Mayo Street Arts Pop-up Gallery Features Hill Artist

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Richard Wilson (L) and June Fitzgerald, Guest Curator of the Current Mayo Street Arts Pop-up Show at  the former J. J. Nissen Building, 67 Washington Avenue. Fitzgerald, Retired Owner of the June Fitzgerald Art Gallery,  Portland,  Came out of Retirement to Curate This Show.

Richard’s Favorite Print in the Show is This Sketch of Swimming in Sea Grass. “Fear” Represents his Own Fear of Swimming in Like Grass.

Artist Richard Wilson (R) Mounting Text for an Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Images of Two Christs Bumping Into Each Other – Each Carrying a Cross. There are Eleven Prints in The Show at a Cost of $400. Each.

“I’m a literary artist,” said Richard Wilson this afternoon at the Opening Day of the Mayo Street Arts Pop-up Gallery show at 67 Washington Avenue. “My sketches tell stories.”

Richard said he doesn’t have any religious background, but one of the most eye catching of his sketches in the current show is of two images of Christs bumping into each other carrying their crosses.  Everyone has his/her own cross to carry. It is based on the art work of his father, a Sanford resident, print maker and artist.  (See below right photo).

His father would attend parties and other gatherings (well before COVID-19).  There he would find something of particular interest. He’d go home and draw the event. He’d present the drawing to the host of the event with appreciation.  Apparently, he graced many with his art work that told a story.  Richard discovered this when he was asked to curate a show in Sanford following his father’s death.  “He inspired me to tell stories in my art work,” said Richard.

Before returning to Maine permanently, Richard worked for the highly-regarded T. E. Black Studio in New York City.  Tom Black’s studio creates graphics for museums. The nation’s finest museums – such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim for example.

Because of his expertise in the field, Richard continues to work on special projects for the T. E. Black Studio at these beloved museums.  He travels to New York City about fifteen (15) times a year to work on special projects that need his expertise.  The pop-up got busy before we had a chance to discuss how the pandemic is affecting his work in New York City.

Richard holds a BFA and MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.  He lives on Munjoy Hill and his art studio is in the Bakery Building, 61 Pleasant Street, Portland.

“This pop-up art show is to keep up the visibility of the Mayo Street Arts Center during this pandemic,” said Blainor McGough, its long time executive director. The ten year old Mayo Street Arts is located in the East Bayside Neighborhood of Portland. The Pop-up Show runs from January 1, 2021 through February 26, 2021.  The current show runs through January 29th.

Gallery hours are Wednesday – Saturday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm.  Visit mayostreetarts.org for more information.