“Books are a uniquely portable magic” Stephen King, “On Writing”

Reading and writing in all varieties are the featured subjects in this exhibition of fine and decorative arts dating from the 19th through the 21st centuries. Reading is a good diversion for the person who must sit quietly under the artist’s scrutiny, and literature has inspired visual artists in the Western tradition since ancient times. “Portable Magic” includes paintings, sculptures, works on paper, writing desks and implements, by artists such as Milton Avery, Edwin Dickinson, Lesley Dill, Elaine Reichek, Stella Waitzkin, Kara Walker, and James McNeill Whistler.