Mary Bryan Profile

Portrait of Mary Bryan by Marion Williams Steele

Mary Taylor Bryan was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, in 1906 and died in Chatham, Massachusetts in 1978 at age 72.

Moving to Connecticut with her parents at an early age, she also lived with them in California before settling permanently in the East.  At the various schools she attended, Mary was always the top in her class in art, particularly leaning toward sculpture.  She studied in workshop situations with some outstanding sculptors of the time including Laura Fraser and Carl Illiver, and then at the New School of American Sculpture. 

In 1938, she moved with her husband, painter Alden Bryan, and their young son, to Gloucester, MA, where they returned for many summers.  There she began her career as a painter.  She and Alden operated the Bryan Gallery in Rocky Neck, MA, exhibiting their work for over 30 years.  While there, she studied painting with the legendary American artist Emile Gruppe, and also attended classes with Eliot O'Hara at his school for watercolor in Goose Rocks Beach, Maine. 

The Bryans settled permanently on a farm in Jeffersonville, VT, in 1939, again drawn to an area which had been a mecca for New England landscape painters for decades.

Unfettered by formal, academic training, Mary Bryan expressed herself masterfully in a variety of artistic media. Her hands were never idle. Early to rise, she would often be at her easel before drinking her morning coffee. 

During her career, Mary Bryan won two prizes at the American Watercolor Society, three awards at the National Association of Women Artists, two prizes at the Silvermine Guild, three first prizes at the North Shore Arts Association and two at the Allied Artists of American, including the Gold Medal of Honor for the Best in Show.

In Boston, Mary Bryan was a member of the Guild of Boston Artists and the Copley Society, at both of which she and her husband had two-artist exhibitions.

The Mary Bryan Memorial Gallery was built in her memory in small town Jeffersonville, VT, in 1984 by her husband, to show the finest Vermont and New England painters.

 

Finding Light in Landscapes with Oils (Studio Workshop) with Rosalie Sidoti

Fri, June 27, 2025 - Sat, June 28, 2025 9am - 3pm

Led by Bryan Gallery
Registration Required     »register now

The goal of this workshop is to create a substantial amount of atmosphere and activity in your painting to evoke a thought, memory or idea to the viewer.

This topic will be part of the ongoing conversation and practice to achieve your best work as well as techniques to simplify color mixing.A list of materials to bring will be provided once participants are registered.

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Plein Air in Oil with George Van Hook

Fri, August 15, 2025 - Sat, August 16, 2025 9am - 4pm

Led by Bryan Gallery
Registration Required     »register now

Join George Van Hook, nationally recognized painter, for a two-day, plein air workshop.
George stresses allaprima painting and uses a loose and fast approach to capture the landscape in the first try. Participants will be meeting on location and painting all day from 9am-4pm with a lunch break. Workshop includes live demos and individual attention. Please bring your own plein air equipment, supports, and media (oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic).

Workshops begin with a demo from the artist, along with a discussion of composition, laying out the pallet, proper use of materials and all other aspects of plein air painting.  
Group and individual painting time follows, with individual instruction from George during this time. After lunch, he will do a quick demo to refresh the ideas presented at the start.  Painters will start a second painting for the afternoon with additional individual instruction. Painters may continue to paint after 4pm if they wish. Evenings are free.

Participants are responsible for their own art materials and their own meals and accommodations.
Artists at any stage of their development are welcome. However, the participating artist should have an understanding of and be comfortable with the oil medium.

Upon receiving your registration, you may download a materials list directly from the registration page.

Use promo code "BMGMEMBER" if you are a current member of the Gallery to recieve a MEMBER discount!

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2025 Bryan Gallery Fall Plein Air Retreat

Sun, October 12, 2025 - Sat, October 18, 2025 9:00am - 4:00pm

Led by Bryan Gallery
Registration Required     »register now

Join artists Leo Mancini-Hresko and T.M. Nicholas for a full week of painting with instruction, exploring the beauty of Vermont in autumn and creating new and lasting friendships over a shared love of art-making. This intensive plein-air Retreat will leave you with new skills and techniques and a deeper command of your painting style.
**The Painting Retreat is open to artists at all levels, but participants should have basic knowledge of working with oils, and with painting in general.**

Registration cost includes: 
Daily Meals with the group
Individualized instruction with renowned painters T.M. Nicholas & Leo Mancini-Hresko
Daily group critiques
Informative conversations and discussions
Group and solo time to paint and relax
Furthering you own personal inspiration and confidence

Not Included:
Airfare
Ground Transportation
Lodging
Traveler’s Insurance
Equipment and individual materials. 

Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation After June 13, 2025: 50% Refund
Cancellation After August 15, 2025: 25% Refund
Cancellation After September 19, 2025: No Refund

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