On Saturday, July 6, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the All Souls Arts Committee invites church members, friends, and the general public to an opening reception for “Bitter & Sweet: An Artist’s Journey,” the new show installed in the church’s foyer and other gallery spaces through the end of August..

Featured artist Sylvia Chun Yin Ryder was born in Taiwan. It was obvious from an early age that she was artistically gifted, and she chose Fine Arts for her major at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei. Soon after, however, she decided to pursue ballet as a career. While this choice didn’t fully blossom as she had hoped, she did share her interest as a part-time dance teacher for awhile.

In 1999, another dramatic change of direction pushed her into yet a third area of artistic expression, that of pianist and composer. After raising two children in New York City, she now lives in West Chesterfield with her husband Joe Ryder but returns to The Big Apple weekly to perform in a restaurant there and also appears at both ends of the line in residential settings for the elderly.

It was only in 2006 that she returned to her first love, that of drawing and painting. The work in this show includes watercolors and oils, a few in large-format sizes. Most are floral still-lifes, landscapes in a range of seasons, and recent seascapes expressed in the many tones that bring trees, rocks, sand, and water to life on paper and canvas. A selection of Sylvia’s hand-painted tee shirts, created using a variety of techniques, will also be displayed and offered for sale during the reception.

Stop by on Saturday to meet Sylvia and learn about her artistic process while enjoying a bountiful table of sweet and savory treats. The gallery is otherwise open mornings from 9 to 12 and during worship services or other public events in the building, as well as by appointment. Call the church office weekday mornings for further information, 802-254-9377.