Joseph Fiore (1925-2008) was a widely respected artist and active member of the Maine Art Gallery during the 1960s and ‘70s. In celebration of the hundredth year of his birth, the gallery is partnering with Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) on an exclusive and overdue major retrospective, “Fiore at 100: Maine Observed.”
The show runs June 19 to Aug. 24, with an opening reception and Solstice Party on June 21. To mark the occasion, Maine Public will rebroadcast the documentary “Joseph Fiore — The Nature of the Artist” at 9 p.m. June 19 and again at 2 p.m. June 21.
Several related events include art talks and a jazz concert. A catalogue with an appreciation by art writer Suzette McAvoy will accompany the show.
The exhibition is curated by distinguished Maine watercolorist David Dewey, who sees “Fiore At 100, Maine Observed,” as a celebration of an artist whose two creative modes — representation and abstraction — have always run parallel with one another. These approaches merged together and nourished one another as his career developed, enriching our appreciation of the Maine landscape and its history.
Joseph Fiore was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father was a founding member of the Cleveland Symphony. He studied at Black Mountain College under Josef Albers, Ilya Bolotowsky, and Willem de Kooning. He was a member of the 10th Street art scene in New York City in the late ’50s and ’60s, showing alongside the likes of Alex Katz, Lois Dodd, and Bernard Langlais. These and other artists showed in the celebrated summer exhibitions mounted in the first decade of the Maine Art Gallery.
Fiore was an avid supporter of Maine Farmland Trust. The works on exhibit were donated to the Trust by the Falcon Foundation in honor of Fiore’s longstanding commitment to the organization and its history of programs combining art and environment. Sales of the work will benefit both the Maine Farmland Trust and the Maine Art Gallery.
The Fiore retrospective is accompanied on the second floor by a juried members show of objective and non-objective work inspired by Maine landscapes. This show runs from June 19 to July 27. MAG members chosen to be included in this show reside in towns throughout Maine, as well as one from Pennsylvania.
An opening reception and Summer Solstice Party with live music by Jud Caswell will be held at the gallery from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. June 21.
Special Hours for the combined exhibitions are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
The gallery will be open until 7 p.m. June 26 for the Wiscasset Art Walk
Visit the gallery website for special events including an Art Talk at 6 p.m. June 26: “Fiore Art Center Residency: Experience and Influence” with Jude Valentine and Michel Droge. On June 28, Fiore’s daughter, Susanna Fiore, and Jay Girill present a jazz concert with remarks by show curator David Dewey at 4:30 p.m. Email info@maineartgallery.org to RSVP and for venue information in Nobleboro. Suggested donation is $25.
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. Visit www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org for details.
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