Congress Street Gallery fits into downtown Portsmouth

Some may be reluctant to embrace the Congress Street Gallery, since it is only designated as half of the Green River Silver Company’s space in downtown Portsmouth, while the other half is a jewelry store. But it turns out to be an appropriate setting. This art gallery is a real gem.

The gallery at 75 Congress St., which opened roughly a year ago, is owned by brothers John and Dan Goldman. John is more focused on jewelry and Dan on art. They also own locations in Rhode Island, home to the gallery’s three featured artists this month—Marjorie Ball, Dora Atwater Millikin and William McCarthy.

This month’s group show, “Landscapes by Congress Street Regulars,” runs until Thursday, Dec. 4. It opened on Nov. 7 in conjunction with the city’s monthly Art ’Round Town event. Curator Carol FitzSimonds filled the space with both established and emerging artists who paint the way they see the world.

Marjorie Ball garners attention with rich colors in bold combinations. Her technique is soft with some blurred edges, like a distant dream. Most of her work on display holds only manmade structures in a natural setting, except for one with people relaxing outside a café in warm weather. The most magical of her paintings is “After Dark,” an elongated rectangle that is mostly midnight blue. To the right side, a hint of a house on the water’s edge is aglow in orange, perhaps the reflection of a campfire.

The landscapes by Dora Atwater Millikin are more suburban. These modern and blocky scenes in clean light wood frames are reminiscent of faded Polaroid pictures from a family vacation at the beach. Refreshing cream colors and baby blues dominate. However, nostalgia is interrupted by modern development. The skies are often segregated by power lines that create unexpected geometrical designs. In “Overcast,” the butter-colored and textured sky looks heavy, like a thick blanket.

William McCarthy has pure rural landscapes on display with trees forming the prominent focal points. They have an antique feel and timeless appeal. Some glow warm with sunset colors. “Summer Greens” has lots of orange in it and one tree almost looks as though it’s on fire.

Similar to McCarthy’s style of oil paintings is a wall of nature landscapes by Patricia Gordon. These quiet scenes are inexplicably dark, but not dreary. Work by Richard Harrington is also prominently displayed. A clouded sky takes up much of his square pastels with a scenic view at the bottom of the frame, almost as if the viewer is overlooking it from a cliff. “Sunny Tomorrow” has the suggestion of a blazing red sky at night at the upper corners.

Two paintings by James Kubiatowicz stand out as being the most urban. These streetscapes show the muted colors and rigid skylines of city nights. He is one of the gallery’s many artists who prove that good art can come from any landscape.