New Yorker Cover Artist Coming to Leland’s Old Art Building

The Old Art Building (OAB) announced a "rare and captivating" summer feature: Finding Beauty & Light: A Gayle Kabaker Exhibit, running daily from Saturday, August 8 through Sunday, August 16.

The highly anticipated event kicks off with an Opening Reception on Friday, August 7, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, giving the public a first look at the collection alongside the internationally acclaimed artist.

Gayle Kabaker is an award-winning painter, writer, and visual storyteller celebrated for her work through distinctly feminine lens. Best known for her iconic New Yorker covers—including her debut 2012 cover "June Brides" celebrating marriage equality, and nine subsequent covers since—Kabaker's career highlights also include painting 100 portraits for the book and Kennedy Center exhibition Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower, as well as authoring The Washington Post column, Sketching My Way Through Crisis.

Finding Beauty & Light explores Kabaker’s love of painting and her ongoing quest to capture the extraordinary thread of beauty found within everyday, ordinary moments. The exhibition weaves together quiet observations of daily life, intimate scenes, and travel-inspired landscapes—including
paintings deeply inspired by the shifting light on the water and coastal scenery in Leland.

In addition to the daily free exhibit, community members and visiting artists can engage with Kabaker
through a curated lineup of workshops and events:
● August 10 | Anyone Can Sketch Workshop (4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | $20): A low-pressure, playful
one-hour warm-up session designed to train the eye to see and interpret a simple still life naturally.
● August 10 | Artist Talk with Gayle (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | FREE, registration required): An
intimate conversation exploring Kabaker's creative process, her work with The New Yorker, and
her artistic inspiration ranging from Leland’s waters to the intimate female form.
● August 12 | Family Workshop: Let's Draw Monsters (4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | $15/person):
Inspired by the joyful sketchbook practice Gayle shares with her five-year-old granddaughter, this
hands-on workshop invites families to create imaginative drawings together.
● August 16 | Perfectly Imperfect: A Full-Day Painting & Drawing Workshop (10:00 AM – 4:00
PM | $468): A comprehensive masterclass where participants will learn to observe the world with
fresh eyes, establish a sustainable sketchbook practice, and learn to paint not just what they see,
but how they interpret it.