The Arno Maris Gallery at Westfield State University has added a talk to its current web-based Virtual Illustration Exhibition, featuring alumni artists Amanda Putnam ’13 and Dan Delisle ’16 as well as guest speaker Dillon McGuire.
“Starting in fall 2020, we wanted the Maris Gallery to continue with its presence on campus for the benefit of WSU students and faculty,” said Curator Faith Lund, who hosts the gallery’s artist talk. “Through virtual exhibitions, we are displaying some incredible artwork and adding a dialog.”
Putnam is an aspiring fantastical illustrator and educator from Springfield and a licensed secondary art teacher. She also illustrates children’s and young adult books. Putnam earned a B.A. in art with a concentration in art education at Westfield State, and an M.F.A. in children’s book illustration from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She works with watercolor, pen, paste, ink, and other mediums.
McGuire has presented at The Springfield Quadrangle Museum, The Bing Arts Center, Hartford Art School, Springfield Comic-Con, and New York Comic-Con. He earned both a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. in illustration from Hartford Art School. McGuire works mostly with ink and is currently illustrating a book.
Delisle enjoys painting wildlife scenes and writes and illustrates short stories about hunting and fishing. He earned a B.A. in art education at Westfield State and teaches at South Hadley Public Schools. His favorite mediums are oil, pencil, watercolor, and acrylic.
“You will get a chance to hear about the artists’ backgrounds, inspirations, educational paths, and work, in-depth,” said Lund. “Their diverse use of media and technique illustrates their unique outcomes.”