The Westfield Athenaeum is pleased to announce the opening of our newest art exhibit, The Road to Dana, by the artist Ron Michaud. Dana was one of the six towns wiped out by the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir in the 1930s. However, Dana’s common is still above water and is accessible by a road that can be walked. Michaud was intrigued by the story of these towns and often walks the road leading into the extinct town. This interest led him to initiate a series of paintings of various spots along the road.

These paintings also illustrate Michaud’s unique style. He creates landscapes through the application of hundreds of small dots of paint. If the viewer stands back, a landscape is clearly visible, but when the viewer moves closer the painting dissolves into a variety of small dashes of color.