Alec Purves Exhibition
Current Exhibition at the Washington Art Association & Gallery:
Alexander Purves
Sketchbooks: Travelling
March 21 – April 18, 2026
Experience the Purves journey at the Washington Art Association & Gallery, a remarkable retrospective spanning over 60 years and 15 countries, offering a rare glimpse into Purves’ artistic journey across time and place.
Entrance is free. Prints can be purchased for $60.
Introduction to Exhibition written by Alec Purves:
“This exhibition covers sixty years of traveling and sketching. The earliest sketchbooks date from 1965, the year of my graduation from the Yale School of Architecture. When I finished graduate school, I felt the urge to see the architecture that had not been included in our curriculum. I developed an itinerary that eventually included Japan, Cambodia, India, Iran, Turkey, France, Egypt and Libya – with a side excursion to Finland! The trip took nine months and was supported by the Winchester Travel Fellowship. Subsequent trips took me to Portugal, Spain and Morocco. More recently, Italy has been my focus.”
About sketching, written by Alec Purves:
“Drawing helps me to see. It forces me to look hard. It requires effort, but it also gives great pleasure, and looking back at these travel sketches brings memories to life. Some drawings are careful records, others are rapid gestures. I draw whatever catches my eye and triggers my curiosity. It could be a shape, a beam of light, a person. I typically use a ballpoint pen when I travel. It’s convenient, doesn’t smudge, and it
responds to pressure. But I also recognize that my fascination with line was cultivated during a Yale undergraduate freehand drawing course taught by Josef Albers, who only allowed us to use the point of the pencil.
Sketchbooks are visual journals. They are private and are not intended for public viewing, however others have encouraged me to show them, as they illustrate the ways I see.”
Event Location
Washington Art Association & Gallery
Memorial Plaza, 4 Bryan Hall Plaza, Washington Depot, CT 06794
Gallery Hours:
Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, 12:00pm-4:00pm
Phone: 860.868.2878
Email: info@washingtonartassociation.org
Event URL
