The Museum is pleased to announce that Samantha Sigmon has joined the staff as Assistant Curator.

Samantha Sigmon investigates cultural and folk histories, contemporary art and theory, and issues of equity and grassroots activism within the built environment through curatorial projects, writing, and community engagement. Samantha has a Master’s in Architectural History from the University of Virginia, a Masterā€™s in Museum Studies from Syracuse University, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelorā€™s in Anthropology and English from the University of Arkansas.

NEW YORK – The Marsden Hartley Legacy Project: The Complete Paintings and Works on Paper (MHLP) has added a New York City based Research Assistant.

Charles Parsons joins the MHLP team from Christieā€™s New York, where he has been serving as Research Coordinator in the departments of Impressionist & Modern, American Art and Printsā€”including for the recent sale, Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection, the highest grossing single sale of art in recent history. Having honed his research skills at Christieā€™s, Charles’ work will focus on provenance research, verifying and updating artwork records, and communicating with museums, auction houses, galleries, and private collectors on the ground in New York City.

The MHLP is working with PanOpticon as its online platform for the research database containing over 1600 works by Hartley and eventual host for an online Hartley website. The MHLP is funded by the Vilcek Foundation of New York City and the Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, also in New York City.

Marsden Hartley has long had a place in the canon of 20th century American Modernism and continues to garner international attention through major museum exhibitions and a long history of scholarly monographs, biographies, exhibition catalogues and articles on many aspects of the artistā€™s work and life, both as a painter and writer. Nevertheless, of the noted American artists of his generation, Hartley alone is without a publication of his oeuvre. Commencing, in 2019, independent art historian and long-time Hartley scholar, Gail R. Scott and the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ College Museum of Art inaugurated the Marsden Hartley Legacy Project: The Complete Paintings and Works on Paper. This comprehensive, annotated online catalogue of all known paintings and works on paper created by Hartley during his lifetime will establish a legacy befitting Marsden Hartleyā€™s place in American art.

Looking for a way to destress as finals week looms? Come to the Museum of Art this Friday from 4-6 for a relaxing, students only printmaking session! All materials will be supplied free of charge, and all students are welcome. Be sure to stop by!

When cataloging these works, it is important to be meticulous and take oneā€™s time. In the database I record the date, title, dimensions, medium, and support. I also write a description of the piece using specific depictive vocabulary. One of the most important aspects of this task is to fill out a conservation report, which is an updated description of the pieceā€™s condition. This is where I must look intensely for any damages to the piece such as discoloration, foxing, creasing of the paper, paint cracking, smudges, or fingerprints. A valuable aspect of this task to me personally is my new knowledge of the vocabulary used in the real art world that I will be able to use and understand when I begin my career after college. 

I came into this internship with the certainty that I want to have a career in the art world, whether it be an art curator or an art dealer. This internship has given me the opportunity to immerse myself in museum life. Every day, I have hands-on experience with curators and exquisite pieces of art. That is why I appreciate my cataloging work so much. While the task may seem tedious, when cataloging I am able to really see the work up close and personal. I have learned so much about different mediums and how they work on paper and how to analyze the condition of a piece. One aspect of cataloging dozens of pieces from the same artist that I find fascinating is that I am able to put myself into Bernard Langlaisā€™ mind. I am flipping through his sketchbook, so I can track what topics and mediums he becomes interested in and when the fascination begins and ends for him. After working exclusively with his art, I am able to recognize his tendencies and patterns with forms, colors, and content. 

Of the numerous works on paper by Bernard Langlais that I have worked with since January, there were many that caught my attention. However, in this blog post I decided to focus on three head portraits made from oil paint and crayon on orange construction paper. Officially, these paintings are untitled, but I call them ā€œthe big headsā€ and chose them because they are a great example of Langlaisā€™ true range and talent as an artist in depicting such different emotions and figures using the same support, medium, and color palette.

These three ā€œbig headsā€ are so similar, yet so different. They can be presented together, yet can stand on their own. All of them are painted on this orange construction paper which must have been a fleeting fad for Langlais as there are only a handful of these paintings on orange construction paper before he switches back to regular sketch paper. He uses the same color palette of light blue, white, and a brick red/orange oil paint and black crayon outlines. The same ingredients are used for all three heads, but each one has distinct features and depicts different emotions. 

The head on the left (2013.19.64) is simpler than the other heads, but despite the fact that this head was made only with two colors of paint and a black crayon, I believe it is the most expressive face. The prominent worry lines on his forehead, furrowed brow, crumpled eyes, and stiff bottom lip depict that the figure is worried, concerned, confused, or contemplating something very important. 

The center head (2013.19.62) projects the angriest emotion. This is due to the fact that the figureā€™s eyebrow is arched very sharply, his lips are pursed, and Langlais uses the most burnt orange paint in this image, contributing to a more fiery mood. In this portrait, Langlais focused on the eyes. The very large eyes sit almost diagonally, which emphasizes the arch of the brow even more. The combination of the intense eyes and brows mixed with the brick red paint creates a sense of intensity burning from within this figure. This image also continues past the neck down to the chest unlike the other two portraits and this figure seems to be wearing a collared shirt. 

The head on the right (2013.19.63) has the most accentuated and distorted features. His eyes stand out to me the most because they are so large and perfectly circular. There is no presence of an eye socket, so this feature is very two dimensional. The shape of the figureā€™s head is almost completely rectangular, leaving little to no distinction between the head and neck. The little smirk on the subjectā€™s face delights me. Langlais makes the figureā€™s lips curl at the ends creating

smile lines and even paints the lips with that same red brick color bringing more warmth into his smile. 

I appreciate that Langlais focused on different features for each head. In the left painting, it is clear that he spent much more attention to detail on the ear and eyes. However, in the right piece he paid almost no attention to the ear and focused more on the chin/mouth area. Each head has incredibly different features and depicts such different emotions despite such similarities in subject matter, support, and color scheme. I find the use of unconventional color and facial features so fascinating because the characterā€™s emotions are so human. Such clear moods and emotions are depicted through minimal color and naturalistic detail. 

Clara Kennedy 

Class of 2025

The highlight of my semester with the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Museum was Rollinā€™ to Olin. Rollinā€™ to Olin is educational programming that brings in students from Lewiston to learn about art. There is a presentation about art followed by a folk concert. I loved sharing this presentation that I worked so hard on with the fourth graders of Lewiston. Also, some of the students who I tutored in reading last fall were in the audience. I enjoyed seeing them just a little bit taller and excited to learn about art. Another great experience was when I helped with a series of lessons revolving around block printing at Auburn Middle School. It was a wonderful way to see how an art class functions and be a part of the organized chaos. The art teacher at Auburn Middle School was so kind and really cared about her students, which was wonderful to see as I consider a career in arts education. 

The hardest part about this internship was working remotely. As a result of COVID-19, all students were sent home for the remainder of the semester.  However,  it showed me how many great resources I have at ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ and for that I am lucky. While it is great being able to Zoom call my mentors, Anthony Shostak and Lizzie Boyle,  I learned much more from them when meeting in person. Also, I no longer had access to the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Library which was a wealth of knowledge when researching art and artists. Lastly, one of the best parts of the education internship was being able to interact with the community.  In a time when we are not supposed to leave our houses or come in contact with non-family members, this cannot be filled. A big part of the reason why it has been hard to work remotely is because my experience at ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ and with the museum has been so wonderful.

Interning at the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Museum has prepared me to take on other opportunities teaching through the arts in the future. I look forward to participating in the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Museum community more as I continue my time at ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ College.

Helen Pandey ’22
Art & Visual Culture Major with a double minor in Education and History

When Hall moved to Maine in the early 1940s, she embraced Maine life in the coastal town, Prospect, a locale which is depicted in several of her works in the museum’s collection. The Museum received some of her works because of her friendship with the artist Marsden Hartley, who had a love for ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Collegeā€™s intellectual and spiritual kinship. 

These are my four favorite paintings of Hallā€™s that are in the collection. They are all painted in watercolor, a difficult medium to master. October on the Lake is the most eye catching to me. The color palette works nicely together and I love how there are contrasting colors, but their vibrancy is in a similar range. The brushwork is eloquent, but still gives texture and life to the work. Also, The composition  pleases my eye and makes me feel as I am in the painting, not just looking at it. In many of Hallā€™s works, the more that one looks at it, the better this painting gets. There are little details and complexity just waiting to be found, such as the tree covered hill in the background of Harvest Spectrum. The variance of color and brushwork is amazing, but if one were to just take a quick glance at this watercolor they might miss it. Harvest Spectrum showcases something that Maine is known for, its autumn. What I like about Harvest Spectrum is that it focuses on one tree and the prominence of apples as one of the stateā€™s important crops. Mt. Desert Hills from Sullivan is also a wonderful work. The purple and blues play great with the greens and yellows. I really enjoy this piece because it reminds me of the mountains in Tennessee as well as the ones I have seen in Maine. Lastly, Storm at Schoodic exhibits some of the rock formations and wildlife typical of Maineā€™s Coast. This painting is action packed and feels as if it is alive. These four watercolors do a wonderful job capturing the essence of Maineā€™s coastal landscapes.

Chenoweth Hall and I are both born in states other than Maine. She hails Indiana and I  from Tennessee. Over my two years in college, Iā€™ve made Maine my home like Hall did when she moved to Maine to focus on her art. Now, I care a lot for this state and can see its likeness in Hallā€™s watercolors. 

Chenoweth Hall has a modernist style that puts her in the same camp as many of her contemporaries, but her artwork is unique because of her brushwork, palette, and composition. Hallā€™s paintings are both youthful and encapsulating of the full scene. Her art is mystical, yet realistic. This ties in with Maine, a state with such beauty that feels like it could have been imagined. The dramatic coasts, farmlands, and hills seen in Hallā€™s  paintings do Maine justice. Some of her paintings were even featured in ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Art Museum of Art educational outreach program, Rollinā€™ to Olin, which was given to all of the fourth-grade students in Lewiston and focused on Maine artists.

Sources:

Helen Pandey ’22
Art & Visual Culture Major with a double minor in Education and History

One could say the very same of Swedish-born American artist Carl Sprinchorn, a prolific artist who I have had the good fortune of exploring in my work as a Collections Management intern for the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Museum of Art. Born in 1887 in Broby, Sweden, Sprinchorn came to the U.S. in 1903, when he was just 15 years old, to study under renowned American artist Robert Henri at the New York School of Art, and later at the Henri Art School. Quickly establishing his roots in the New York art scene, Sprinchorn and his work found its way to smaller, group exhibitions and one-man shows in area galleries. Sprinchorn also formed influential friendships with avant-garde artists and patrons such as Florine, Carrie, and Ettie Stettheimer. While tied to New York through the tutelage of Henri, his early success in well-known galleries, and his notable patrons and collaborators, a new location and a new subject matter beckoned Sprinchorn: Maine.

In her article ā€œCarl Sprinchorn, American Artist from Sweden,ā€ Mary Towley Swanson explains how, when first coming to the Maine woods in 1919, Sprinchorn was drawn to a climate and landscape similar to his home country of Sweden, and also to a settlement in Monson, ME where a friend of his mother lived (and where Swedish was most likely still spoken). For two years afterward, Sprinchorn resided in the Maine North Woods, executing a number of landscape paintings and drawings of woodsmen, lumberjacks, and horse teams, documenting the life and work of the log drives. This was not Sprinchornā€™s only sojourn in Maine, and he would return sporadically from 1937 through the summer of 1952, residing in the Patten/Shin Pond area, and forming lasting relationships with the farmers and woodsmen who inspired his work.

Maineā€™s natural beauty and its similarity to his Swedish homeland can partially explain Sprinchornā€™s journeys up north, but why the seeming obsession with the workingmen of the forest? Perhaps Sprinchorn can explain it best. In his unsuccessful application for a Guggenheim fellowship in 1942, Sprinchorn wrote about his future plans: ā€œThe continuation of my recent, purely creative work in the Penobscot River country of Maine, interpreting the way of life of the woodsman who, as lumberjack, trapper, or hunter continues today his traditional, heroic and picturesque labors, without having been tendered the homage, through the art of painting, that he humanly and historically deserves.” It seems that in the woodsmen, Sprinchorn saw much more than the tedium of manual labor, he saw the universal. As a close friend and confidant of Sprinchornā€™s, Henry W. Wells, described for The American Scandinavian Review, many of Sprinchornā€™s works were concerned with subject matter quintessentially realist (i.e. lumberjacks, horses, forested landscapes), yet rendered in a manner which eschewed Realism, instead celebrating the act of painting itself.

Looking at two of Sprinchornā€™s drawings in the Museumā€™s collectionā€”part of an extensive gift of over one hundred works donated by the Carl Sprinchorn Admiration Society in 2018ā€”one can see how Sprinchornā€™s appreciation of the meditative nature of the Maine woods and his exploration of universal themes overlap. In his crayon drawing One of the Getchell Boys, Shin Pond Maine from 1937, Sprinchorn depicts a lumberjack paused in the midst of his work, seemingly unaware of our presence. A log slung over his shoulder and an axe grasped in his other hand, this worker of the woods gazes at a scene that we cannot see. This figure is contrasted by a colorful, sylvan background which epitomizes Sprinchornā€™s habit of juxtaposing the subject matter of the everyday with a technique increasingly abstract.

Similarly, in another crayon drawing from the same year titled Lumbermen Playing Cards, Sprinchorn illustrates a commonplace logging-camp scene, but with connotations which stretch beyond. Much like the previous drawing, Lumbermen Playing Cards is the manifestation of Sprinchornā€™s experiences and observations living amongst woodsmen, lumberjacks, and teamsters alike in the deep woods of Maine. He is privy to this intimate, social, andā€”one could even say, mundaneā€”scene of lumbermen enjoying one anotherā€™s company because he knows them personally. However, one also gets the sense that this scene signals more, perhaps also serving as a consideration of the human tendency to come together, even in the most remote places and with the most solitary-minded people.

Perhaps I am overanalyzing this but it is nonetheless inarguable that Sprinchorn found a poetic beauty in the wooded landscapes of Maine and the people who lived there. Sprinchorn is often examined and talked about in conjunction with his close friend, and Lewiston, Maine native, Marsden Hartley. As Swanson accounts in her article, Hartley penned four different essays about Sprinchornā€™s works, and he argued that (in conjunction with Sprinchorn), ā€œtogether we have given a reasonable account of the qualities of Maine.ā€

Between Hartleyā€™s prized landscapes and figure drawings and Sprinchornā€™s extensive oeuvre, I very much agree with this statement. While the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Museum of Art is known for its vast collection of artworks and belongings of the more well-known Hartley, and while their friendship is certainly important to consider in terms of their influencing one another, I think it is time for Sprinchorn to gain new appreciation here in Lewiston, ME.

And while my time as an intern with the ĄÖ²„“«Ć½ Museum has been punctuated by a modicum of tasks that one could deem boring and tedious, examining and cataloguing Sprinchornā€™s works, researching his life and what others have said about him, have taught me to the appreciate the beauty of the mundane and the value of doing the little things right.

A special thank you to the friend I never met and never knew I neededā€”I appreciate you Carl.

Bridget Thompson ā€˜22
Art & Visual Culture and History Major

Below are a selection of images from a recent gift by the Carl Sprinchorn Admiration Society. All works by Carl Sprinchorn.