‘Fiore’ show at the Maine Art Gallery is a ‘treat for the eyes and the heart’

“A treat for the eyes and the heart,” remarked visitor Caroline Janover of Damariscotta about the exhibition “Fiore at 100: Maine Observed,” which opened at the Maine Art Gallery on June 21. The Wiscasset gallery is marking the 100th anniversary of the artist who was an active member in the 1960s and 1970s and a summer resident of Jefferson.

This landmark show is presented in partnership with The Maine Farmland Trust, the recipient of a large collection of Fiore’s paintings upon his death in 2008. Fiore was an avid environmentalist and also deeded some of his Jefferson land in conservation easements to Midcoast Conservancy. The show is accompanied by a juried member component of landscapes on the second floor. Artists from Freeport to Belfast, and many towns in-between, are represented. All the art in the show is for sale.

Fiore’s art, which comprises both representational and abstract modes, is unusual in this regard, said another opening attendee, Peter Fogg. “How he evolved from an abstract artist to a more representational artist later on, is fascinating to me. Often the artistic trajectory is the other way around.”

Curator David Dewey, a former student of Fiore’s at the Philadelphia College of Art and a noted Maine watercolorist, said these different approaches sometimes merged later in Fiore’s career and resulted in rich evocations of the Maine landscape.

Looking at one of Fiore’s delicate landscapes, Marion Mundy said, “I’m inspired to delve into my own artistic explorations from seeing these beautiful oils and watercolors.”

Fiore studied at the famed Black Mountain College under Josef Albers and Willem de Kooning and was a member of the 10th Street art scene in New York City in the late ’50s and ’60s, showing with the likes of Alex Katz, Lois Dodd, and Bernard Langlais, who also migrated to Maine. His work is in the National Gallery of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among other fine museums and galleries.

A number of events are planned in conjunction with the show.

An art talk, for example, was presented June 26.

The Maine Art Gallery is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and preservation of painting, sculpture and graphic arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations and educational programs for children and adults. The gallery is located at 15 Warren St., Wiscasset. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Visit www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org for details.