Norwalk, Conn., Aug. 3, 2026– The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, in collaboration with The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, will present “The Evolving Icon.” This group exhibition will open to the public on Oct. 7, 2026, at 12 p.m. and run through Jan. 3, 2027. The exhibition viewing will be included with the purchase of a guided house tour at www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com. An exclusive preview will be featured at the Mansion’s “Red Carpet Gala” on October 3, 2026. The Artists’ Reception will be held on Thursday, October 8, 2026, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The artists included in the exhibition are: Don Arsenault, Gigi Barrett, Linda Champanier, Michel Delafontaine, Katy Despot, Cary Gersh, Jeanine Jackson, Arlene Markoya Lawrence, Ana Paula Martins, Deborah Howland-Murray, Sharon Rubinstein, Nancy Stember, Elizabeth Thomas, Connie van Rhyn, Cindy Wagner, ShawnaLee Waterbury-Kwashnak, and Robert Francis Whelan.

This art exhibit was juried by Laurel Stern Boeck, a classically trained artist with an award-winning career in both portraits and landscapes. Ms. Boeck began her studies at the Art Students League of New York, earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, and further honed her skills at the John Murray Atelier before completing her MFA at the New York Academy of Art. Through her authentic approach and attention to fine detail, she captures the likeness and essence of her subjects. Her work can be seen in private collections, boardrooms, universities, supreme courts, and Washington institutions.

This exhibition will focus on hand-rendered portraiture, spanning traditional realism, classical approaches, contemporary interpretations, and experimental, conceptual work.

LMMM Trustee and Art Committee Chair Gail Ingis will curate this exploration.

LMMM’s 2026 contemporary art exhibits are sponsored in part by LMMM Trustee Kathy Olsen, CPA and Trustee Gail Ingis. 2026 programs are made possible in part by LMMM’s Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation, Inc., and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc.; LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: Dr. Michele and Attorney Miklos Koleszar; and The Sealark Foundation, Inc. For more information on tours and programs, please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Artwork: Ana Paula Martins, Celebrating Carmen, Oil Painting