The public is invited to the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby, CT to enjoy a display of portraits prepared by Nelson Tchakirides of Ansonia, CT.  The Kellogg Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm and is free of charge.   

Nelson came late to art after a career in business. Soon after several projects in watercolor, he found himself in John Pike’s famous watercolor workshop in Woodstock, NY working alongside talented designers from NASA. He continued to expand his interests in the arts to include pewter casting, landscape design and architectural repurposing.

The display at the Kellogg Center highlights his portraits of not just people but also buildings and places.  The creation of building portraits began when he was asked to sketch a local church.  This led to further commissions of local libraries and estates.  He has also been commissioned to sketch cars, boats and planes.  A piece created following the Pan Am 103 explosion over Lockerbie Scotland, was ultimately used for the program at the 25th anniversary ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery.  It is the only known image of the plane as it approached the town.

Nelson continues to expand his interests and talents creating conceptual designs of airports and re-creation of historical events.  He has expanded his portrait work from people of historical interest to include paintings of general public’s children and family.  Please enjoy the display as you visit the Kellogg Center this holiday season.

The Kellogg Environmental Center, a facility of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, is open 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Tuesday through Saturday. It is located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue off of Rte. 34 in Derby. For further information or directions please phone the Kellogg Environmental Center at 203-734-2513 or email donna.kingston@ct.gov.