The photos of one of Woodstock’s finest artists, John Kleinhans, will be featured in a month-long exhibition entitled Just Looking, that opens with a reception, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, March 18 at the James Cox Gallery, 4666 Route 212, Willow.
A group of more than 30 recent Kleinhans photographs of the town of Woodstock and its surroundings comprise the show.
A long-time resident of the town and active member of Woodstock’s cultural community, Kleinhans is noted for his images of emblematic local scenes like the Ashokan Reservoir and Cooper Lake, as well as more intimate views of the village itself.
Before devoting himself to professional photography, Kleinhans, a native of Pittsburgh, led a life full of diversity, embracing many pursuits, including music and psychology. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music from New York University in 1962 and earned a PhD. in Experimental Psychology from Rutgers University in 1970.
While on a solo trip through the French countryside, Kleinhans created a stunning group of color photographs that resulted in an exhibit entitled Douce France (Sweet France) which opened in 1980 at New York’s Alliance Francaise and traveled throughout the US, Canada and France.
In 1982 Kleinhans moved to Woodstock where he enrolled in painting and drawing classes with Robert Angeloch, founder and president of the Woodstock School of Art. It was here that met his future wife artist Paula Nelson, vice president of the school. This marked a pivotal point in Kleinhans’s artistic career. He and Nelson became active in almost every aspect of Woodstock’s thriving cultural scene, serving on the Boards of Directors of the Woodstock School of Art, Woodstock Artists Association and the Center for Photography.
While immersing himself in Woodstock’s art scene, Kleinhans took a position as product designer for Woodstock Percussion. Over a span of 20 years, Kleinhans refined his machine shop skills, developing prototypes and producing promotional material for the famous wind chime manufacturer. In the meantime, he also worked as a contributing photographer for Woodstock Times.
In the 1990s Kleinhans and Nelson launched a book publishing company, Precipice Publications. Among the titles they have produced is a volume of large-format platinum contact prints by Kleinhans of Monhegan Island, a popular destination for artists, including the couple and their Woodstock friends.
Kleinhans’s photographs have been exhibited widely throughout the region and have earned several prestigious awards including the Jacobs-Towbin and Sidney Laufman Awards from the Woodstock Artists Association.
Join the family! 
