Artistic Luminaries: Three Local Icons Opening Reception

An opening reception for Artistic Luminaries: Three Local Icons is set for AHA Night. This exhibition reflects on the work and influence of Willoughby Elliott, Severin Haines, and Marc St. Pierre, who spent decades teaching and creating at the Swain School of Design and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Their guidance shaped many South Coast artists and left a lasting mark on the region’s creative community.

Elliott’s study shifts light across open landscapes. St. Pierre’s and Haines’s encaustic pieces blend layered structure with loose, spontaneous elements. Haines’s compositions pay close attention to color, form, and perception.

Teaching was central to each artist’s life. They encouraged the region’s sense of curiosity and pushed students to think deeply about what they made. Their lessons continue to echo through the work of artists who followed in their footsteps.