Alan Shuptrine: Appalachian Watercolors of the Serpentine Chain

An exhibition entitled, Alan Shuptrine: Appalachian Watercolors of the Serpentine Chain, is currently on view in the State Museum's Changing Gallery. The exhibition pays tribute to the land and people found along the Appalachian Trail, and of the Celtic culture that can still be found there.

Shuptrine, nationally recognized for his paintings, has created 54 watercolors for a body of work that celebrates the connections of our Appalachian mountains, and their historical and cultural counterparts in the British Isles. Also renowned for his 30-year-career of handcrafting and carving beautiful frames, Shuptrine embeds precious Serpentine stones, and uses gold leaf accents on this collection of frames. 

“This journey highlights Celtic traditions that were brought to America in the 18th century, and are still being practiced today,” Shuptrine remarked. “I tried to capture the deep, meaningful, and superb technical excellence in each painting, whether it is found in the Maine and Vermont tradition of quilt making in the clapboard white schoolhouse, to whiskey making and farming traditions, or stunning views across the mountain ranges. Without knowledge or appreciation for your past, and with no sense of place, how can you look to the future?”

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website