A stellar art exhibition is currently on view at the Floyd Memorial Library: Whitney M. Hubbard, 150 Years, featuring paintings by Whitney M. Hubbard, an art teacher and painter who lived and worked in Greenport.
Hubbard and his wife Ruth lived at 511 First Street — right down the street from the library — and even though he was born 150 years ago, his picturesque work still resonates today. According to the library’s Art Exhibits Curator Sally Grant, “Hubbard’s paintings reveal why he and Ruth are such an integral part of the historic and cultural fabric of Greenport.”
Born in Connecticut in 1875, Hubbard moved to Greenport in 1888 with his family when his father was hired at the Sage Brick Company. He took art lessons at the Art Students League in New York City and studied in Old Lyme, Conn. with noted American Impressionist painter Childe Hassam, where he learned to paint “en plein air” (outdoors).
Amazingly, Hubbard rose to the top of his profession after an accident where he lost the use of his right arm; he taught himself to paint using his left hand.
He married Ruth Antoinette Langlois, a musician who taught piano and voice lessons from their home. The couple was so beloved in Greenport that a “Hubbard Appreciation Day” was held on April 26, 1951.
The exhibition is the first major show of Hubbard’s work in 25 years and gathers over 70 of his works, loaned from private collectors, local historical societies, libraries and the Greenport School. Art collector Stanley Boyd, who resides in the Hubbard’s old house and who has amassed a substantial collection of Hubbard’s work, has loaned his set of Hubbard paintings to the library for this exhibition.
Whitney M. Hubbard, Afternoon Sunlight, nd. Oil on canvas board. On loan from Stanley Boyd. (Photo Credit: Stephanie Villani) 
Whitney M. Hubbard, Greenport Harbor, c. 1915. Oil on canvas. On loan from Oysterponds Historical Society. (Photo Credit: Stephanie Villani) 
Whitney M. Hubbard, Figure in a Garden, Surrounded by Flowers, nd. Oil on board. On loan from Stanley Boyd. (Photo courtesy of Floyd Memorial Library) 
Whitney M. Hubbard, Ruth Hubbard in a Hat with a Red Ribbon, nd. Oil on board. On loan from Stanley Boyd. (Photo courtesy of the Floyd Memorial Library)
Hubbard, who for a time taught art at Greenport High School (who owns several of his works), was well-known in the community and often seen around town painting. He was known for his impressionistic landscapes and seascapes, but the exhibition also includes work he did in different styles and subjects.
“We hope that this exhibition will help revive much-deserved interest in the artist’s work,” says Grant, who organized the exhibition along with her colleagues Janet Olinkiewicz, Adult Services Coordinator, and Christopher Bianchi, Reference & Local History Librarian.
“Even for those who know Hubbard’s paintings well, this exhibition offers a chance to re-see the paintings, which are frequently full of lively brushstrokes and vibrant, impressionistic colors. They also capture what is so special about Greenport and its surrounding landscape. While Hubbard’s views of the village and the nearby shores and bays are from around 100 years ago, the scenes are still recognizable today.”
Also found in the show are select paintings by Hubbard paired with the work of two contemporary North Fork artists, Jeff Lee and Alma Vasquez.
“Jeff and Alma have created striking new paintings that are complementary responses to Hubbard’s works, but which foreground each artist’s own perspective and distinct style,” says Grant.
“These paintings connect Hubbard’s world to Greenport’s contemporary art scene. While Hubbard tends to be described as an American Impressionist, this exhibition shows that he also experimented with different painting styles. And looking at these paintings side-by-side, I think you can picture Whitney and Alma, or Whitney and Jeff, having lively conversations about their artistic approaches and methods. I like to think Whitney would be fascinated, and delighted, to see how Alma and Jeff have responded to his works.”
On Friday, September 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. the Floyd Memorial Library will host a reception to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Hubbard’s birth. The exhibition is on view on the main and lower levels of the library until November 10. For more information, check the library’s website or social media.
