Fearless watercolors exhibit and sale to benefit local resident

Though artist Jan Guarino has not met Christine Garrecht, she was so moved by an interaction with Garrecht’s father, Fritz, that she is donating a portion of the proceeds from her solo exhibit at The Firefly Artists to the 33-year-old in her fight against colon cancer. 

The desire to support Garrecht occurred while Guarino was gallery sitting at The Firefly Artists on Main Street in Northport Village. Fritz Garrecht stopped into the art gallery and got to talking to Guarino; he shared his famous laminated four-leaf clover with her and the story of his daughter’s fight with cancer. It touched a cord with Guarino, whose own sister is a 30-year cancer survivor. Guarino’s upcoming exhibition and sale seemed the perfect opportunity to support someone in the community, she said.

The solo exhibition and sale will feature over 100 of Guarino’s watercolor paintings showcasing her favorite subjects, including bridges, doorways, windows and portraits, as well as seasonal images hanging in the center area of the gallery. Ten years ago – in what she refers to as her second act – the Art League of Long Island asked Guarino to take over two weekly in-person classes to teach her special brand of watercolors, a class previously taught by the esteemed watercolorist Ward Hooper.

For 45 years, Guarino ran her own design studio where she created cutting-edge logos, advertisements and marketing collateral for corporations and non-profits. She retired from graphic design in 2020 to focus entirely on painting and teaching. She has also recently announced the completion of her first book on watercolors, “Thinking Your Way Through Watercolors” and will be doing a book signing at the closing reception of her Firefly exhibit on Thursday, November 14 from 6 to 8pm.

“Jan is a gifted artist and teacher. It is a thrill to witness her at her craft and a joy to see this beautiful book – a work of art unto itself – come to fruition,” said Katheryn Laible, a managing partner at the gallery. 

“I am overjoyed by the upcoming exhibit of Jan’s watercolors at Firefly,” Garrecht said, who as a pediatric occupational therapist works with children with whom she now shares the same diagnosis. “I’m going to fight the fight my patients do on a daily basis. To get support like this means a lot to me.” Learn more about Garrecht’s battle with colon cancer here, at a GoFundMe established by her family and friends.

The Firefly Artists is located at 90 Main Street in Northport Village. Jan Guarino’s “Fearless Watercolor Works” will be on exhibit and for sale from Friday, November 1 to 15.