University News
"Embrace: Elizabeth Gourlay" honors the life of Elizabeth Gourlay and her distinct and intuitive approach to painting. She created richly layered abstractions that reflect a deep sensitivity to color, time, and perception.
February 4, 2026
The Seton Gallery at the University of New Haven will present Embrace: Elizabeth Gourlay, an exhibition celebrating the life and work of the late Connecticut-based artist Elizabeth Gourlay. Known for her distinct and intuitive approach to painting, Gourlay created richly layered abstractions that reflect a deep sensitivity to color, time, and perception.
An opening reception is set for Saturday, Feb. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Seton Gallery in Dodds Hall on the University’s West Haven campus. The exhibit will be open through March 10, with an exhibition talk talked on Saturday, February 22, from 1 - 3 p.m.
“Drawing from a lifetime of sustained research and artistic inquiry, Gourlay’s work reveals influences ranging from modernist painters such as Paul Klee, Agnes Martin, and Giorgio Morandi to architectural forms, musical rhythms, and global art traditions,” said Deniz Basar, Director of Seton Gallery and a practitioner in residence in the Department of Art and Design. “Her paintings balance complexity and restraint, offering viewers moments of quiet contemplation alongside subtle, purposeful revisions that remain visible in the surface of the work.
Color is central to Gourlay’s practice—used as form, structure, and meaning. Her keen chromatic awareness was shaped by close observation of the natural and built environments around her, from shifting studio light to the nuanced hues of gardens, landscapes, and historic surfaces.
Born in 1961, Gourlay lived much of her adult life in Chester, Connecticut. She earned her B.A. from the Edinburgh College of Art and her MFA in Painting from the Yale University School of Art. Following her passing in April 2024, Embrace serves as a meaningful tribute to an artist whose work continues to resonate through its generosity, intimacy, and quiet power.
The exhibition is curated by Gourlay’s longtime friend Daphne Anderson Deeds, principal of daphne:art, offering advisory and a home-gallery in Litchfield that features contemporary and twentieth century art from throughout the US. Elizabeth’s husband, Dr. Matthew Griffiths, professor of physics at the University of New Haven has provided essential support throughout the exhibition process.
The Elizabeth Gourlay Estate is represented by Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Kent, Connecticut.
For more information about Embrace: Elizabeth Gourlay please contact Deniz Leblebici Basar: dleblebicibasar@newhaven.edu.
For gallery hours and scheduling visits, please contact Carmela Dabbabbo: CDaddabbo@newhaven.edu.
University News
"Embrace: Elizabeth Gourlay" honors the life of Elizabeth Gourlay and her distinct and intuitive approach to painting. She created richly layered abstractions that reflect a deep sensitivity to color, time, and perception.
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