FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2021
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Press Contact: Rebecca Dawson, Director of Communications
860.443.2545 ext. 2112 / [email protected]
LYMAN ALLYN ART MUSEUM SHOWCASES THE VIBRANT WORK OF BRIAN KEITH STEPHENS
NEW LONDON – The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition on Saturday, Feb. 6 highlighting the work of local Connecticut artist Brian Keith Stephens. Almost True Tales explores the artist’s fascination with animals as mythic symbols across time and culture. The exhibition will be on view through May 9.
Spread throughout three galleries, Almost True Tales will feature 18 large works of art. In vibrant, figurative paintings, Stephens draws on legends, fables and folk tales from around the world to invest his animal subjects with meaning and emotion, revealing a common cultural language that resonates with children and adults alike.
“Growing up in Connecticut, I have always found animals as a vessel for depicting human emotion; I believe in many ways animals are capable of expressing human emotions in a way that is both understandable, mysterious and alluring,” says Stephens. “At the center of my work and life are these fascinations with myth, the spectrum of human passion, our kinship to the spirit of the wild animal, and the challenges of balancing the real with the fanciful. My art has been and continues to be my outlet for exploring these themes and conjuring up new ones.”
At a time when the omnipresent flow of information makes it harder than ever to identify what is true, Stephens’ work encourages viewers to recall the simple virtues embodied by animals in countless tales. These enduring folk wisdoms are a source of solace and a reminder that decency can prevail and help the world to heal in even the most difficult times.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Brian Keith Stephens, an increasingly well-known and beloved artist from our region, for a solo exhibition here in the Lyman Allyn,” says Sam Quigley, Director at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. “No stranger to many aficionados beyond these climes, Stephens has shown his work frequently in New York, Palm Beach, Boston, Provincetown and other American cities, as well as in many important venues in Europe. Clearly, he is getting the widespread recognition he deserves, and we are very pleased to be able to share this cohesive body of work in our intimate galleries.”
The virtual opening reception will be on Friday, Feb. 5 from 6 – 7 pm. Please visit the calendar of events tab on lymanallyn.org for event registration information.
Almost True Tales is supported by the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; and an anonymous foundation.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Dawson by email at [email protected].
About Brian Keith Stephens
Brian Keith Stephens (b. 1973) graduated from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in 1998. He then attended the Academie de la Grande Chaumier in Paris and, in 2004, received a Masters of Fine Art in Painting from the City College of New York. Since 2000, he has exhibited in solo shows and group exhibitions in the United States, Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria. His work is represented in private collections around the world. He lives and works in Old Lyme and Brooklyn, NY.
About the Lyman Allyn Art Museum
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum welcomes visitors from New London, southeastern Connecticut and all over the world. Established in 1926 by a gift from Harriet Allyn in memory of her seafaring father, the Museum opened the doors of its beautiful neo-classical building surrounded by 12 acres of green space in 1932. Today it presents a number of changing exhibitions each year and houses a fascinating collection of over 17,000 objects from ancient times to the present; artworks from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, with particularly strong collections of American paintings, decorative arts and Victorian toys and doll houses.
The museum is located at 625 Williams Street, New London, Connecticut, exit 83 off I-95. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sundays 1:00 – 5:00 pm; closed Mondays and major holidays. For more information call 860.443.2545, ext. 2129 or visit us on Facebook or the web at: www.lymanallyn.org.