Two-Artist Mural Exhibition
Ends This Friday

By WRILEY NELSON
COOPERSTOWN

The Cooperstown Art Association Galleries will display the exhibit, “Community Murals: Spanning Generations,” through Friday, March 31. Max Jones, a Cooperstown High School senior, is showing his recent work on one side of Gallery A. The other side features murals by Frank M. Van Auken, a veteran and lifelong member of the local community, who passed away at the age of 102 in November of 2022.

Jones, 17, has been developing his style for years. For this exhibit, however, he had only about four weeks to assemble a portfolio.

“Mrs. Muller [Cooperstown High School art teacher] helped me get invited to display in the space, but it was a fast turn-around,” Jones explained.

His work in the exhibit includes several full-sized murals, smaller sketches and photographs. The centerpiece is his personal favorite, a mural titled “Field of Fire /LIFE.”

“My own life inspires a lot of my art,” Jones said. “For these pieces, I particularly enjoyed creating the speech bubbles and text.”

The written word, printed in a playful and eye-catching mix of capital and lowercase letters, is an integral part of his murals and sketches. Jones is thankful that the exhibit has allowed him to connect with the community and express himself through art.

“I think my favorite part of the whole process was the community opening event, when I was able to talk about everything with friends, family and neighbors.”

Van Auken began painting murals after he moved to Woodside Hall in February of 2018. The CAA exhibit features his depictions of the Cooperstown area during different seasons. Van Auken’s murals are bold, colorful interpretations of the region’s four faces as only a lifelong local could see them. They are simple, yet detailed with rural life and activity. Van Auken used acrylic paints, colored pencils, markers, and collage to depict familiar Cooperstown landscapes, buildings, and birds. The murals originally hung in the Woodside Hall dining room.

The Cooperstown Art Association is located at 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit cooperstownart.com.