The exhibition will open with a public reception on Saturday, May 3, from 1 to 4 p.m., and will be on view from May 2 through May 31. This latest body of work offers a contemplative and visually striking escape, with Paquette hoping that the show will serve as “a soothing counterbalance to the turbulence of today’s world.”

“It’s been three years since my last exhibition in Philadelphia – a new one is now on the way again to Gross McCleaf Gallery,” Paquette shared. “I hope my new works bring you respite from all the disturbing news of late. If so, my choice for the exhibition’s title, Haven, might have been prescient.”

The title Haven speaks not only to the emotional refuge that art can provide but also to the solace and inspiration Paquette finds in the natural world. The exhibition features 21 new works, ranging from large-scale oil paintings on canvas over six feet wide to intimate gouache pieces on paper just two-and-a-half inches across.

“The exhibition’s title, Haven, is meant to reflect the special place art holds in our lives and to also reflect the calm I get from my subjects and from my practice of painting too,” Paquette explained.

Shown is Tom’s pictured “Hearts Content”, oil on linen, 52 x 42 inches, 2025.

His subjects span from sweeping cloudscapes to the serene beauty of ancient forests, many of which are located in the Eastern U.S., including several near Warren, Pennsylvania.

“Some paintings in this new collection are cloudscapes and sweeping vistas,” he said. “Many others are inspired by the enclosure of old-growth forests I have been exploring across the eastern half of the country – those scattered holdouts formed over countless centuries, which were ‘spared the axe’ for a variety of reasons. Many of these forests are near Warren: Hearts Content Forest, Tionesta Scenic and Research Natural Area, Cook Forest, etc. Others are as distant as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where it joins with Wisconsin. These forest havens, however rare or small, give me hope that we humans too might learn again the secret to sustaining long-term stability.”

Paquette’s poetic interpretations of nature have earned him national recognition, with his works featured in exhibitions across the U.S. and housed in numerous public and private collections. Haven marks a meaningful homecoming for the artist, whose relationship with Gross McCleaf Gallery has spanned many years.

The gallery’s new location at 123 Leverington Avenue offers free parking in both the Leverington Avenue lot (“Mill Artist Studios”) and nearby Baker Street. Visitors will find the building entrance beneath a maroon awning marked “123.”

For those unable to attend in person, the exhibition will be available to view online at www.thomaspaquette.com in the weeks leading up to the show. Subscribers to the artist’s email list will receive early access to view and purchase available paintings.

“I want to thank everyone who has supported my work — by subscribing, buying my paintings and books, attending exhibitions, or just helping to spread the word. It means a lot,” Paquette said. “I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones at the opening.”