Gallery Exhibit: Works by Andrew Longacre

This exhibit will be on display from January 15 – March 4, 2026. Equinox Village’s Gallery is open 7 days/week from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. There is no cost to visit the Gallery.

My Dad, Dr. Andrew Longacre, a physicist, would occasionally dabble with paints when vacationing. (Winston Churchill did likewise during WW II to relax.) My Dad’s Aunt Lydia Longacre was a professional portraitist in NYC who ultimately painted portraits of her family members, even as her eyesight was failing. Lydia’s father, the Reverend Andrew Longacre, developed a delicate watercolor expertise that he used to record scenes from his travels (rather like an old-time Brownie camera). The Reverend’s Father, James Barton Longacre, was a renowned Philadelphia engraver, who prior to becoming Chief Engraver of the Mint, produced sepia portraits from life of early American statesmen, ultimately for publication. And, should I mention, too, that my mother’s Uncle Edwin B. Child was a founder of the Dorset Artists, which spawned the Southern Vermont Art Center.

In the light of this obvious legacy, it’s perhaps surprising that I did not take up the paintbrush and palette until I fully retired from my career in software design at the age of 63, and then asked, “What shall I do for fun now?”. A friend of the family coached me in watercolor techniques and materials, but after several years I discovered oil paints – much bolder and easier to frame. After also dabbling with pastels, I ultimately migrated to acrylics, which don’t smell and dry faster. Thus requiring a lot less patience and a smaller studio.

I describe myself as a “representational” artist; trying to paint pictures that are quickly recognizable as objects one would see in ordinary life. There is not an “abstract” bone in my body. I’m also a “studio” painter. I work from photos taken of scenes, objects, or paintings I would hope to emulate and learn by. In the last several years, I have started painting on relatively small canvases in tiny detail. My large motor skills have diminished to where it’s gotten hard to draw a straight edge. Still a lotta fun!

Lastly, more than half my starts end up in the trash can, but the occasional success is a reassuring victory. And, what I can show today is those across the years… minus what I have given away to friends and family or bigger canvases that were purged when we downsized and moved to Equinox Village. I’m glad to be able to show off what remains of my work!