James A. Cusmano to offer silk painting demonstration to wrap up exhibition

If you've been meaning to visit the James A. Cusmano exhibition, "Five Decades: A Journey Through Art in Nature," at the Jaffrey Civic Center, this is your final opportunity. Even better, the exhibition will close with a special chance to meet the artist himself as Cusmano presents a gallery talk and live silk-painting demonstration. The retrospective, which opened on June 12, celebrates more than 50 years of Cusmano's artistic journey. Bringing together a diverse collection of multimedia works, the exhibition reflects his lifelong fascination with the beauty, rhythm, and delicate balance of the natural world. He will offer a gallery talk and silk painting demonstration at the Jaffrey Civic Center on Friday, July 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, making it a great opportunity to hear directly from the artist while seeing this fascinating technique up close. Visitors will find silk paintings, pastels, relief watercolor monoprints, oil paintings, and ceramic tile installations — each exploring themes of growth, transformation, and humanity's connection to nature. Rather than simply depicting landscapes or flowers, Cusmano's work encourages viewers to see nature as something alive — an ever-changing force that shapes our memories, emotions, and shared experiences. It's an exhibition that invites visitors to slow down, look closely, and appreciate the quiet details that often go unnoticed. One of the highlights of the closing week will be Cusmano's silk-painting demonstration, where visitors can watch his unique creative process unfold. His silk paintings are one-of-a-kind works created by applying transparent French dyes by hand onto white China silk using a brush. The silk is stretched tightly across a frame, and through a careful combination of resists and other techniques, Cusmano controls the flow of dye as it moves across the fabric. Once complete, each painting is steamed to permanently set the vibrant colors before being re-stretched and framed. The result is artwork that feels luminous, fluid, and unlike any other medium. A longtime member of Silk Painters International, Cusmano has shared his knowledge with students for more than three decades. Since 1994, he has taught silk painting at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, New Jersey. Cusmano is well known throughout the Monadnock Region for his work across a variety of mediums, including pastels, oils, watercolor, printmaking, textiles, pottery and ceramic tile. He was recently inducted into the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. His artwork can be found in both private and corporate collections, ranging from intimate six-inch square pieces to large-scale installations measuring as much as 96 by 192 inches. A graduate of Pratt Institute in New York with a degree in fine art and design, Cusmano also completed specialty studies at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. He and his wife, Christine, currently live in Peterborough. They previously owned and operated a successful art and framing gallery for more than a decade. Visitors who enjoy Cusmano's work will have another opportunity to see it this fall when he participates in the 2026 Monadnock Art Open Studio Tour. Recognized as New England's oldest and largest open studio tour, the annual event offers a self-guided journey through the region's scenic back roads, vibrant fall foliage, and charming towns while visiting more than 60 working artists' studios. It's a unique chance to meet artists where they create, learn about their process, and experience the incredible variety of artwork being produced throughout the Monadnock Region. "Five Decades: A Journey Through Art in Nature," remains on display through Saturday, July 25, at the Jaffrey Civic Center, located at 40 Main St. in Jaffrey. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m., on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturdays. Admission is always free, and all exhibitions and receptions are open to the public.