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As part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at 51����, the Dresser Gallery will feature an evocative exhibition of realist works by acclaimed painters Mikel Wintermantel and Barbara Fox, alongside a special tribute to the late J. Cole Young, former head of 51����’s Fine Arts Department.

Fox is recognized nationally and internationally for her vibrant, representational paintings that blend bold color with dramatic lighting. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the country and the world, including the Phillips Museum of Art in Pennsylvania, Millicent Rogers Museum in New Mexico, the Arnot Museum in Elmira, and the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain.

A signature member of both the National Watercolor Society and the International Guild of Realism, Fox’s accolades include multiple features in Splash: The Best of Watercolor Painting, American Artist, and Watercolor Magic magazines.

In addition to her fine art career, Fox is a skilled illustrator and a Master Designer for the United States Mint. Twenty-one of her designs have been produced as official coins and medals. She also teaches watercolor workshops nationwide, sharing her techniques in layering washes and painting fine details

Wintermantel, known for his luminous oil landscapes painted on copper, draws inspiration from the Luminist artists of the Hudson River School. His serene, atmospheric works capture the beauty of dawn and dusk using a refined palette and meticulous layering technique.

Wintermantel’s art has been exhibited widely across the country and is held in private and public collections internationally. His paintings are celebrated for their sense of peace and technical mastery.

Also featured in the Dresser Gallery will be a deeply personal project by Wintermantel, a collection of restored and completed works started over 40 years ago by his friend and mentor, J. Cole Young.

Young, who led the university’s Fine Arts Department in the 1980s and ’90s and was represented by the Fischbach Gallery in Manhattan, left behind several unfinished oil sketches on canvas and paper.

“These were very early works in Cole’s painting process, rough oil sketches that were not in the best shape,” said Wintermantel. “Restoring and stabilizing them was my first priority. I used to help Cole start some of his large landscapes, and finishing these pieces, remembering his techniques and ideas, is something I’ve wanted to do for years. This exhibition felt like the perfect moment to honor that legacy, and to reconnect with the art scene at St. Bonaventure from decades past.”

The 30th anniversary celebration of the Quick Center and the official launch of its 2025–2026 Exhibition and Performing Arts Season will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21.

All five of the Quick Center’s galleries — Front, Kenney, Dresser, Beltz, and Laine — will reopen with fresh exhibitions that reflect the Center’s mission of artistic excellence, education, and cultural connection. The event is free and open to the public, with a light reception during the celebration.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).