Photo submitted to the Times Observer Pictured is “Bridge in Early Spring- Arcadia National Park” By Thomas Paquette.

Landscape painter Thomas Paquette is once again drawing national attention with his latest artistic contributions, as his work is featured in the upcoming exhibition Visions of the National Parks and Beyond at the Crary Art Gallery in Warren.

The exhibition will be on display through Sept. 7.

Paquette, known for his luminous and contemplative landscapes, will showcase 15 paintings in the group exhibition, which also includes works by five regional artists: Thomas Annear, Wendy Bale, Angela Caley, James Hoggard, and Tom Janik. The exhibition was curated by Annear and comes at what Paquette calls “an unexpectedly crucial moment in the history of the parks,” referencing ongoing concerns about federal defunding and the auctioning of public lands.

“This exhibition reminds us of the beauty and importance of our deep connection to the natural world,” Paquette said. “As a country, we honor this connection through our National Park System, ‘the best idea we ever had,’ as writer Wallace Stegner claimed.”

Many of Paquette’s featured pieces were created–or at least begun–on-site during his appointments as Artist-in-Residence at Yosemite, Acadia, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. His approach to painting captures both the grandeur and intimacy of the American landscape.

Two works were created specifically for this exhibition. One is a medium-sized oil painting from Grand Teton National Park, which was purchased before it could even be publicly exhibited. The other, a large-scale oil painting from Acadia National Park, offers a rare glimpse into Paquette’s long and thoughtful process. The piece was first started in 1999 and remained in an underpainting state until he completed it just two weeks ago–a 26-year journey from canvas to completion.

“Time is often as important a component in my process as paint,” Paquette noted. “But I’ll admit that even for me, 26 years was on the long side.”

Among his notable works, the painting Sanctuary was recently featured in Through Forests of Every Color, an exhibition at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel, California. The piece was on loan from Winfield Gallery and reflects the artist’s continual engagement with landscapes as places of refuge and reverence.

Paquette’s new book, The Intimate Landscape: Gouaches 2006-2024, was recently reviewed in Pittsburgh Quarterly by Pittsburgh poet and reviewer Fred Shaw. The book captures nearly two decades of Paquette’s small-scale gouache works and is available for order.

Exhibition catalogs for Visions of the National Parks and Beyond can be purchased at the Crary Art Gallery or online in both print and digital formats through MagCloud. Paintings featured in the show are available for purchase; interested collectors may contact the artist directly.

“National parks aren’t simply oversized versions of city or county parks. They are our nation’s grandest temples, carefully constructed by nature and time. We go to them to shed the troubles of civilization and reconnect with a living Earth. We go to them hoping to be perceptive enough to be awed by the unfathomable universe that we forget surrounds us, not for a moment or even a few days, but for the infinite trajectory of time. It seems obvious that our national parks are worth far more than any profits that could come from harvesting commercial resources found within their boundaries. Nevertheless, our parks must be jealously protected by each generation to keep them from private interests that would strip them of their integrity and richness. National parks are a great benefit to humanity and nature alike, and remain, as Wallace Stegner put it, ‘the best idea we ever had.'” said Paquette

The Crary Art Gallery, located in downtown Warren, continues to serve as a vital cultural hub for northwestern Pennsylvania, offering free exhibitions that spotlight the region’s artistic talents and national perspectives.

For more information about Thomas Paquette’s work, books, and exhibitions, visit www.thomaspaquette.com, and for Crary Art Gallery programming, visit www.craryartgallery.org.