September Art Exhibit Honors George Hand Wright

The Westport Book Shop’s September art exhibit celebrates the work of former longtime Westport resident and acclaimed American artist George Hand Wright (1872—1951).  Throughout September, the Book Shop’s Drew Friedman Art Place will feature a selection of Wright’s artwork, on loan from local Wright expert and collector Ed Gerber.

Exhibit Sponsor Ed Gerber poses in front of the exhibit, with a copy of a biography of Wright: "George Hand Wright: An Artist's Life Examined"

George Hand Wright was a painter, illustrator and printmaker, and one of the early founders of Westport’s artistic community.  Wright’s artwork appeared regularly in magazines such as Scribner’s, Harper’s, Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post.  He was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1939, and the United States Library of Congress holds a collection of more than 100 of Wright’s illustrations.

The exhibition is particularly meaningful to Ed Gerber, who lives in Wright’s former Westport home, the historic Sturges–Wright House on Cross Highway.

The house was built in 1764, and remained in the Sturges family until it was purchased by George Hand Wright in 1907.  Following Wright’s death in 1951, ownership of the house passed to Wright’s nephew Frank Boylan, who was Ed Gerber’s godfather.  Gerber purchased the house from Boylan’s heirs in 2010, returning to Westport in large part to preserve the historic property.

Since acquiring the house, Gerber has had the property declared a Historic Landmark of Westport, had it added to the National Register of Historic Places, and granted a preservation easement on the property to the organization Preservation Connecticut, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving, protecting, and promoting historic places.

Ed Gerber was born in Connecticut, but spent most of his adult life in Washington, D.C.  His professional career was in banking and finance, including positions with the FDIC.  Personally, Ed has had a lifelong interest in historic homes and has been active in historic preservation in Connecticut.  Locally, he served on Westport’s Historic District Commission, and is a past president of the former Westport Historical Society.  He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the nonprofit Historic New England, and established the Edward F. Gerber Preservation Fund, which awards an annual grant to support the preservation of historic homes in Connecticut urban areas, including Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford and New Haven.

The Westport Book Shop invites the community to meet Ed Gerber and celebrate this exhibition at a reception on Wednesday evening, September 16, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Space is limited; please RSVP to the Book Shop by phoning 203-349-5141 or sending an email to RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org

Gerber also underwrote the publication of “George Hand Wright: An Artist’s Life Examined”, the first comprehensive biography of the artist, written by Kirsten M. Jensen.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the reception.

The art exhibit is open to the public during the Book Shop’s regular business hours: Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from Noon to 5 p.m.

The Westport Book Shop is located at 23 Jesup Road in downtown Westport, right across Jesup Green from The Westport Library.  It is a nonprofit independent used bookstore offering gently used and antiquarian books, vintage vinyl records, CDs and DVDs.  Its mission is to provide inclusive employment and job training for adults with special needs, while raising funds to support The Westport Library.  Through its work, the Book Shop strengthens community, fosters literacy, and inspires lifelong learning and a love of reading.

The Book Shop’s “Drew Friedman Art Place” is a dedicated gallery space within the store that features the work of community artists, on a rotating basis; exhibits change monthly.  The exhibits are curated by Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of The Artists Collective of Westport.