The West Hartford Historical Society will feature the work of resident Ginny Kemp.

Ginny Kemp. Submitted photo

Submitted

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society announces the opening of a photography exhibit featuring work of local artist, Ginny Kemp. The public is invited to attend the opening of “The Town: Refocused” exhibit on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 ,at 6 p.m. at the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, 227 South Main St., West Hartford. This event is free, open to the public and no registration is required.

Originally from Michigan, Kemp moved to West Hartford six years ago with her husband and three kids. She felt an instant connection to the place – the sidewalks, old trees, friendly people, and the history. West Hartford was the Connecticut version of her Midwestern hometown. It was a natural fit.

Ginny Kemp image. Submitted photo

The exhibit “The Town: Refocused” will give visitors a chance to see a wonderful collection of photographs taken all around town.Kemp uses her camera to capture the historical detail and beauty that make West Hartford and the surrounding area such an amazing place to call home.

Visitors will be challenged to try to identify familiar places using just small details that Kemp has focused on in her photography. Curator Sheila Daley says, “Ginny has a unique way of looking at the things around us. By paying close attention to details she gets us to take another look at familiar things and see things we may have overlooked.”

Kemp launched her antique print business, The Blue Twig, in 2012. Although her collection is wide ranging, she’s most drawn to paper that lends itself well to modern settings. Engravings featuring simple architectural detail, woodblock textile designs and astronomy charts are a few that rank high on her list of favorites. Regardless of the subject matter, Kemp’s primary goal for her business is to offer an art collection that includes only the most extraordinary works on paper.

At the start, photography was simply a task among many for The Blue Twig. Recognizing the importance of quality product shots, Kemmp recruited some (very patient) local photographers to help hone her skills. She began to sneak out before dawn to shoot around town while her family and the city slept. She was hooked and, not surprisingly, the images she loved most had a similar vibe to the antique prints she gravitates toward – architectural close ups, diagonal lines, patterns of all sorts, anything uncluttered with beautiful detail.

Ginny Kemp image. Submitted photo

As Kemp’s love for and knowledge of photography grew, she noticed that vintage photos and other prints related to the Hartford area were selling quickly. She decided to grow a local line and set out to find more antique paper. A handful of very cool pieces were unearthed but not nearly as many as she’d hoped for. Ginny picked up her camera and hasn’t stopped.

“The Town: Refocused” will be on display at the museum during regular hours through January 2017.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a not-for-profit museum and cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the Founding Father, educator, author and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for the history of West Hartford, the community that molded Webster’s future and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1-4 p.m. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call 860-521-5362.