by Suzanne Daub
The Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN) continues its Spotlight Series at the Champion Gallery in the Visual Arts Center (VAC), 24 Amelia Drive, with an exhibition featuring island artist G.S. Hill alongside Rose Gonnella, and Jennifer Rosenthal. Hill’s portion of the show offers a look at an artist whose career on Nantucket spans more than four decades and four distinct mediums.
For his Spotlight Series exhibition, Hill made a deliberate choice: rather than presenting a single body of work, he wanted visitors to see the full breadth of his art. “I wanted to show the four mediums I work in: oils, watercolors, pencil drawings, and a hand-pulled etching,” he explained. The result is a show that traces the arc of his artistic development while showcasing his range of talent in one curated space.
The oils and watercolors on view are contemporary pieces, drawn from his current body of work. For this exhibit, he selected different Nantucket scenes from his oeuvre, giving visitors a sense of how the island has shaped his eye over the years. His oils are serene and rich in color, while his watercolors lean classic and bright. Hill once worked in watercolor more frequently and, after some time away from it, is now returning to this medium.
The pencil drawings carry particular historical weight. Created in the 1980s, they belong to the same series as pieces the Nantucket Historical Association
(NHA) acquired for its permanent collection — a distinction that makes Hill the only living artist represented in the NHA’s permanent collection. “The two in the VAC show are the last of that series,” he noted.
Rounding out the exhibition is a hand-pulled etching from 1983: the artist’s proof of Brant Point. It holds special significance as Hill’s final etching of the subject, and one of the last he ever created. He no longer works in that medium.
G. S. Hill’s connection to the Artists Association of Nantucket goes back to the very beginning of his time on-island. “The first thing we did in 1979 when we moved to Nantucket was to join the Artists Association,” he said. “It’s part of the community.”
That relationship has shaped his view of the organization’s value to artists. “Having the Artists Association of Nantucket is 100% helpful to us artists: a lot of well-known island artists got their start taking classes at AAN,” Hill commented. He also spoke highly of the Visual Arts Center as a venue for this particular show, saying “I think the VAC’s Champion Gallery is a great place to show! It is a totally different venue [from their gallery on Federal Street]. AAN has so much to offer there: classes, workshops, talks…”
“Supporting local artists is important,” added AAN Board President Laurie Champion, “they are the fabric that enriches a community… It doesn’t matter if you work here or are a visitor, art talks to you. It brings people together as a community and makes people feel connected.”
Laurie and her husband, Bob, are avid art collectors and have long supported Nantucket’s culture life with philanthropy, inspiration, and dedicated leadership. She founded AAN’s Wet Paint Dinner and has chaired the AAN Gala several times.
“The first thing I ever bought [on Nantucket] was a set of prints by Donn Russell— I still have them,” Champion reminisced. “Every year I acquire something that will stay a part of my family. The AAN members are phenomenal…This is our first summer of Spotlight shows, and coming up is Greg Hill: he’s a legacy artist with a Lifetime Achievement Award, one of just two given that great honor and well-deserved.
“Last year we (AAN) sold the one gallery and moved into the Federal Street Gallery: it has been a tremendous success…Many artists suggested that they’d like to have more than one image in a show, and it was decided that a Spotlight Show would be a good way to do that,” Champion explained.
The Spotlight Series gives AAN member artists an additional opportunity to exhibit a curated collection of their work, offering visitors a broader representation of an artist’s vision than any single piece could provide. The concept grew out of discussions within AAN’s Exhibitions and Gallery Committee, with a clear goal: to enhance the visibility of AAN’s artists.
The opportunity to be featured was opened to all current AAN members, who responded to a questionnaire indicating their interest and availability. From those responses, AAN organized six two-week Spotlight show slots for the year.
The format allows artists to present work that might not typically appear in a standard gallery exhibition: pieces reflecting personal experiences, travels, and inspirations that extend beyond Nantucket. Each participating artist is also given the chance to share biographical information and other materials, giving visitors deeper insight into their background, process, and artistic vision.
Because the Visual Arts Center also houses AAN’s Education Department and welcomes youth and adult students throughout the week, the venue extends participating artists’ reach well beyond a traditional gallery audience, creating new opportunities for a wider community to experience and engage with their work.
The Spotlight Series supports several goals: helping artist members gain visibility, showcasing the depth and diversity of their work, and strengthening the bond between artists and the community. By encouraging artists to share their personal stories and creative processes alongside their work, the Spotlight Series helps the public develop a deeper appreciation for the people behind the art.
Given the strong response to the 2026 series, AAN plans to continue hosting Spotlight Series shows in the Champion Gallery. The show featuring G.S. Hill, Rose Gonnella, and Jennifer Rosenthal continues to August 17. The Spotlight Series show following opens August 18 and will feature Cathy Aguiar, Kelly Broderick, and Rika Petrova-Powers. The final Spotlight show of the season includes James Dolph, Bill Hoenk, and Anne Troutman, and it opens September 1.
AAN’s Champion Gallery is located within their Visual Arts Center
24 Amelia Drive • NantucketArts.org • 508-228-0722
