Gleason Fine Art Gallery

Mon, 06/03/2024 - 02:00 pm

Martha Welch Gleason

Kevin Beers, “Waiting for the Boat (Monhegan Island),” oil on canvas, 18” x 24". Courtesy of the gallery

On Thursday, June 6 Gleason Fine Art opens its 27th show with acclaimed plein-air painter Kevin Beers. “On My Own” runs through July 9, with a reception for Kevin on Friday, June 7 from 5 to 7 pm.

Leaving New York City for small-town Maine is a big decision for anyone, let alone for a former advertising director turned full-time artist. But Kevin Beers was chasing a dream, that is, to come as close as he could to the powerful realism practiced by his heroes and mentors, renowned painter and teacher Robert Henri and Henri’s equally famous students, George Bellows, Edward Hopper, and Rockwell Kent. Maine, particularly Monhegan, that remote artists’ island an hour and 15 minutes by ferry from Boothbay Harbor, was a life-altering source of inspiration for Henri and his followers. Beers realized that he needed to experience the sharp, clear light, timeless villages, and rocky coast of Maine full on and in all seasons.

So nine years ago, the artist packed up his beloved Park Slope, Brooklyn, apartment and moved to Midcoast Maine. As a Mainer, Kevin has taken full advantage of being able to explore the coast’s many nooks and crannies on his own schedule. Along with the rest of the fine art community, Beers has weathered some ups and downs over the years. However, no challenge has been as unexpected and devastating emotionally as the autumn 2023 fires that ripped through the village of Port Clyde, destroying several buildings, and, as it happened, many paintings, including a trove of Beers’s own work on view at the time. Kevin has compared the feeling to that of losing a favorite pet or even a child. The Port Clyde fires not only destroyed cherished works of art but also have had an impact on Kevin’s sense of well-bring. In fact, he has found it difficult to find the peace of mind to paint.

With the show “On My Own,” the gallery seeks to honor Kevin's many years with us by offering a select group of what might be called “Kevin’s classics” for show and sale. There are many treasures available as well as a few old friends. Please join us at Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor for Kevin Beers’s reception, First Friday, June 7, 5 to 7 pm. We invite you to share a glass of wine with Kevin, surely one of the most amiable of artists, exchange some stories, and enjoy the beginning of another glorious summer here in Maine.

Gleason Fine Art is at 31 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor. For further information, call the gallery at: 207-633-6849; email us at: info@gleasonfineart.com. To see all of Kevin’s show, as well as the gallery’s inventory of contemporary and estate art, check out our beautiful new website: gleasonfineart.com