The Bayonne Public Library and the Bayonne Historical Society are co-sponsoring an exhibit called “Lost Landmarks of Bayonne” in the O’Connor Gallery of the Bayonne Public Library. The public is invited to attend an opening ceremony, which will be held on Tuesday evening, April 12, at 7:00 p.m., in the gallery on the second floor of the library.
The exhibit will consist of approximately forty paintings by Bayonne artist Andrew A. Walsh (1873-1940) and ten poems by his late sister Mary A. Walsh. Bayonne shop owner Kathleen Hurley, another member of the same family, has kindly consented to perform the poems at the opening.
Members of the Bayonne Historical Society will act as tour guides, virtually taking people on a tour of 19th Century landmarks of the little villages that combined to form Bayonne: Bergen Point, Constable Hook, Centerville, and Salterville or Pamrapo.
The landmark paintings and the poems were donated to the Bayonne Public Library by Mary Walsh in 1949. The art includes pen-and-ink, charcoals, water colors, gouache, and oil paintings. Due to the number of pieces, the paintings have seldom been exhibited all together, so this is a rare occasion to view and compare all of them.
The family of the late Marge Wilk, a Historical Society officer and community activist, will also attend the program to make an art donation to the library in honor of their matriarch.
The Landmarks exhibit will be available through the end of April to allow the scheduling of daytime group visits for anyone from school children to senior citizens. Please contact Lee at 201-436-5978 for the dates and hours when the free guided tours will be available for the public after the opening ceremony.
The library is located at 31st Street and Avenue C.
