(Port Clyde, ME) Greg Mort and Jon Mort will welcome the community to their annual Port Clyde open studio at the Fieldstone Castle to present Greg’s “The Spirit of Maine” and Jon’s “Constellations” collections on August 4th and 5th. Both series ask age-old questions about one’s sense of place: Can the essence of your longitude and latitude define a person, influence thoughts, cultivate passions and ignite and temper perceptions of beauty? Father and son, who often share the same studio space have discussed, refined and continue to explore this dialogue through their art. On both Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm, Greg will give artist presentations entitled “Art & Science” from his recent National Endowment ART TALK interview.
In celebration of The Spirit of Maine theme, Mort will formally present The George’s River Land Trust with The Art of Stewardship Award (TAOS) for 2012 at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 4th. The TAOS Award includes an unrestricted grant and a framed one of a kind certificate. The Land Trust is celebrating it's 25th anniversary with special events throughout the entire year including an Art for Stewardship show. Mort's relationship with GRLT started over twenty-five years ago when he donated the funds from a painting sold to Port Clyde resident Dr. Robert Schweizer to pay for GRLT's initial legal fees to gain non-profit status.
In 2008, Mort started The Art of Stewardship foundation to support collaborative projects between environmental organizations and artists. Throughout the year, he organizes and facilitates workshops and exhibitions encouraging artists to form long lasting partnerships and commitments with environmental groups.
Mort was in the national news this week in an Art Imitates Life scenario. On July 21st, he presented his iconic Maine image “The Tranquil Sea” to Neil Armstrong marking the Lowell Observatory’s Discovery Channel Telescope First Light ceremonies. Mort painted the original large-scale oil of The Tranquil Sea in Maine in the summer of 2009. An astronomer as well as artist he has served on the Executive Board of the Lowell Observatory for over twenty years. Mort was also recognized this week by the Bates College Museum for his inspiration and leadership of their current STARSTRUCK Astrophotography exhibition.
Mort considered canceling his annual summer open studio as he arrived in June without a single new work of art, each piece from his most recent body, “The Space Between”, having been purchased for a New York collector’s private museum at the Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village. However, soon after his arrival in Maine, Mort was seen out and about painting. He explains: "Honestly, since first coming to Maine over thirty years ago, I’ve imagined a series of paintings honoring the spirit, the feeling that captivates me and all of us about Maine. Coupled with my passion for model making, inspired by Maxfield Parris' handcrafted sets and models, I created the two figures used in the painting 'Moon Men' and several other works. Perhaps they are Maine fisherman in the magical early hours of a star filled sky lifting our eyes toward the stunning beauty of the universe. I call them Payton and Eli Mannequin but more than likely they could be inspired by two of Port Clyde's lobstermen Cushman brothers."
Mort’s art can currently be seen in six museum exhibitions including The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore and the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. In addition, his paintings can be found in the permanent collections of many fine museums including the Smithsonian, Corcoran, Farnsworth, Portland and Academy Art Museum.
For further information, please visit www.gregmort.com or find Greg on Facebook.
>link to video of Greg on Bill Green's Maine
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