There are many attractions that draw people to the East End of Long Island-the vast expanse of ocean, fishing, water sports, quaint hamlets and, most importantly, the striking vistas everywhere you turn. While scheduled long before COVID 19 became a part of our lives, LOCALES, the season’s opening exhibition for BCK Fine Arts Gallery @Montauk Gallery, offers all who have been on “pause” a unique opportunity to revisit familiar East End sites. This exhibition features two artists who present very different approaches to what they have observed for decades in these LOCALES

Paton Miller has been a known figure in Southampton for over 40 years. Though not native to the area, he graduated from South Hampton College, stayed local and began his career as an artist and a teacher. His many shows, both solo and group, have been held at various galleries throughout the East End, New York City, other cities throughout the United States and internationally. His works are owned by the American Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Bogota, Columbia. They are also part of the collections at Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, NY, Long Island Museum of Art, Stonybrook, NY, Muscarelle Museum of Art, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA and the Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY.

Janet Sawyer, too, has spent many years in Montauk, living and working both there and in Manhattan. Her time on the East End contributed to her affinity with the water, clearly shown in these playful paintings which depict a masterful use of vibrant colors. She was a founding student of the NY Studio School and received her MFA from Brooklyn College. She has exhibited continuously since l972 in New York City, Paris, Berlin, and various other American venues. Her work is in various collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, West Publishing, Gibbons PC, Sterling Corp., Bryn Mawr College, as well as private collections in the U.S. and Europe.