over the years.

We saw some truly remarkable stuff, and three carloads later we managed to salvage Bonita’s artwork,” DiCarlo said. We were told that Bonita wanted her works to serve a creative purpose, to be realized. I suggested that we have an exhibition at our gallery. This was very comforting to Bonita, knowing that people will be seeing her work, in what would be her first exhibition. It was mentioned that she always dreamed of an exhibit of her works.”

DiCarlo added that Knickerbocker was quite a traveler, and her abstract paintings reflect her journey. She also had a dream to have her artwork spark creativity in children, he said.

This is kind of serendipitous because, little does Bonita know, that I had already started a couple of art sessions at my Friday afternoon kids’ art classes, inspired by her art,” DiCarlo said.

About eight to 10 kids, who DiCarlo calls his Lil’ Rembrandts,’ attended the classes and created works inspired by Bonita’s art,” which will also be on display during the exhibit.

DiCarlo said Knickerbocker is expected to be on hand during Saturday’s opening reception, sitting in her favorite chair from home.

We invite everyone and all to make Bonita’s dream a reality,” DiCarlo said.

For more information visit The Valley Arts Council on Facebook.

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