Herman Maril: Latest Arrivals

Thursday, December 4 at 3pm: Join PAAM CEO Christine McCarthy and Melissa Renn, Project Manager and Editor, Herman Maril Catalogue Raisonné, for a gallery talk about the art of Herman Maril. Included with $15 Museum admission (free for members).

In 1958, Herman and Esta Maril purchased their home in Provincetown.  For nearly 30 years, the family spent their summers at 256 Bradford Street, enjoying the beach and the sea while Herman painted in his studio.

Sometime after Herman’s passing in 1986, the Herman Maril Foundation was established to preserve the legacy of his unique vision.  In his own words, Herman speaks to his work as “an organic oneness- the result of a constantly growing understanding and feeling for the lyricism of paint”.  I believe that the growing partnership between the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and the Herman Maril Foundation is also moving toward an “organic oneness” as we continue to build and develop a working relationship.

In the 24 years that I have been at PAAM, Herman Maril’s artwork has been at the core of my learning.  The first painting of his that I saw was the Model Stand —a work that continues to be one of my favorites in the PAAM collection.  His minimalism and color palette were extremely appealing; I needed to know more about this artist, and that is what I did.

I met Esta and David right away in the summer of 2001 and started visiting the Bradford Street home. Esta would make Portuguese soup and entertain for hours with various stories – I could not get enough of this Provincetown education.  I made trips to Baltimore to visit the family home and see more of Herman’s work as I learned about his place within the Maryland art scene.

In 2008, I curated the 100th anniversary exhibition of Herman Maril at PAAM.  It was a wonderful experience, which resulted in lectures, more involvement with the collection, and eventually, my appointment to the Board of the Herman Maril Foundation. 

One of the main parts of the Foundation’s mission is to preserve the legacy of the artist, just as part of PAAM’s mission is to protect and preserve the legacy of its art colony.   The fusing of the two made perfect sense; therefore, this exhibition is a celebration of the power of collaboration and celebrating an artist who contributed deeply to PAAM and his life as an artist.

I remain grateful to the Maril Family and the Herman Maril Foundation.

Christine M. McCarthy, CEO and Curator