The work of a Southwick artist will be on display in the Community Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts from May 23 through September 17 in the exhibition New England Vistas: Paintings by Carolyn Avery.

Avery remembers being fascinated by color since her coloring book days. The niece of the well-known artist Milton Avery, Carolyn was encouraged in her work and was exposed to museum-quality art since her early childhood. She began studying the work of the Old Masters as a teenager, and later was influenced by Mario Vincenti, an art instructor at the Springfield Museums School, who introduced her to the concepts of pattern, design and color in contemporary art. Her love of Maine and other New England landscapes is reflected in her paintings. "I have been influenced by many masters, but the beauty surrounding us in rural New England, the sense of peace that I get from nature and the delightful, ever-changing colors in this area are my strongest influences," she said. Horses are also among her favorite subjects. Avery's work has been shown in many juried shows and galleries throughout New England, and her paintings are included in over 75 private collections in the United States and Canada. She recently won first prize in oil painting at the Massachusetts Equine Art and Photography Show in Northampton. Community Gallery exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts are sponsored by The Republican.