(SPENCERTOWN, N.Y.) – Works by painter Scott Thomas Balfe and photographer Jane McWhorter, who were the winners of last year’s juried regional art exhibition judged by Carrie Haddad of Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, N.Y., go on view at Spencertown Academy Arts Center with a free opening reception on Saturday, September 24, from 4 to 6pm.

The exhibitions will remain on display through October 9. Gallery hours after the opening are Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5pm. Admission is free and the artworks are for sale.

Scott Thomas Balfe’s exhibit is titled “Translations in Oil.” Based in Earlton, N.Y., he is a classic landscape painter in the tradition of the Hudson River School. His paintings capture the atmospheric condition created by humidity and diffused light, which helps to cause a softening of the spatial plane, giving the romantic feeling that the Early American painters so masterfully executed. Over the past 30 years, he has exhibited his work nationally, including a one-man show at the prestigious Union League Club of NYC and auctions by Sotheby’s NYC and Guernsey’s London. He is a current member of the Salmagundi Club of New York and his art is represented by Gallery at Four India Street in Nantucket, Mass., the Hearle Gallery in Chatham, Mass., and Silverwood Gallery in Saratoga, N.Y.

“When I paint in the field, I try to create something that is partly what I see and partly what I would like to see, or where I would like to be,” says Balfe. “And in doing this, I am creating my own handwriting in oil paint.”

Fine art photographer Jane McWhorter’s exhibition is titled “WhatAmILookingAt?” It will feature her vivid new work, which is mysterious and powerful. Most of the large images are of inorganic subjects, concentrating on the interaction of color, form, and texture. The result is a series of strong, compelling, and beautiful photographs. McWhorter, a resident of the Berkshires, grew up in a family of artists and photographers in Brooklyn. Since 1974, she has exhibited her work in various galleries in Massachusetts, New York, and Santa Fe, and her limited edition prints are widely collected. She also works as a professional graphic designer and has taught photography and graphic design at schools and colleges for over 40 years.

“My artwork moves in stages. I work in a particular form or style, which then, after several years, morphs into something else,” says McWhorter. “Now, in this digital world, I use the power and potential of the computer as a tool to take my photography into a more ‘painterly’ realm. The actual ‘shooting’ of the image is just a starting point. My intention is not to take a photograph but instead, to make a photograph.”

Housed in a restored 1840s Greek Revival schoolhouse, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, N.Y.