WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Her work is in public and corporate collections such as the DuPont Company, MBNA, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, The University of Delaware, the Delaware Art Museum and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Described as “hymns of unadulterated joy,” Mary Page Evans will bring her latest work – paintings and drawings – to the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens from February 18 through March 29 during her dazzling, light-filled exhibition Florida en Plein Air – Seascapes, Gardens and Nudes. In addition, working directly in nature (en plein air), Evans will use her broad brushstrokes to capture the lush, tropical Florida environment through a series of “Paint with the Artist” en plein air workshops on the grounds of the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens during the run of the exhibition.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Mary Page Evans attended both Hollins University in Roanoke and the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C.  Her first solo exhibition took place in 1971 at the Washington Gallery of Art, which was quickly followed by numerous exhibitions in the northeast, which included a Wilmington Arts Commission for the City and County building and being honored as the Delaware Artist of the Year.  In 2012 the Delaware Museum of Art held a Retrospective Exhibition of Mary Page Evan’s work, titled “Painted Poetry” in honor of their 100th anniversary. A consistent participant in Works by Women Artists group showcases, Mary Page Evan’s paintings have been featured in numerous U.S. Embassies, including those located in Prague, New Delhi, the Ivory Coast, Bucharest, and Moscow. Most recently her work was selected by Vice President Joseph (Joe) Biden and his wife, Jill, to have on display at their residence in Washington, D.C.

While she considers herself a landscape painter, working primarily en plein air with exactly what she sees, Mary Page Evan’s actual process is clearly influenced by the great master painters of the past, among them John Constable and J. M. W. Turner. “Art history has always played an important role in my work.  Having studied the structural lessons of Cezanne and the ‘push-pull’ of Hans Hoffman, I try to loosen the form and let color determine the structure and create the space,” explains Evans. “I strive for a visual back and forth in the space, painting colors to vibrate like music. Cezanne once said, ‘Painting from nature is not copying the object, but realizing ones sensations.’  When I paint the landscape, I feel like singing.”

Her technique may be styled from the great masters, but the ones who impacted her work the most were her mentors and teachers, like Bostelle, Gene Davis, Joan Mitchell and Grace Hartigan of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism, “people who were going to be honest with me,” Evans says. Some of those teachers works hang in Evans own home, a testament to the influence they had on her. Her unique perspective and style is captured in dozens of pieces on display during Florida en Plein Air.

 

Florida en Plein Air, New Works from Mary Page Evans – Seascapes, Gardens and Nudes, will be displayed from February 18 – March 29 at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens located at 2051 Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach. An opening Artist & Guest Reception will commence on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free for ANSG members; non-member donation is $10 per person.

Those wishing to join Mary Page Evans for “Paint with the Artist” en plein air workshops may come to the Gardens on Monday, March 2, or Monday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to noon. Attendees must bring their own supplies and a stool or mat to sit upon, along with the $25 fee in support of the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens.

Artist-led tours take place on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. with exhibition tours offered on Sundays at noon. Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Non-member admissions apply at $10 adults, $8 seniors and $5 students. Group tours are available through [email protected]. For more information, please visit www.ansg.org, or call 561-832-5328.

About the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens

The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Inc. is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) operating foundation established in 1977 by the prominent sculptor Ann Weaver Norton (1905-1982) as an independent and locally unaffiliated entity. The organization is devoted to exhibiting works of other artists, preserving the founder’s studio and displaying her monumental sculptures in a secluded urban preserve where a notable collection of rare palms is continually being developed. The Gardens are located at 2051 Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach. For more information about the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, visit www.ansg.org or call 561-832-5328.

###

Comments are closed.