Francis Hamabe: Small Works on Paper

Blue Hill, Maine - Blue Hill Public Library will host an exhibit featuring artwork by Francis Hamabe (1917-2002), titled “Small Works on Paper.” The exhibit is curated by Jennifer Mitchell and Anne Nevin, and will include silkscreens, small collages, watercolors, as well as copies of the recently published book, The Art of Francis Hamabe, by Carl Little. The show starts December 4th and goes through the end of the month. A portion of sales proceeds will benefit the Library.

In his book Carl Little gives a concise description of the artist’s back ground: “Born in Orange, New Jersey, the son of Japanese-Swedish parents, Hamabe studied at the Newark School of Fine Arts and the Rhode Island School of Design. Following infantry duty in World War II, he became a commercial artist, working in illustration and advertisement. Over the years, Hamabe’s graphic work appeared in The New Yorker and The Philadelphia Inquirer and on the covers of Down East and Maine Life (for a time, he was art director of the latter publication).”

Little goes on to describe Hamabe’s work. “A printmaker of the first rank, Hamabe produced numerous serigraphs and silkscreens over the years (he demonstrated the former printmaking technique, pioneering its use in Maine). He was expert at capturing the
bend of a spruce bough, the claws of a lobster and the geometry of sails and rooflines. His poster tributes to Maine coast villages (Deer Isle, Machias, Bar Harbor, Castine, etc.) ended up in private collections and remain sought-after to this day.”

The show will be available for viewing during Library hours during the month of December.  For more information contact the Library at 374-5515.