The serene, pastoral visions of Maria Joseph Nace, S.P., spirit viewers away on a poetic journey through snowy New England woods, misty meadows and deserted beaches. The show opens with a reception at the Art Gallery at the Conference Center on Sunday, Jan. 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. Viewing hours continue weekdays, 2 to 5 p.m., until Feb. 26.

Combining poetry with oil and watercolor painting, Sister Nace, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Holyoke, Mass., creates an environment where the contemplative soul can find nourishment and inspiration. The influence of the French impressionists can be seen strongly in her landscape and still-life musings, where edges blur and merge to create fantastic realms of possibility and beauty. Quaint cottages spring up invitingly alongside gurgling steams, as she captures the idyllic surrounding of her Holyoke, Mass., setting with its thick purple forests and rolling, golden hillsides.

The perennial garden along Holyoke's second level canal, an oasis of tranquility amid the urban industrial surroundings, is a frequent subject and there are also many water-inspired pieces. Several of her paintings and poems have gone on to capture prizes and in 1996 she was awarded first prize from the Mystic Art Association. In 1992 she was presented the Fulbright Writing Award in Poetry and spent two weeks in Limmerick, Ireland. Sister Nace has been published in the American Poetry Anthology, New England Poetry, Greater Maine Poetry and the Worcester Review, among other publications.

Posted On: 01-15-1997 09:01 AM

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