Next month, a new exhibit of paintings and drawings by Somers, Connecticut-based artist Edgardo Abello will open in the Starr Watercolor Gallery at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibit, which is part of the Springfield Museums’ third annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, runs from September 9, 2014 through January 4, 2015, and is sponsored by The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Eugene A. Dexter Charitable Fund administered by Bank of America, Trustee, and in part, by the Art Angels.

Originally from Colombia, the artist came to United States in 1978 and attended Montgomery College in Maryland to study architecture.  This training and his painting skills helped him develop a fruitful architectural rendering business. Recently, Abello decided to forgo the intense deadline-oriented world of the commercial art industry and dedicate himself to the kind of painting that he has always wanted to do. He now dedicates much of his time to rendering fine details in his paintings, combining his appreciation and understanding of color and light with a careful study of the subject matter.

Curator Julia Courtney commented, “We are delighted to be hosting an exhibit of artist Edgardo Abello’s work at the Springfield Museums. The exhibit will include watercolor portraits that capture the essence of the individuals in the paintings through use of elegant lighting and meticulous detail. The show will also include still lifes which might be considered contemporary vanitas paintings reminiscent of Dutch master artists.”

The public is invited to meet the artist at a special opening reception at the D’Amour Museum on Sunday, September 14 at 2 PM. The event is free for members with their membership card; the charge for non-members to attend is $5. For more information or to RSVP for the event, call 413.263.6800, ext. 259 or visit www.springfieldmuseums.org.