NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2026
York Public Library is pleased to present Clapboards and Windowpanes, an exhibition of paintings and watercolors by Maine artist Russel Whitten, on display from November 3rd through December 27th, 2026 in the Library’s Upper Level.
Russel Whitten is a Southern Maine painter and teacher whose work is rooted in direct observation. For more than twenty years he has painted the landscape, architecture, and people of New England, working primarily on location.
Whitten studied at Maine College of Art, Heartwood College of Art, and the Art Students League of New York. He has been a member of the Ogunquit Art Association since 2004 and has exhibited throughout New England.
His work is not limited to Maine. Whitten has painted extensively in Italy, including Sicily, where he leads an annual plein-air watercolor workshop. The contrast between the northern light and weathered architecture of New England and the hard Mediterranean light, stone, and color of Sicily has become an important part of his work.
Whitten’s paintings begin with looking. He is interested in the structure of a building, the angle of a roof, the reflection in a window, the way a shadow falls across a wall, or the character of an old clapboard house. His years as a scenic painter have further shaped his understanding of architecture, perspective, and light.
Clapboards and Windowpanes takes its title from the familiar things that surround us. Old houses, windows, streets, barns, walls, and coastal buildings are often overlooked. Whitten sees them as worthy subjects in their own right.
Whether painting in Maine or Sicily, his approach remains the same: stand in front of the subject, look hard, and paint what you see.
Clapboards and Windowpanes is an exhibition about place, light, and the simple act of paying attention.
The public is invited to meet the artist at an opening reception at the Library, Tuesday, November 10, from 5:00 – 6:30 PM. The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular Library hours.
