Harrison Public Library Presents “Works from WAG” by Norma Foege, Brighita Weinberg, Naomi Shriber-Kitt, and Susan Phillips

Exhibition is on display May 7 to June 2, 2023.
Gallery is open to the public during regular library hours.

Artist’s Statements:

Norma Foege
As we slowly came out of the COVID pandemic this year, I began to paint butterflies as a symbol of rebirth and hope. A friend gifted me a dead black swallowtail butterfly she had found inspiring me to paint “Black Swallowtail.” I also had participated in the Rye Art Center’s “Rye’s Above” exhibit/auction during the summer of 2022 which was a big motivation to move ahead. Depicting the beauty of the natural world is a theme I’ve explored over the years.

I continue to paint semi-representationally and abstractly as well to express my emotions. “Enigma” resulted from thinking about the topsy turvy world we live in now. These subjects using bright colors combined my love for nature, painting, as well as feelings about the state of our world.

Brighita Weinberg
I began pursuing my interest in art and painting when I retired as a physician. My early paintings were anchored in realism, depicting people, objects, and scenes from my travels. Over the years, I tried to break from my routine by experimenting with different painting styles. This process brought new excitement and interest in my art.

The shapes, lines, and color applied on the canvas express my inner self. In this process I have the freedom to explore new color, new combinations of shapes, and their contribution to the whole painting. When I start a painting, I cannot predict the finished product. I change and correct the painting until each element finds its rightful place in the composition. I hope that the viewer will take a close look at my paintings, feel the vibrancy of the colors, and see the combination of the shapes that make my paintings unique.

Naomi Shriber-Kitt
Painting water and sky environments have always been areas I like to explore because I grew up in Coney Island.  As a contrast to the blues of water and sky, painting landscapes inspire me with the varied greens interspersed with trees and flowers.

Since my favorite theme is the environment, I’m never without my camera and  I love to take photos of skies, rocks, trees, an old staircase or an old building for inspiration. After retiring from teaching art in Huntington Schools, I continued to teach art at the Scarsdale Adult Ed Center.

Susan Phillips
I have done quite a bit of fine arts as well as crafts since my retirement 11 years ago. Formerly, I had mostly painted and done fabric collage as a hobby. Taking courses in pastels introduced me to a world I had not previously explored. Working from my photographs, I try to capture the essence of each scene, be it floral, landscape, or portrait. 

About the Artists:

Norma Foege’s passion for painting is reflected in her vivid landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Her technique is a cross between representation and abstraction with a  particular fondness for the colorists and impressionists.  

After thirty five years, she retired from teaching to devote more time to painting and  music. She received her Masters in Studio Art from the College of New Rochelle,  Master of Science Degree in Education at Brooklyn College, and earned her Bachelor’s  Degree in chemistry from Brooklyn College. She lived in Paris, France for two years  where she studied painting and exhibited at the Salon Des Independants in the Grand  Palais. She began painting as a child at the Brooklyn Museum where Moses Soyer was  her teacher. She continued her studies at Pratt Institute, NYU, Hunter College, City  College, the Art Students’ League, Silvermine, and the Rye Art Center. 

Brighita Weinberg is a member of the New Rochelle and Scarsdale Art Associations as well as the Westchester Artists Guild, which exhibited her paintings at a number of their members’ shows. Additionally, in March 2018 she exhibited her paintings at a solo show at the JCC of Mid-Westchester.

Naomi Shriber-Kitt has an MA in Art from Long Island University in Brookeville, NY and taught Art in the Huntington School District. She belongs to the Art Students League of NY, the New Rochelle Art Association, the Pastel Association of NY, the Scarsdale Art Association, Westchester Artists Guild, as well the Beaux Arts Association in Westchester. She has won First Place Blue Ribbons for Pastels, First and Second place for Acrylics, Oil and Watercolor paintings

Susan Phillips taught Art for 23 years for the New York Department of Education on the Secondary level, the majority of which was at an innovative collaborative Middle School/High School in Queens, where she was the entire Art department. It was a wonderful opportunity to see her students develop their skills from grade 5-8, and then be there for the 50% who went on to remain there for high school. She has taught everything from basic art to advanced High School Graphic design using Quark Xpress. In addition, she has taught a few courses in Art Education at The College of St. Rose.

To this day she continues to volunteer working with her granddaughters’ classes at The Edgewood School in Scarsdale, going in several times a year to do a Volunteer Art lesson with each of their four classes.

Her second career is as a book designer. She started by working at a small vanity press in NYC, followed by several years at Holt Rinehart and Winston, and then as a College textbook designer at Random House. In addition, she worked as an art director at Columbia University Press, and also designed children’s books for Dutton Children’s Books. While home with her children for several years, she ran a freelance graphic design business, with the emphasis on book design. One of her favorite projects was designing the DSM IV guidebook. 

Since joining WAG, she has shown her work locally, at The Rye Free Library, and at the JCC in Scarsdale as part of group shows.