Seven artists will visually honor their connections to the Monadnock region’s farmland and the farming way of life through an exhibit at the Jaffrey Civic Center from Nov. 10 to Dec. 16. An opening reception with refreshments will be held Friday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.

For the sixth time, David Bulger, Francelia Mason Clark, Alicia Drakiotes, Mary Iselin, Maryann Mullett, Ann Sawyer and Jeanne Maguire Thieme will present their work with the ongoing theme to honor the farming heritage in the Monadnock region. The artists reside in Keene, Swanzey, Marborough, Hancock, Peterborough and Jaffrey.

Two of the artists – Iselin and Sawyer – are farmers themselves. Sawyer is the seventh generation on her Jaffrey family farm and “being intertwined with the legacy of our farm is my creative legacy.” Iselin, known for depictions of her sheep and for her paintings of her late husband's working draft horses, feels that an artist must "paint what one knows, paint what one loves, and just keep painting that love."  Therefore, images of the fourth-generation family farm “Earth Haven Farm” figure frequently in her work.

Clark has chosen to feature “Farms that Were,” with historical look through her watercolors at lands that long ago were farms and how the landscape has changed and morphed over the years into the scenery of today.

Drakiotes and Thieme can be seen on the hillsides of Monadnock region farms, capturing these landscapes through their art. As a high school student, Drakiotes relates she was fortunate to spend weekends and vacation days working on a dairy farm which no longer exists.

Thieme and family are closely connected to Mike Johnson’s Ridgehill Farm, where over the past 44 years they have enjoyed working with 85-year-old farmer Mike Johnson. Many of Thieme’s paintings reflect the memories of years at the now-protected Ridgehill Farm.

Bulger and Mullett are known for their animal paintings. As a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists, Mullett relays that all animals inspire her, but cows have a special place in her heart with their curiosity and sweet disposition.

Bulger believes animals have a soulful existence that should be acknowledged, amd that where they live, how they live should be protected and maintained. His farm animals in his oil paintings illustrate this affection.

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The Monadnock Conservancy is helping to sponsor this exhibit. Supporting landowners to protect their family farms is one of the conservancy’s community goals, and some of these protected farms will be featured in this exhibit.