Upcoming Exhibitions at PAAM Previous Exhibitions Current Exhibitions Northeast by Southwest: The Lively Landscapes of Myrna Harrison Curated by James Burns, Robert Henry, and Selina Trieff Opening reception: Friday, May 25, 7-9pm On view: May 18-July 15, 2012 Fredi Schiff Levin lecture: Tuesday, May 29 at 7pm We’re thrilled to present an exhibition of work by the painter Myrna Harrison. Committed throughout her life to landscapes and her surroundings, Harrison states, "Oceans and deserts fascinate me. They share spacial openness, an unending skyline, subtle changes in form and color as the sun moves across the sky, and a demand that we adapt to them. They will not adapt to us. Both have an intense,vibrant presence –which is not surprising: deserts began life as oceans millions of years ago. I want my work to express that vibrant intensity." A former student of Hans Hofmann, Harrison’s influences range from early-mid 20th century abstract expressionist painters such as Hofmann, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline; to California figurative painters David Park and Richard Diebenkorn; to Japanese prints and Chinese landscape painting. Most recently, Harrison has been influenced by the Chinese aesthetic of the singular importance of the ink brush stroke for creating the basic form, subject and emotion of the painting. PAAM Executive Director Chris McCarthy writes “Myrna Harrison is among the most extraordinary, though too little known, artists of a generation who came of age in the late 1950s in New York. These artists were interested not only in the expressive potential of pure paint on canvas, but also figurative subject matter. For Harrison, a painting's abstract, compositional elements are of paramount importance.” Born in Hollywood, CA in 1932, Myrna Harrison studied fine art in New York City—first with Morris Davidson, then Jack Tworkov, and finally at the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Art, NYC and Provincetown, MA (1953-57). PAAM acknowledges generous funding of this exhibition by:   Renate, Hans, and Maria Hofmann Trust   Partners in Art Anonymous Neal Balkowitsch and Donald Nelson Deborah Bowles Donald Butterfield Annemette Cliggott-Perlt and Douglas Cliggott Paul Dart Doug Dolezal and Greg Welch Tom Donegan and Mark Weinress Dorothy Antoinette LaSelle Foundation Yvette Drury-Dubinsky and John Dubinsky Christopher Duff and Mark Westman Michael Fernon and Ken Weiss Joe Fiorello Judyth and Daniel Katz Brian Koll and David Altarac James and Stephania McClennen David Murphy and John Simpson Ralph Oliva and Jeffrey Carlson Jane Paradise and Frank DiGirolamo Anne Peretz Marla and Buddy Perkel Poss Family Foundation William Rawn and John Douhan Alix Ritchie and Marty Davis Dave and Kathy Roberts Gail Williams and Dawn McCall   Carmen Cicero: The Visionary Work Curated by Bill Evaul Opening reception: Friday, May 25, 7-9pm On view: May 25-July 8, 2012 Fredi Schiff Levin lecture: Thursday, June 28, 7pm Cicero is a nationally-recognized painter with works in over 26 museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum. He has shown in six Whitney Annuals; has been awarded two Guggenheim Fellowship grants, a Ford Foundation grant, and, most recently, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation; and has had over 100 solo exhibitions. Despite being a Truro, MA resident for almost 50 years, Cicero has not had a major exhibition on outer Cape Cod for many years due to a lack of gallery affiliation in the area (he is currently represented by June Kelly Gallery in New York, NY). Cicero has been favorably reviewed in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Cape Cod Times, ARTnews, Art in America, and The Boston Globe. Recently, reporter Ken Johnson of The New York Times wrote: “Mr. Cicero’s cartoonish, easel-sized narrative paintings combine humor, gothic mystery and Magritte-style surrealism. In some, men in trench-coats and fedoras walk through land-scapes of dreamlike desolation or drive old cars on nocturnal country roads; in other emblematic images like a knight’s helmet or a locomotive hover like mystical signs. Mr. Cicero is not an Outsider—he has been exhibiting his art since the early 50’s and earned a M.F.A. degree in 1991—but his work has the hair-raising feeling of a self-taught visionary’s.” Curator Bill Evaul is a painter and printmaker who has been working in Provincetown since his arrival in 1970 as a Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center. During his tenure as Director of Provincetown Art Association and Museum and as an independent curator for the Cape Museum of Fine Arts and other galleries, he has organized and facilitated numerous exhibitions including several travelling shows. Auction Preview Opening reception: Friday, June 1, 8-10pm On view: June 1-16 (closes at 5pm in preparation for Consignment Auction) 2012 Spring Consignment Auction: Saturday, June 16, 7pm In anticipation of the 2012 Spring Consignment Auction, PAAM presents a preview of the rare and vintage pieces of Provincetown artwork to be auctioned off. Year after year, PAAM's consignment auctions showcase rare and vintage works of art of special significance to collectors and enthusiasts alike. The proceeds from PAAM's auctions directly benefit the Museum's exhibitions and educational initiatives. Consigners and customers know that the 15% buyer's premium and the 20% seller's commission support a solid non-profit institution with a long history of providing programs that serve the public good. Highlights of PAAM's 2012 Spring Consignment Auction include W.H.W. Bicknell, Morgan Dennis, Remo Farruggio, Oscar Gieberich, John Hare, Gerrit Hondius, Joseph Kaplan, Karl Knaths, Julian Levi, Shelby Shackelford, Ben Shahn, and more. To accession important works into the permanent collection, PAAM depends on the generosity of its supporters. Consignors would often love to contribute a fine work to the collection, but may not be in the financial position to do so. Yet they know that, by offering the work for auction at PAAM, they give the organization the opportunity to search out a potential donor who may wish to contribute the piece back to the museum. Long Point: An Artists’ Place Curated by Mary E. Abell, Ph.D. Opening reception: Friday, July 20, 8-10pm On view: July 13-September 2, 2012 Media presentation of archival photos and film footage: Tuesday, July 24, 7pm, free Fredi Schiff Levin lecture with artist panel: Thursday, August 2, 7pm Renate Ponsold, Long Point Group, 1990 This summer, PAAM will honor the legendary cooperative gallery space, Long Point, in Long Point: An Artists’ Place. Curated by Mary E. Abell, Ph.D., art historian and former director of Long Point, this exhibition pays tribute to the gallery that became known for re-invigorating the Provincetown art scene with its inception in 1977. Long Point was founded by thirteen artists who shared ideologies and viewed art as more of a spiritual quest than a commercial enterprise. Overtime, Long Point evolved into less of a traditional gallery and into an experimental creative space. “It was an idealistic place, without the usual commercial focus, that existed as part showcase for work…by members and as a kind of club,” writes Abell. It was likely that the dedication and innovation of the Long Point artists influenced others to follow in its path: when Long Point cooperative organized in 1977 there were fewer than five commercial galleries in Provincetown; ten years later there were more than twenty, some of them also artist-run initiatives. Most of the members of Long Point had connections with the Abstract Expressionism movement in New York, and had been working artists for their entire adult lives. Artists included in the exhibition are: Varujan Bogosian (1926-), Robert Beauchamp (1923-1995), Paul Bowen (1951-), Fritz Bultman (1919-1985), Carmen Cicero (1926-), Gilbert Franklin (1919-2004), Sideo Fromboluti (1920-), Ed Giobbi (1926-), Dimitri Hadzi (1921-2006), Budd Hopkins (1931-), Rick Klauber (1951-), Leo Manso (1914-1993), Michael Mazur (1935-2009), Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), Renate Ponsold (1935-), Paul Resika (1928-), Judith Rothschild (1921-1993), Sidney Simon (1917-1997), Nora Speyer (1923-), and Tony Vevers (1926-2008). The function of Long Point encompassed many creative endeavors in addition to being an experimental space for its members. They held invitational exhibitions, complemented shows at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and held events featuring artists from other disciplines, such as Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz. Exhibiting concurrently is Robert Motherwell: Beside the Sea, featuring the Provincetown-based work of Robert Motherwell, one of the founding members of Long Point. PAAM acknowledges generous funding of this exhibition by:   Alexander C. and Tillie S. Speyer Foundation The Judith Rothschild Foundation Renate Ponsold Motherwell Blair and Paul Resika Anonymous   Partners in Art Anonymous Neal Balkowitsch and Donald Nelson Deborah Bowles Donald Butterfield Annemette Cliggott-Perlt and Douglas Cliggott Paul Dart Doug Dolezal and Greg Welch Tom Donegan and Mark Weinress Dorothy Antoinette LaSelle Foundation Yvette Drury-Dubinsky and John Dubinsky Christopher Duff and Mark Westman Michael Fernon and Ken Weiss Joe Fiorello Judyth and Daniel Katz Brian Koll and David Altarac James and Stephania McClennen David Murphy and John Simpson Ralph Oliva and Jeffrey Carlson Jane Paradise and Frank DiGirolamo Anne Peretz Marla and Buddy Perkel Poss Family Foundation William Rawn and John Douhan Alix Ritchie and Marty Davis Dave and Kathy Roberts Gail Williams and Dawn McCall Robert Motherwell: Beside the Sea Curated by Lise Motherwell and Dan Ranalli Opening reception: Friday, July 20, 8-10pm On view: July 20-September 30, 2012 Lecture with Jack Flam, President of the Dedalus Foundation: Saturday, July 21, 2pm, free Fredi Schiff Levin lecture with critic and essayist John Yau: Saturday, August 18 Fredi Schiff Levin lecture with Motherwell’s Master Printer Catherine Mosley: Tuesday, August 28, 7pm PAAM is thrilled to present an exhibition of work by Robert Motherwell this summer, July 20-September 30, 2012. Robert Motherwell: Beside the Sea, curated by Lise Motherwell and Dan Ranalli, will present rare work created by the artist in his Provincetown studio during the summer of 1962 until his death in 1991. 2012 is a milestone year as it marks the 70th anniversary of the artist’s first visit to Provincetown, Massachusetts and the 50th anniversary of the creation of his Beside the Sea series, based on his experiences living in the small outer Cape Cod town. This is the first major exhibition of Motherwell’s work on Cape Cod and provides a never before-seen look at many pieces held in private collections. The art of Robert Motherwell has national and international significance and is included in the collections of numerous national and international institutions as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY; The Art Institute of Chicago; the Whitney Museum of American Art; Centre Georges Pompidou, Musee National d’art Moderne in Paris, France; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Tate Modern in London, England; the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and numerous private collections. Distinguished critic John Yau writes in his essay BESIDE THE SEA: Robert Motherwell in Provincetown how Motherwell drew direct inspiration for this series from what he observed from his sea-side studio on Commercial Street in Provincetown. To illustrate, he points to a conversation Motherwell had with art historian H. H. Arnason: “For years my summer studio has been directly on the bay in Provincetown on Cape Cod. There is a 900-foot tidal flat, and, just as one can play ball games at low tide, at high tide the sea in a high wind breaks against the bulkhead in violent spray. In the Beside the Sea Series, I made the painted spray with such physical force that the strong rag paper split, and it was only when I found rag paper laminated with glue in five layers that the surface could take the full force of my shoulder, arm, hand, and brush without splitting. One might say that the true way to ‘imitate’ nature is to employ its own processes.” PAAM will be offering several public programs to accompany this significant exhibition with lectures by Jack Flam, president of the Dedalus Foundation which was founded by Robert Motherwell to foster public understanding of modern art and Modernism; John Yau, art critic and author of the distinguished essay BESIDE THE SEA: Robert Motherwell in Provincetown; and Catherine Mosley, artist and Motherwell’s Master Printmaker from 1978-1991. Exhibiting concurrently with the Motherwell show is Long Point: An Artists’ Place, curated by Mary E. Abell and featuring the work of numerous artists from the legendary co-op gallery, including Motherwell himself who was one of the founders in 1977.   PAAM acknowledges generous funding of this exhibition by:   Dr. Donald Butterfield, M.D. Annemette Cliggott-Perlt and Douglas Cliggott Dedalus Foundation, Inc. Dr.Carlos Garcia-Velez and Dr. W. Kent Davis Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc. Judyth and Daniel Katz Stephania and Jamie McClennen Poss Family Foundation Marty Davis and Alix Ritchie Seamen’s Bank Long Point Charitable Foundation George and Helen Segal Foundation Nancy Tieken   Partners in Art Anonymous Neal Balkowitsch and Donald Nelson Deborah Bowles Donald Butterfield Annemette Cliggott-Perlt and Douglas Cliggott Paul Dart Doug Dolezal and Greg Welch Tom Donegan and Mark Weinress Dorothy Antoinette LaSelle Foundation Yvette Drury-Dubinsky and John Dubinsky Christopher Duff and Mark Westman Michael Fernon and Ken Weiss Joe Fiorello Judyth and Daniel Katz Brian Koll and David Altarac James and Stephania McClennen David Murphy and John Simpson Ralph Oliva and Jeffrey Carlson Jane Paradise and Frank DiGirolamo Anne Peretz Marla and Buddy Perkel Poss Family Foundation William Rawn and John Douhan Alix Ritchie and Marty Davis Dave and Kathy Roberts Gail Williams and Dawn McCall

Current Exhibitions at PAAM Previous Exhibitions PAAM reviews exhibition proposals throughout the year. If you are interested in proposing an exhibition at PAAM, please download the Exhibition Proposal Form. Exhibition Proposal Form

MUSEUM HOURS :

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PAAM is located on the corners of Commercial and Bangs Streets in Provincetown's East End.

Take Route 6 to the Provincetown Center exit. Turn left at light onto Conwell Street, then left at stop sign onto Bradford Street, 1/2 mile on right is Bang Street, right one block to Commercial.

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