Westport Book Shop Welcomes Local Teen Artist Dhilan Patel for March Art Exhibit

The Westport Book Shop is pleased to welcome local artist Dhilan Patel as guest exhibitor for

the month of March at the Book Shop's Drew Friedman Art Place. Dhilan is exhibiting archival prints of an assortment of his paintings and drawings.

Dhilan Patel is currently a senior at Westport’s Staples High School.  He began painting when he was in first grade, and says it is one of his favorite hobbies.  Not only does Dhilan enjoy creating art, he also believes that his creative pursuit has been instructive.  He says, “While art has primarily been a hobby for me, it also teaches important qualities. Painting, for example, has taught me the importance of forward planning and patience (literally waiting for layers to dry).  Also, when people see your work they see the end result, but not the uncertainty and mistakes along the way, which art also teaches you to deal with. My first true art instructor, Mr. Jenya, always emphasized that not every stroke has to be perfect and not every action has to have the desired outcome; he encouraged me to work with what's there and move forward. In hindsight he was instilling qualities such as humility, trust in the process, and openness to possibility.”

In addition to oil painting, Dhilan has explored other media including calligraphy and sumi-e, a traditional Japanese ink painting technique.  Some of Dhilan's artworks have been selected for a national anthology published by CelebratingArt.com, and have won awards at the Ridgewood Art Institute’s Young People’s Exhibit.

In addition to art, Dhilan's interests range from STEM and a passion for engineering and design, to a fascination with Formula 1 and the automotive world. The Westport Book Shop is also proud and grateful to have had him share his time and talents as a Volunteer at the Book Shop.

The Westport Book Shop will hold a reception for Dhilan and this exhibit on Thursday evening, March 19, 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

Dhilan Patel's artwork will be on exhibit at the Book Shop through March 31, 2026. All artwork on display is available for purchase.

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.

Westport Book Shop, a nonprofit independent used book store, is downtown Westport's only source for gently used and antiquarian books, vintage vinyl records, CDs and DVDs. It is located at 23 Jesup Road, right across Jesup Green from The Westport Library.

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. The exhibits, which change monthly, are curated by Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of The Artists Collective of Westport.