The Spinney Branch Library’s doors were open on Saturday for a mini art show and display of vintage Onset postcards as part of South Coast Spring Arts.

The postcards came from the collection of Len Gay, who has gathered more than 600 postcards from Wareham and Onset over the past several decades.

“How a little village like this could generate 600 postcards,” Gay wondered.

Wearing a t-shirt reading “Just a kid from Onset,” Gay served as a tour guide through Onset’s history, pointing out postcards depicting the harbor frozen over, the old steamboat wharf (destroyed in the 1954 hurricane) and the now-demolished White Pines Motel.

“I just like looking at them because I’ve lived here my whole life so far,” Gay said. “I’m not dead yet.” 

Gay said he likes to take a closer look at the postcards with a magnifying glass so he can see details like the small type on a sign.

Meanwhile, paintings by Tim Foley filled the other room at the branch library.

Foley’s work frequently depicts ocean views — including of nearby Shell Beach and Swifts Beach. He paints from photos he’s taken, Foley said, and often selects a vintage frame he’s refurbished to go with the image before he starts painting. 

“I have so many paintings I want to paint,” Foley said. “There’s only so much time.”

To see more of his work, go to www.timfoleyart.com.

For more about South Coast Spring Arts, go to www.southcoastspringarts.org/2022.