Two painters’ works on display at library in Jan. MIDDLETOWN — The township library will celebrate the start of a new year with two fine painting exhibits in The Gallery. Laura French will show watercolor and mixed media paintings, while Rachel Gans will exhibit serenely beautiful oil paintings of the woods around her Bloomington, N.Y., home. Gans was raised in Middletown and got her early art education at Middletown High School South. She has had several one-person exhibits in New York galleries, and her work has been included in shows at Monmouth Museum, the Asbury Art Center and the Woodstock Artists’ Association, among other places. French, of Middletown, has painted and taught for many years, and has also created murals in a number of local homes. A member of the Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsbury, she works in watercolor and acrylic, and paints on a variety of surfaces, including rice paper, Masa and Yupo papers, and canvas. She has also offered art therapy at the Booker Cancer Center in Red Bank. In January, she will bring “Laura’s Garden” to the library, a reminder of spring in a profusion of color and light. On Jan. 20, French will demonstrate her painting techniques at 1 p.m. Art lovers of all ages are welcome. There will be an opening reception for French and Gans in the gallery on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. All are welcome to come and meet the artists, share refreshments and start the new year with a fine art exhibit. For more information, see the library Web site www.mtpl.org. The paintings by French and Gans will be on display through Jan. 27. Viewing is free and open to the public. Middletown Township Public Library is located at 55 New Monmouth Road, near the intersection of Cherry Tree Farm and Tindall roads, north of Route 35. Call the library at (732) 671-3700 ext. 333 or e-mail programs@mtpl.org for information or reservations.