The Katharine "Kotty" Wangler On-Line Gallery

Katharine "Kotty" Bowen first came to Woodstock in the 1920s as a young woman accompanied by a chaperone. Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1896, she married Albert C. Wangler in Woodstock in 1935 and remained in Woodstock until her death in 1996 at 100 years of age. Although not an artist herself, Kotty was an avid supporter of both arts and crafts, and ran the Woodstock Guild of Craftsmen's gift shop for over 40 years. She bequeathed funds to the Town for the purpose of "enhancing the arts in Woodstock." The Town is grateful for her generosity, and dedicates this gallery to her memory. Town of Woodstock, NY October 10, 2000

Introduction

      The first work to be exhibited in this permanent collection of the Katharine "Kotty" Wangler On-line Gallery is a wide range of paintings that have been created by Woodstock artists over the last century. In accordance with the Town's mandate, 100 painters who have all lived and worked in Woodstock during at least one artistic period for which they are known are presented here. They come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Some are living, while some are no longer with us. Some are world famous; others are primarily known regionally. Some are virtually self-taught, while others have attended the most prestigious art academies in the world. All have been selected for the one thing they possess in common: a compelling artistic vision.

      Well over 1,000 painters with public careers have lived and worked in Woodstock over the last century. As this project could not include them all, we have done what we could to present as wide a variety as possible. The Town hopes to make this a "living" gallery where additional "wings" will include more painters, as well as sculptors, printmakers, photographers, and other artists.

Statement from the Curator

      When I was initially approached about curating this on-line gallery, I found the prospect of choosing only 100 painters from so many to be truly daunting. Having lived in Woodstock for nearly half a century, I was acutely aware of all the painters I would not be able to include, at least for now. At best, all I could hope to offer was a beginning.

      While I did use traditional, objective criteria in my determination of which painters I would include - such as a painter being mentioned in art histories, having works in museum collections, receiving critical acclaim for his or her exhibitions, and being discussed in the art press - I also included some painters that do not meet the traditional criteria, but whom I, and others, have long considered under-appreciated, and for whom I have personal admiration.

      Although I sought the opinion of a diverse group of well-informed individuals, knowledgeable on the subject of art in Woodstock, and tried to take into account the specific concerns of each painter or his/her heirs, in the end I am solely responsible for both the painters and the paintings chosen for this site.

      Finally, I would like to thank Tram Combs, arts scholar, for his generous assistance throughout this project. I would also like to thank Mikhail Horowitz, former arts editor of the Woodstock Times, Linda Freaney, director of the Woodstock Artists Association Permanent Collection, the staff of the Historical Society of Woodstock, as well as all the painters, heirs, collectors, galleries and museums whose gracious participation greatly enhanced the quality of this endeavor.

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