Before they were paintings, they were photos. And before they were photos they were family – “my people.” This work began with old family photos from Minnesota, Sweden and Greece, and inspired the large family portraits in this exhibit. Family photographs contain universal lessons of art — light, shadow, composition – but they also reveal uniquely personal details about the lives of the relatives. Just look very very carefully.

Artist:
Janet Nyberg Paraschos, a Newton resident, has roots in Minnesota, as a descendant of Swedish immigrants; she is married to a Greek immigrant. She has long been interested in family history. A former writer and editor, in retirement she started taking painting classes while searching for a “lost” branch of her family. She found them, as well as an obsession with old photographs.

MY PEOPLE will be on display September-October 2018 in the Nordic Hall.

The artist’s reception (free) will be Thursday, October 4th from 7-9 pm.