SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — The South County Art Association’s latest juried exhibition brings together a seemingly unrelated collection of subjects — a field of wild grass, a vanishing fishing boat, a prominent abolitionist and civil rights activist, and an observatory glowing red through fog. Though different on paper, these elements share a common bond. Every piece of featured art demonstrates a detailed investigation by its creator, illustrating a profound respect for the subject matter.
“Life in Monochrome, It’s Not Always Black and White,” attracted 215 submissions, which juror Susie Matthews, a sculptor and fiber artist based in North Kingstown, pared down to 83 pieces. Although the title suggests an exhibition rooted in restraint, speaking with the artists revealed threads of serious focus.
Kurt Van Dexter’s acrylic painting “Now You Don’t” is striking, detailed, and gold. A landscape architect by trade and a South County Art Association member for about two years, Van Dexter painted the piece from observation, working from little bluestem grass growing on his own back field, on a property that straddles the Exeter and North Kingstown town lines.
He noted how the grass transformed across the seasons, turning from springtime green to shades of gold and amber ahead of the frost, before ultimately flattening under the first snowfall. He explained that the title serves as a playful nudge instead of a riddle. Although he initially considered using the plant’s Latin name, schizachyrium scoparium, he ultimately decided it would sound too much like a botany lesson.
“I want to keep it light,” he laughed. He shared that he was thrilled that his piece earned the top honor.
Brian McDonald’s silver print photograph “Spring 2026” carries the show’s theme into the darkroom itself. McDonald, a resident of South Kingstown, captured the photograph at the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge during a damp morning early in the season. He used a green filter to emphasize new growth emerging after a harsh winter.
McDonald shoots with a Hasselblad medium-format camera and was candid that film offered no practical edge over digital but allowed him to exercise the skills he spent decades perfecting. Having once seen an original Ansel Adams print in person, he continues to evaluate his own work against that standard.
Trish Hurley’s acrylic “Rotating Ranunculus” grew from an idle square canvas she wasn’t sure how to use. She usually works in oil, teaching landscape and plein air techniques, but enjoys acrylic as a more experimental medium.
She explained the piece came together quickly and without a plan, built around color theory and a narrow tonal range.
“It turned into one of my favorite paintings,” she said.
Hurley, who lives in Wakefield, has been an association member for about a decade.
Peter Campbell’s “Portrait of Harriet Tubman” is part of a series of large-scale black and white portraits. He traces the project’s origins back to his childhood, when he was first inspired to enlarge miniature portraits found in his textbooks.
This year, the series grew to include 14 Revolutionary War figures. The expansion was timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States. Six of the portraits are now on exhibit at the Attleboro Arts Museum in Massachusetts, with the rest on view at the Hearthside House Museum in Lincoln, where Campbell, a Lincoln resident, is also a member.
A retired advertising art director, Campbell paints in a detailed, near pointillist style and thoroughly researches every subject before picking up his brush.
“These people took such a big risk in pursuing freedom,” he said, noting the additional weight of current events.
The fundamental intent behind Markham Starr’s pen-and-ink creation, “Last Haul,” aligns with the same artistic drive. Starr, who lives in Connecticut, spent decades chronicling commercial fishermen out of Point Judith and New Bedford, along with a long-term project photographing sacred Native American stonework.