Arts & Leisure: ABOUT THE ARTS
York Art Association 50th Anniversary Retrospective:
By Rose Safran
"York Militia," a watercolor by Chris Ritter, is one of many pieces of art that can be seen now at the York Art Association's 50th Anniversary Retrospective.
Courtesy photo
To celebrate its Golden Anniversary, current President Helen Hennessy asked Village Gallery owner Gloria Gustafson to organize a retrospective of art by YAA artists over the 50-year period.
The resulting exhibition opened Tuesday, Aug. 1, and will continue for a two-week period to Aug. 13.
With works by deceased and living artists, the exhibit is an historically interesting comment on art shown in York as well as a sort of limited YAA "Who's Who."
As chairperson Gloria Gustafson comments, "The 50th Anniversary Retrospective is not a representation of art itself."
The artist Evelyn Harper Neill, widow of Harmon Neill, who was one of the organization's founders and an early president, describes the YAA beginnings as follows:
"We met in the Marshall Store, which was then owned by Kate Marshall whose niece let us use the place. We used it once a week all year long and we had models. We drew and painted portraits from live models. It was a lively group and we exchanged a lot of ideas and also learned a lot," she stated. "Actually, the York Art Association began from this nucleus. It was decided that there should be a show and everyone thought it was a good idea. My husband, Harmon Neill, organized the first show. From then on, we had regular shows. Early members of the organization were Rita Cote, Helen Magocsi, Harriet Lusty, Rachel Grieg and the two sisters, Marion Fulton and Louise Sodano."
Works of art painted by some of these members are on view.
Also, Evelyn Neill loaned her husband's charming portrait of her and contributed her own recent oil painting of a blueberry trail.
Formerly in real estate, Evelyn Neill comments, "It's wonderful to be retired and paint as I want to" - an attitude shared by many current YAA members who once had other occupations.
To bring to fruition the proposed retrospective of YAA activity over so long a period, a committee of three was formed. It consisted of Gloria Gustafson, YAA past president and long-time member Elaine Hanton and George Marshall Store Gallery curator Mary Harding.
Parameters were set. An exhibit by invitation only would be held; according to its description, it would highlight "... ten artists from each decade who represent hundreds of artists who have given of their time and talent over the past half-century"... and it would include "not only founding members, teachers, judges, jurors and accomplished artists whose talent and influence helped establish the foundation of an art community in York, but also artists of repute who have contributed to the community and/or have served the association as YAA officers and board members over the past fifty years."
Over the years, YAA members have consisted of a mix of art teachers, professional artists, and people who loved to paint and draw but were not necessarily professionals, that is, generally they were hobbyists who didn't earn their living as artists.
In addition, contributions of time and talent to the community-based association have been through friends, spouses, benefactors and qualified jurors who participated in openings, shows and more recently auctions, assuring its on-going success. This mix of variously motivated artists along with their friends continues to this day, contributing to the continued vitality of and diversity found in the YAA.
This writer enjoyed an arranged preview of many (but not all) submissions obtained for this special event. Among the early members' art are paintings by several deceased artists: by former Temple University professor, "Ned" Hergleroth, not one of his famous "rock" paintings (affectionately called "Herglerocks") but a lovely dominantly purple and green woodland in oil; "Spring Grove," a full-length portrait in oil by Elyot Henderson; "Grandmother's Dress;" "York Militia" - a watercolor by Chris Ritter, recently purchased at auction; Dorothy Rovey's 1975 virtuoso oil of a New England setting, "A Quiet Street;" a 1951 boatyard scene by Everett Simoneau; an impressive glowingly red circle in watercolor entitled "Morning Light" by teacher and art book author Val Thelin and a seascape by founder and former president Rita Cote.
Past president Patricia Baldwin Whipple, whose family's generosity, according to Elaine Hanton, made possible the purchase of the present York Art Association building, is represented by a watercolor of a marshland while Scholarship Fund donator Laurel Hilker, a former president, is represented by a coastal watercolor.
Included, too, is a 1951 sketch of a nude figure by deceased artist Henry Strater, who contributed so much to the area's art community as a patron buying art and in using his superb personal collection to found his own museum, today known as the Ogunquit Museum of American Art.
Submissions from recently active artists include "Morning Frost," a watercolor by past president and American Watercolor Society member Robert Eric Moore; former board member Diane Young Brown's impressive carved wooden horse sculpture in white pine on black cherry; Elaine Hanton's award-winning still life oil on canvas, "Afternoon Tea;" past president Mimi Carpenter's "Sea Toss;" Linda Franklin's mixed media of houses entitled, "If you build it, they will come;" Jacoba Remick-Goldman's "Knowing One," a mixed media chieftain; Dennis Poirier's large oil depicting the North Shore's Annisquam River crowded with docked boats; Barbara Martin's interesting photograph, "Paris Studies - Figures at Windows" (as a former president, Martin was instrumental in initiating YAA photography exhibits); Helen Hennessy's Newcastle village street; Robert Hastie's lifelike pastel of "Duchess," a mixed terrier one might be very tempted to take home; multi-award winner Claudette Gamache's pastel of a landscape; BlueStocking Studio gallery owner Nancy Davison's aquatint of a summer kitchen, and from Doris Newson a winter landscape, "Up the Mountain."
Beverly Hallam, a former Massachusetts College of Art teacher who was instrumental in introducing the acrylic medium and who has been a judge for the YAA, submitted a fine bright floral arrangement of sunflowers in vases, an oil on synthetic paper that she painted in 2004.
Some, but not all, of the exhibited works are for sale.
Many works remain in private collections of the artists, their family members, friends or estates, but have been generously loaned to this special exhibition, thereby investing it with appropriate continuity, diversity and information.
The York Art Association is located on Route 1A in York Harbor. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, call 363-4049 or visit the YAA website at www.yorkartassociation.com.
