'Solace' selected as theme of Lehigh Valley’s fall art exhibition

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — A local photographer who finds inspiration and solace in her home on South Mountain will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Ronald K. DeLong Gallery at Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) this fall.

The exhibit, “Solace: Photographs by Jane Noel” will run from Sept. 10 to Dec. 5 and includes over a dozen large-scale, archival pigment prints that invite the viewer into a unique world of mystery, light, and shadow. Trees are a recurring subject in Noel’s photographs.

“There’s a subtle message of meditation and contemplation,” said Ann Lalik, PSU-LV arts coordinator and De Long Gallery director.

Due to the large size of the images, Lalik compares the exhibit to the experience of walking into a forest.

The artist credits the inspiration for this exhibit to her property and the unlimited creativity it has given her.

“I moved to my home place on South Mountain seven years ago,” said Noel, “after years of caretaking and witness, I began a conversation with the trees. They are my teachers and solace.”

Noel, a former lecturer in information science and technology at PSU-LV, has exhibited extensively throughout the region over her decades-long career. She received her master of fine arts degree from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, her master of arts degree from George Washington University, and her bachelor of arts degree from Moravian College (now Moravian University).

The artist reception for “Solace” will be held on Sept. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the DeLong Gallery on the first floor. The event is free and open to the public. Visit the gallery’s website for more information on hours and upcoming exhibitions.