Writers and Art Enthusiasts Are Invited to Fall Open House & Art Show at Westport Writers Workshop

Area writers and art enthusiasts are invited to the Westport Writers Workshop Fall Open House & Art Show featuring oil and pastel artist.

Water Lily, Ninfea, William Papaleo.

WESTPORT, CT—Fairfield County area residents and art enthusiasts are invited to Westport Writers Workshop’s (WWW) Fall Open House & Art Exhibit. This is the first of 20 special events they are planning to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the nonprofit writing organization. The event is intended to spotlight the connection between works of art and spoken word. The featured artist for the art opening and workshop open house William Papaleo, a pastel artist and oil painter who has lived in Italy for more than 35 years.  

The artist lives, paints, and teaches at Salerno University in Italy. He was commissioned by the town of Waterbury to do a sculpture for Liberty Park. He has received various awards in international and juried shows in Italy and America and is represented by Wohlfarth Galleries in Washington D.C. and Massachusetts. In the past few years, he has collaborated with The Royal College of Art of London and The University HDM of Stuttgart, Germany during a series of international painting workshops for European college students. In addition, Papaleo has taught painting at the University of California, Napoli, Italy, and at the Castle Hill Center for the Arts in Truro, Massachusetts.  

“We are very excited to have him, and we will be demonstrating the connection between the visual arts and the written word that evening,” said Patricia Dunn, Westport Writers Workshop’s new Executive Director. “We will have one of many experiences where writers will write in connection to the paintings/photography and other exhibits on display in our space.” 
Papaleo invites attendees to “cast off fear” and live simply in beauty. “We are living in a strange civilization. Our minds and souls are so overlaid with fear, with artificiality, that often we do not even recognize beauty. It is this fear, this lack of direct vision of truth that brings about all the disaster the world holds, and how little opportunity we give any people for casting off fear, for living simply and naturally. When they do, first of all we fear them, then we condemn them. It is only if they are great enough to outlive our condemnation that we accept them.”

The artist says that his work is “rooted in the humanistic, figurative tradition. Many years ago I came to Italy and chose to live and paint in the south, in Naples and the Amalfi Coast. I wanted to paint life and not just study the past grandeurs of the artistic tradition. Southern Italy has suffered eleven dominations in seven centuries and has the depth of an oppressed people and thus, as a subject, contains a universality despite its provincialism. The best an artist can do, given a new situation is to produce a lyrical reaction to the environment that confronts him. Preferable to a rendering from the outside or a visual description of a voyage, an inward reflection with a knowledge of the subject in mind, make a work that, I hope, is more sincere and original.” 

Papaleo’s paintings will be on display and open by appointment for all to view through December. The Westport Writers Workshop Open House & Art Opening will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at their new location,  25 Sylvan Road South, Suite J Westport CT. 

Westport Writers Workshop is excited to announce their fall workshops and classes. Mix and mingle with the instructors at the Open House & Art Show. For more information and to register, visit Westporwriters.org. 

About Westport Writers Workshop: Since 2003, the Westport Writers’ Workshop has been offering workshops for every level of writer, from novice to published! Our instructors offer friendly, supportive writing workshops designed to encourage, inspire, and spark your imagination. With over 100 workshops a year to choose from, we welcome writers of all skill levels and genres. Our workshops are designed to suit your schedule, with options in the morning, afternoons, and evenings. We also host several Saturday-only workshops and one-week writing-intensive programs throughout the year. You can learn more about our workshops by visiting our WORKSHOP page. 

Let Westport Writers’ Workshop help you discover and develop your own unique writing talent and voice. 

Our Philosophy: You can expect a supportive group led by an experienced instructor. You’ll write, read, and learn from each other. Focus is always on the quality of the writing – not on the subject matter. Writing begets writing. The more you commit to your writing, to showing up for your writing group, the more you will write. By joining a community of writers, you will become a stronger writer and influence others to refine their craft. Our philosophy and practices are inspired by Amherst Writers & Artists and Pat Schneider’s book, Writing Alone and With Others. 

Our Mission: The Westport Writers’ Workshop is an independent literary arts center offering enriching, supportive creative writing classes, as well as literary readings to the local public. Our organization also provides free writing workshops to underserved populations in their own communities. 

Our History: In 2003, Jessica Bram founded Westport Writers’ Workshop. In 2010, Jessica moved the workshops into the second floor of the historic building on 3 Sylvan Rd. South in Westport. In 2013, Valerie Leff bought WWW and became the Director. In 2014, Valerie created a Board of Directors and transformed the business into a nonprofit with a mission to offer enriching, supportive creative writing classes, as well as literary readings to the local public, and free writing workshops to underserved populations in their own communities. 

​In 2018, Michelle Bradley came on board as the Executive Director, and in summer 2019 when Michelle’s family was transferred to Chicago, Liz Matthews took over as the Director. In March of 2020 with the onset of COVID-19, the workshops transitioned to the Zoom platform and were offered remotely. The organization grew to include writers and instructors outside of our immediate community. 

In 2022, Westport Writers Workshop appointed a new Executive Director, Patricia Dunn, an award-winning writer.  westportwriters.org 

Westport Writers’ Workshop 25 Sylvan Road South, Suite J, Westport CT.
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