Personal Collections: Holiday Cards by Bill Newman is an exhibit of original holiday cards created by artist Bill Newman, Canton, for his friends Anneke and John Larrance and Lois Ann and Bob FitzRandolph, 1990-present. Each card features an original artwork on the front, with a message and cartoon of the artist on the back. As an artist, Bill is known for painting what he sees from the perspective of the farm where he lives. For his holiday cards, he often paints or sketches from his family’s collection of ornaments. For his friends, these collections of cards have become an annual feature of their seasonal decorating.

“Bill Newman and my husband, John, met when Bill designed a set for a show at the St. Lawrence University theatre where John was the Production Manager. When I addressed my Christmas cards that year, I sent one to Bill. When Bill sent an original holiday greeting back to us, I kept it because it was unique. From then on, I always kept Bill’s cards. I like to save and display small collections of “pretty” things, so after about 10 years I began to share the cards at our annual Christmas party—to which Bill was invited. As the collection grew, rather than displaying them on poster board or in the windows of a French door, I began to hang these originals in different places among the Christmas decorations to better showcase them. They were always a source of conversation and discussion.

Even though Bill has stopped creating and sending Christmas cards, these have a place in the Larrance family holiday traditions. Our son has asked to inherit them!” -Anneke and John Larrance

“Our friendship with Bill Newman began over three decades ago, standing at the rail at Appleton Arena watching SLU Hockey. As a student at St. Lawrence University, and while still working on the family’s dairy farm, Bill’s passion has always been art. We have witnessed and supported the development of his artistry which has encompassed pastel, watercolor, pen and ink, and even theatrical set design and painting. We were among the small circle of friends who received his first watercolor Christmas card in 1990.

When Anneke and John Larrance offered their personal collection of Bill’s cards to TAUNY for this exhibit, we decided it would be interesting to add those early examples to the collection, as well as some triptychs and oversized cards that Bill made especially for us through the years. We have kept these original works of art and display them every Holiday Season, and as the Larrances have shown, we are not alone in treasuring them.”

-Lois Ann and Bob FitzRandolph

Exhibit runs from November 6th through 27th on our second floor.