By Michael Short, staff writer

This month’s Third Thursday (Th3) event at the Delavan Art Gallery will showcase the talents of James Dwyer in a show opening October 20. Dwyer was a professor emeritus at Syracuse University, where he taught painting and drawing for over 35 years. He was also a tenant at the Delavan Center for more than 17 years.

“Dwyer was a big part of the local arts community and his work deserves this recognition,” says Bill Delavan, proprietor of the gallery.

Among his credits as an artist are solo shows at the University of Maine, Krasner Gallery and Lubin House in NYC, Wooster and Ashland Colleges in Ohio, Colgate, SUNY Cortland, Cooperstown National Grand Prize and a juried show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work has been featured in numerous collections at the Everson Museum, Munson-Williams Proctor Institute, Syracuse University and IBM corporate headquarters.

“His work is unique and significant,” Delavan shares. “We showed some of his work in one of our first shows almost 10 years ago, and we’re delighted to do it again.”

A free opening reception will take place from 5 to 8pm on Th3 (Thursday, October 20) to honor Dwyer and his work. Dwyer’s art will continue to be on display at the Delavan Art Gallery, which is located at 501 West Fayette Street and just steps off the Connective Corridor bus route (a FREE service!), from October 20 through November 5.

When visiting the Delavan Art Gallery, make sure to keep an eye out for some brilliant new signage which is slated for installation in October. The enhancements are made possible through the Connective Corridor Façade Improvement Program, which allows eligible businesses and organizations to apply for up to $25,000 in capital improvement funding.

The program, which launched earlier this year, has experienced a great deal of success with more than 70 percent of the available funds conditionally approved for projects. Any property located directly on the Corridor is eligible for funding. Design criteria and application information can be found here. For more information, contact Michael Short at (315) 443-5402 or mwshort@syr.edu.