Established 1977
Exhibitions
Exhibition opening receptions are open to all, with free admission and refreshments. By appointment viewings may be scheduled outside of regular gallery hours.
Southbridge High School
Group Exhibition
Exhibited April 11 - 26
We are pleased to partner with the Unified Arts program at Southbridge High School for this exhibition of fabric art, papier maché, collage, and more. Unified Arts, chaired by DC Clark, nourishes vital musical, visual, and performing arts exploration and experience for middle- and high school-age young people of Southbridge.
Visual Arts Teachers:
Andrea Allegrone
Colyn Petre-Pion
Robert Smith
Exhibit Liaison:
Vanessa Fors
Exhibited May 9 - 24
Laura is a painter and photographer based in Brookfield, Massachusetts. Her artistic journey began with a focus on art during high school, and she has since developed into a semi self-taught artist. Laura's work has been recognized with numerous awards from organizations including the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Blackstone Valley Art Association, and the Massasoit Art Guild.
She is an active participant in the arts community in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Laura is a Board member of the Blackstone Valley Art Association; a member of the Massasoit Art Guild; and a member of The Ruth Wells Center for the Arts. Her art has been exhibited in libraries across Massachusetts as well as the Worcester Art Museum.
While painting remains Laura's primary passion, she is also an avid photographer. Her photographic work was recently featured in the Small Stones 2026 Art Catalog. Laura works across various media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastels, and has created commissioned pieces such as murals and pet portraits. She has also gained an online following through her YouTube videos. These showcase her painting process, both in the studio and en plein air.
Laura's recent projects included a community outreach program with Open Sky Community Services, based in Whitinsville Massachusetts, where she conducted art workshops for individuals and members of the community. Laura is scheduled to teach at the Bay Path Technical High School adult learning program. She participated in the Womans Art & Handwork Exhibit at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge Massachusetts; this coincided with her 2026 joint Art Show at the Charlton Public Library. Laura will also be teaching at local Senior Centers while preparing for her one-woman art show during the month of May at the Ruth Wells Center for the Arts. Her work continues to be shown in various locations throughout New England.
Southbridge Trio
Group Exhibition
Exhibited June 6 - 21
Found items become flights of fancy, and remind us to be curious.
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Elegant watercolors remind us how achingly beautiful this world can be.
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Both majestic and fun, wildlife photographs remind that we live alongside the extraordinary.
Stop by, enjoy things worth looking at, have some refreshments, and help welcome three gifted Southbridge artists who will be in the gallery and look forward to seeing you. All are welcome, and admission is free. The artwork is available for purchase.
David Baggarly
David was born (1963) and raised in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, graduating in 1985 with a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, in Baltimore, Maryland. Previously residing in Baltimore, Providence RI, and the New Bedford MA region, he and his wife have recently been residing in Southbridge MA. David has been a professional artist since 1985.
David’s work has been exhibited around the nation for over 30 years, including most recently his fifth solo exhibit at Colo Colo Gallery, New Bedford MA; and a solo exhibit at Starlite Gallery in Southbridge. He has recently exhibited at the Danforth Art Museum, Framingham MA; the Newport Art Museum, Newport RI; the New Bedford Art Museum; and URI, Providence RI. His works hang in numerous public and private collections, including MEDITECH Inc. (Fall River, MA facility), Concordia College (MI), Johnson & Wales University (R.I.), and the National Conference of American Bishops (Washington DC). David has also received grants from, among others, the LEF Foundation (CA) and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. His work is currently represented by Colo Colo Gallery of New Bedford, MA.
Barbara O’Brien
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"I began drawing and painting at a young age, inspired by my artistic older sister Margaret. Later, I was greatly influenced by my mother-in-law, the artist and teacher Christine O’Brien, as well as my instructors at the School of the Worcester Art Museum. My husband Tom has also been a constant source of support and remains my most valued critic.
After exploring various media, I returned to watercolor painting this past year. My love of nature is a prominent theme in my work, and I am grateful to be able to pursue this passion. I also feel very fortunate to have access to the Open Studio at the Ruth Wells Center for the Arts"
Jim R. Wilton
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Self-taught and versatile, Jim is well-known in Worcester County and far beyond for his paintings and photography. He’s always busy with commission work and has been shown locally several times. Jim has self-published two coffee-table photo books and his work has appeared in magazines. He is also a busy presence on Etsy and Facebook where he loves talking with the public about the subjects in his work. He’s at his happiest when his work connects with people and makes them feel happy too. Jim is a valued member of our Board here at the Ruth Wells Center and we are pleased to be showing his photography this month.
Laurie Boniface|Simplicity and Love
Opening July 11 | 3 pm to 7 pm
Showing July 11 - 26
“I always loved drawing as a child - my Mom provided me the important tools; art supplies, lessons with Mrs. Auchmoody in her barn on Brookfield Road in Sturbridge, and most importantly, encouragement.
How lucky I was as a child growing up on River Road in Sturbridge with the woods, river, and ponds as our playground. My love of nature was nurtured by daily reality - I loved the turtles, mushrooms, flowers, frogs, insects and all walks of forest life. I collected fungi, unusual pieces of wood, rocks, cones, mosses. Nut picking season was always a thrill.
As an adult, I feel the hunter-gatherer urges are natural, part of who I am, allowing me to survive by foraging and harvesting the gifts bestowed around me. I embrace the contentment I feel while gathering and using found gifts either as food or a source of beauty to embellish my home and my body.
My life’s work became creating jewelry from found parts. Providence RI was the costume jewelry manufacturing capitol of the world at the beginning of the 20th century and I built my jewelry design studio utilizing materials from old factories shuttering their doors after a century, creating a business that has sustained me and my helpmates over my lifetime.
I believe we are all artists and creators. Our media vary and our talents are many. We are creators; when we give ourselves permission to explore and experiment, when the process is more significant than the outcome, when we’re executing our creations for the joy of creativity and not necessarily for gain, our visions nourish both self and society. My fervent hope is for the preservation of our natural world and thus ourselves.
My thanks go to my parents for their love, encouragement and support; my family and many friends, both past and present, who continue to nourish my soul.“
Michel Duncan Merle
Opening August 8 | 4 pm to 8 pm
Showing August 8 - 22
The artwork of Michel Duncan Merle serves as a vibrant and provocative crossroads where legendary artistic heritage meets decades of technical mastery.
A native Parisian born in 1937, Merle spent more than three decades as a Professor of Art at Worcester State University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he taught generations of students to view creation through an alternative or philosophical lens.
Artistic practice and innovation run deeply in his veins: Merle is the son of artist and gallery owner, Ligoa Duncan, the grandson of artist and philosopher Raymond Duncan, and the great-nephew of modern dance pioneer and virtuoso Isadora Duncan. Merle’s extensive studies, from the Akademia Raymond Duncan in Paris to the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where he earned an MFA in Sculpture and Painting, reflects a global, lifelong commitment to the avant-garde.
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Merle has participated in a myriad of artistic organizations and collaborations over the years, including: Grove Street Gallery (co-founder/co-curator); Noh Place Artists Cooperative (board of directors/performer); Forbidden Poets (piano/spoken word); WCUW 91.3 FM (radio show featuring The Stranger and Think Tank Tango); Worcester County Poetry Association (former president); and a variety of performances and contributions as a member of Worcester Artist Group, Invented Thing Quartet, Theater Now, and Kasner Gooch Multimedia.
Merle is also the author of a volume of cut-up poems, Glass Bedding (North American Editions) and continues to produce poems/art in this fashion. More recently, he produced collages in response to a series of René Magritte-inspired poems by Stephen Campiglio, as part of a multimedia manuscript, including the work of two other artists, Andres Juarez and Jennifer Forest, entitled Other Turns.
The Ruth Wells Art Center exhibition invites viewers to experience a brilliant collection that honors Michel’s family’s historic legacy, while celebrating his own distinct, thought-provoking aesthetic.
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Portrait of Michel Merle © Irina Parfenova
Poster design © Julie Murkette
