ST. JOHNSBURY, VT (June 25, 2026) – The Charles M. and Hanna H. Gray Gallery at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is hosting a new exhibit, “Conversations,” by local multimedia artist Donna Ellery.
Ellery is a former glass and metal artisan who began a return to the fine arts in 2011. For many years she worked mainly in oils, producing portraits of animals but her work spans a range of styles, from color-drenched florals and landscapes to dreamy portraits and more abstract work. She trained in the traditional Dutch Masters tradition from the age of nine under the tutelage of late American Master, Carroll N. Jones Jr. and other artistic mentors from New York and New Jersey.
Ellery has lived in McIndoe Falls, Vermont for nearly 30 years, creating a home and studio space in the 100-year-old general store, post office, undertaker parlor, and high sheriff’s office known locally as The Old Red Store.
A self-described “reconstructionist,” Ellery has always enjoyed working with salvaged and found materials, what she describes as “the general flotsam of life in the 20th and 21st century.” Several works in the show use a hardware store staple—wooden paint stirrers—to play with color and pattern.
Since 2020, Ellery has been working on more environmental, philosophical and spiritual works in both two- and three-dimensional media. Her love of color and the lines of glass work still permeate her current pieces and she feels liberated from the constraints of her former work as an artisan and commercial artist.
“When I work now, there’s a lot of wonder,” she says. “Things are more open and flexible. This is the time in life when I’m allowed to do whatever the heck I want.”
Ellery’s work will be on display at The Charles M. and Hannah H. Gray Gallery located on the hospital’s main floor through August 17, 2026. 25% of all sales from the exhibit will directly benefit NVRH and its mission to provide exceptional care to our community.
To learn more, visit www.donnaellery.com or see her work on Facebook at @donnaelleryart or at @dazleart on Instagram.
To learn more about the gallery and the current exhibit, visit the Charles M. and Hanna H. Gray Gallery webpage at nvrh.org or contact the gallery Curator Jennifer Layn at j.layn@nvrh.org or 802-748-7313.