Gallery Celebrates with Impressions of the Four Seasons
by Nancy Wood,
October 6, 2011, page 21.....

A familiar sight for drivers through Shelburne is an easel, usually holding a landscape painting, placed in front of what appears to be a modest home on the east side of Route 7. One must stop and enter to understand the abundance of color and beauty that lines the walls of Marilene Luxton-Jones’ home, also known as the Luxton-Jones Gallery.

Luxton-Jones is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her gallery. The featured exhibit to commemorate this milestone is called “Impressions of the Four Seasons,” which is running now through November 30. The exhibit opened with a lively anniversary party on Saturday, October 1.

Artists featured in the exhibit include Carolyn Walton, Gail Bessette, Athenia Schinto, Charles Townsend and Susan Bull Riley. The exhibit also includes custom made jewelry by Tineke Russell.

“Though the gallery is celebrating its 25th anniversary here in Shelburne, its history actually dates back to 1980. I operated an art and framing business in Houston, Texas, for seven years,” said Luxton-Jones, a native of the Netherlands. “I decided to move my successful business to Vermont in 1986 in large part because I missed the four seasons. This exhibit celebrates that.”

Charlotters are familiar with many of the lake scenes and landscapes painted by Carolyn Walton, who is a former Shelburne resident. According to Luxton-Jones, Walton “paints primarily in oils, capturing the landscape and architecture of the Northeast and Europe. Walton’s smaller works, which are often painted en plein air, beautifully capture moments in time.”

Vicki Powers, who has been a friend of Luxton-Jones since they met years ago at the Charlotte Congregational Church, remembers a pleasant day spent with Walton: “When Carolyn had a free afternoon between gallery showings, Marilene suggested that she would enjoy coming down to visit me at Cedar Beach. Carolyn brought her portable easel and set up to do a painting of Spear Point.  I worked on a watercolor looking north toward Sloop Island. The weather turned on us, and we had to rush off the beach when the rain started. I treasure the painting she did of Spear Point and the memory it evokes of the day.”

 Walton, who has won numerous awards for her work, was invited in 2003 by the Curator of the State of Vermont for a solo exhibition to help celebrate Howard Dean’s tenure as Governor. She was commissioned twice, in 2003 and 1999, to provide cover art for the Vermont City Marathon. 

The Luxton-Jones Gallery continually showcases original artwork from numerous artists and has an extensive collection of antique maps, bird and hunting prints and botanicals, many dating back to the early 1700s. Luxton-Jones also provides custom framing, including the traditional art of French matting, for paintings, prints, and photographs.

Luxton-Jones, who raises the friendly black and white Stabyhoun dogs that greet visitors to her gallery, will contribute a portion of this month’s proceeds to the Humane Society of Chittenden County.

The Luxton-Jones Gallery is located at 5955 Shelburne Road directly across from the entrance to the Shelburne Museum. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5:30 p.m. as well as by appointment or by chance. For more information call 985-8223 or visit luxtonjonesgallery.com.