APRIL 8 - MAY 31

Still Life Paintings by Paul Hamilton & Hats by Amy Hamilton

Prepare for a burst of color this spring. Partners in Life and Art, an exhibition featuring the work of artists Paul and Amy Hamilton, transforms the Conservatory’s Atrium gallery into a showcase of Amy’s sculptural headpieces and Paul’s still life paintings.

Paul is well known for his exquisite landscape paintings that depict the outdoors, free from contemporary landmarks. A devoted plein air painter, his work reveals his obvious delight in nature. Made with great skill and sensitivity, his representational paintings capture space, light, and atmosphere, inviting the viewer to experience an environment quite removed from the gallery wall.

In a true collaboration, Paul will be shifting focus toward still life studies based on elements of Amy’s individual headpieces. Amy’s hats, often lush with feathers, velvet flowers, ribbons, and vintage beads, will make a more dramatic statement than ever, as she takes a more sculptural approach to the headpieces in this exhibition.

This will be the first time Paul’s work has been displayed at the Conservatory, while Amy’s hats have been worn by attendees at Hat Day, Franklin Park Conservatory’s annual benefit luncheon. Coinciding with the Hamilton’s exhibition, this year’s Hat Day will be held on Friday, May 1, 2009.

Paul and Amy first met nearly twenty years ago while attending the Columbus College of Art and Design. Amy, a fashion design student, and Paul, a fine arts major, both found success on their parallel career paths after graduation. Amy founded the Granville Millinery Company, designing and hand-making hats that have been seen in the stands at the Kentucky Derby and on the pages of Italian Vogue and “O” The Oprah Magazine. Paul’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Findlay Galleries  in New York, and he is represented by Hammond Harkins Galleries of Bexley.