Shelf Life: York ME and the artists it inspires

2022-05-28 06:49:34 By : Mr. Terry Man

Between 1920 and 1928, Georgia O’Keeffe vacationed at a seaside guest house on Long Sands Beach in York. It was here, in Maine, during stormy separations from her lover and mentor Alfred Stieglitz, that she first experienced the breakthrough that led her to paint sea shells, with their curves, distances and intimacies. She was looking for purity, experience boiled down to the essence of things.

With your feet on the wet sand, it’s not hard to walk in her footsteps, to imagine her daily routine 100 years ago. She took great risks at York Beach and made its mental geography her own. She would paint the water again and again, her trips more and more essential to her well-being as the years wore on. 

Although our neighboring town to the north has a more widely recognized historical presence in the arts, York has been an inspiration to artists and art lovers for over a century. The York Art Association, the George Marshall Gallery, and yes, the York Public Library have all assured that people from York and from ‘away’ have the opportunity to enjoy the talent that abounds in Southern Maine.

When the current York Public Library opened in December of 2001, plans had been put into place, thanks to community-minded artists such as DeWitt Hardy and Beverly Hallam, to assure that the architectural design of the building provided adequate wall space to display ongoing art exhibits. Since its opening, exhibits have included sculpture, fiber art, and traditional, abstract, and contemporary art. Our goal has always been to reach not only those who have a strong interest in art but also patrons who may or may not visit museums and galleries on a regular basis. 

This year, the York Public Library will celebrate its 100th birthday. As part of the Centennial celebrations, we will host our second online auction. We are proud to include the extraordinary work of some of our local artists who have previously shown their work in the Library along with several artists whose outstanding work is new to our walls. 

Please join us for a reception for Centennial Auction Art Exhibit on Tuesday, June 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Library’s upper level. Several artists will talk briefly about their art, refreshments will be served and the newly tuned grand piano will be brought out of its recent hiatus.  

To see photos of the 26 art pieces that will be in this year's auction, to learn more about the exhibits, past and present, and to read an article about Georgia O'Keeffe's time in York, visit yorkpubliclibrary.org/art

Nancy Garrick is a York Public Library Board Member and Art Committee Chair.