The Cooley Gallery will open its 29th annual holiday exhibit, All Paintings Great and Small on Thursday, Nov. 19 at the gallery at 25 Lyme Street in Old Lyme from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will run through Saturday, Jan. 9.

The exhibition will feature historic and contemporary works of art 12 inches in size or smaller, by artists from around the country and Mexico, with a concentration of works by artists in Connecticut.

Jeff Cooley, owner of The Cooley Gallery, said, “We had no sense of how this show evolved into a local holiday tradition until we started to talk about changing the format or doing something completely different. Over the years we thought we would try to revamp the holiday show and freshen it with a little variation. We were quickly reminded by gallery visitors and friends not to mess with a good thing.

“The very first small painting show we did all those years ago had only 15 pictures, but they were choice and mainly historical works. Last year’s All Paintings Great and Small ballooned to over 350 works of art and proved too much can be too much. While we’re not going back to only 15 select works, we are simplifying the show this year,” Cooley said.

As in years past, All Paintings Great and Small offers a wide range of subjects and media chosen by the staff at the gallery.

“We are a small operation,” Cooley said. “Everyone gets involved in everything here, but especially with this exhibition: discovering artists and choosing their favorites. Lorre Broom, our gallery manager, orchestrates the logistics and artists. Nancy Pinney, our website guru and an artist in her own right, makes sure the images are perfect and gets it all posted in time for people to get a start on their holiday shopping.”

The galleries at 25 Lyme Street are hung salon-style with multiples from floor to ceiling, and a wealth of varied artwork. Prices range from the low hundreds on up. Another exhibition in the back gallery features recent acquisitions, paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Founded in 1981 and located in historic Old Lyme, the Cooley Gallery specializes in American paintings from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, and select contemporary artists.

Visitors are welcome Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. or online at www.cooleygallery.com.

This information provided by the Cooley Gallery.