Winter Afternoon, Montpelier, Vermont, Acrylic on Canvas

The Governor’s Gallery has announced its first exhibition of 2014. Montpelier artist Regis Cummings’ show, Places & Faces on a Journey, will be open to the public from January 6th to March 28th. The Governor’s Gallery is located on the 5th floor of the Pavilion Office Building in Montpelier and is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. The Gallery will be open for the Montpelier Art Walk on Friday, February 7th until 7pm. A public reception will be held on Wednesday, January 22nd from 3pm to 5pm. Photo identification is required for admittance, which is free of charge.

Cummings has been practicing his art for more than 40 years. He cites the French-Russian modernist Marc Chagall as one of his major inspirations. “Chagall’s blending of the sacred in the ordinary, and the sacredness in everyday life speaks to my understanding and reflection on the meaning and purpose of religion, myth, politics and art in our lives,” explains the artist. Chagall’s influence is obvious in Cummings’ work. Both artists employ a wide variety of media and cannot easily be stylistically defined.

Cummings has lived in Montpelier since 1975. Over the past four decades, he has played an active role in the community. A deacon at St. Augustine Church, he has served his parishioners devoutly and draws on his religious convictions as a source of artistic inspiration.