"Moving Forward": Portraits by Lindy Blanchard by Ashley Ruiz

On March 20th at 4:30PM to 7:00PM, PCCC and Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council presented the Moving Forward: Portraits by Lindy Blanchard art reception at the PCCC Broadway Gallery. The reception was held to honor and celebrate Women’s History Month by highlighting female artists such as Lindy Blanchard and her artistic works. Students, faculty, and community members gathered for an evening of art appreciation and connection through art, snacks and light refreshments. 

Izubu and Young Girl by Lindy Blanchard (Oil on Canvas)

The artistic mind behind the portraits is Lindy Blanchard, a visual artist from Fort Lee, New Jersey. The art reception displayed a variety of her portraits and artworks, some of which earned her awards and recognition for her work. Through her art, attendees on campus were given the chance to experience the world and human experience through Lindy’s eyes. Lindy received her education from Wheaton College in Massachusetts earning a Bachelor of Art in Art History. After receiving her bachelor's, she studied in New York at the National Academy of Art and The Art Students League. She is passionate about capturing the beauty of the human face. Through her work, she emphasizes the significance of human experience through portraits and realistic paintings of everyday life. 

Lindy Blanchard has a strong regard for realism. She is inspired by her travels, the diversity of humanity and the unique facial features obtained by humankind. Lindy’s fascination for the human face is expressed throughout her various portraits, it is a common theme in her artwork. When painting her portraits, capturing feeling and mood through facial features is important to her artistry. Additionally, being able to capture the essence and personality of her subjects through canvas is an essential part of her process. This can be seen in her work titled “Yearbook” (Oil on Canvas). In conversation with Lindy, she explains that the student she painted on the bottom left “has dreams of becoming a model” and that she “wanted to preserve that side of her” when painting her portrait. Lindy paints her subjects with the intention of preserving personality and soul in her artwork. She also observes the environment around her in her paintings, capturing society and daily life through works “Museum Nap", "Generational Gap” and “14th Street Surfer” which all show how technology has become a norm in our society. 

In honor of this year’s Women’s History Month, PCCC and Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council premiered the art installation on March 4th at the PCCC Broadway Gallery. The Moving Forward: Portraits by Lindy Blanchard art installation will be available until April 16th. Be sure to check out Lindy’s artwork while you still can!