Artist and teacher Patrick McCay of Bedford brought a group of painters together in Manchester 15 years ago, and they’ve been painting and learning together ever since. The group started out as students in a weekly painting class at the Manchester Institute of Art/New England College. Students who continued to attend the class every year have formed a creative, vibrant community under McCay’s guidance.
In this exhibit at Two Villages Art Society’s gallery in Contoocook, McCay and his students and fellow painters display their work together for the first time. Sixteen artists, from Lincoln, NH, to Lowell, MA, are participating in the exhibit. “Explore, Express: Painting with Purpose” will be on display from February 7-March 14, with an opening reception from 12-2 p.m. Saturday, February 7.
McCay was born in Scotland, where he began his artistic education. He exhibits throughout the country and in the UK, displaying works that combine abstract and figurative elements. He has garnered numerous awards and teaches at the Institute of Art and Design at New England College. In 2025, he served as the juror for the Two Villages Art Society Summer Members Show.
The exhibiting artists include Meghan Baird, Susan Cook, Monica Cote, Emily Edwards, Robert Fox, Joanne Greer, Suzanne Hodge, Joanne Hoy, Sean D. Jameson, Aline Lotter, Sarah Lussier, Patrick McKay, Olivia Pierog, Sara Steffensmier, Anne Stevenson, and Roberta Woolfson.
“The heart of the class is the critique,” McCay says of his group’s meetings. “We set aside 40 minutes at the end of each three-hour session to look closely as a group at three or four works in progress. Giving and receiving critiques can lead to significant growth as an artist.”
Two Villages Art Society’s gallery is free and open to the public at 846 Main Street in Hopkinton’s Contoocook Village. Regular gallery hours are 12-4 pm Thursday-Sunday. For up-to-date information about the schedule, artists, and other events at the gallery, visit the TVAS website. https://www.twovillagesart.org/