Mark your calendar to attend Collecting Castine 2017, a special, one-night exhibit and sale of Castine fine art on Monday, August 7, from 5 – 7:30 p.m. held at the Hutchins Education Center in Castine. This is a fundraising event with a twist. By making a reservation with a donation of $125 per person by August 1, attendees will enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, view an outstanding exhibit of original artwork created by living artists either from Castine or with a long association to Castine, have the opportunity to purchase an original piece of art, and (here’s the twist) cast a vote for the People’s Choice work of art to be added to the Wilson Museum’s collection. Following the People’s Choice award, all other artwork will be available for purchase, silent auction style, with proceeds from the commissions and donations used to grow and care for the Wilson Museum’s collection and the event.
This year the Collecting Castine event is dedicated to the memory of two artists: the renowned sculptor Clark Fitz-Gerald (1917-2004), and his wife, fiber artist Elizabeth “Liddy” Fitz-Gerald (1927-2016). Clark Fitz-Gerald moved to Castine in the 1950s after teaching in St. Louis, Missouri, and in Beloit, Wisconsin. Having fallen in love with Maine in general, and Castine in particular, he decided to see if he could survive on his art in the place he found inspirational. He became one of Maine’s most successful sculptors, a master in wood, metal, and stone. Liddy Fitz-Gerald married Clark Fitz-Gerald in 1975. An artist in her own right, she studied art “before, during and after college.” While not as commercially well-known as her husband, she was a talented fiber and found-object artist who practiced her craft for decades. In 2014 her first gallery show opened highlighting her fiber-art wall hangings. These were mostly abstract and offered a glimpse into how she saw the world around her. Both husband and wife were active participants in the Castine community. The Wilson Museum is very pleased to honor them and their contributions to art.
Collecting Castine is a great way to support both the vibrant arts community of Castine and the Wilson Museum. For more information, visit the Wilson Museum’s Calendar of Events at www.wilsonmuseum.org, call 207-326-9247, or email info@wilsonmuseum.org.
