Carnival.  8 feet X 16 feet.  Oil on Canvas.

The Pittore Foundation is pleased to announce a new collaboration with The Constellation Gallery.  We will combine forces to present a birthday exhibition and celebration at The Constellation Gallery, 511 Congress Street, Portland, Maine.  Food, music and phenomenal artwork.  Come view a selection of Pittore’s Comedia works, many of which have never been exhibited in Maine.

In conjunction with this event, we would like to invite YOU to make a birthday card for the Pittore spirit, to be placed on exhibit for the duration of the show.  All cards MUST BE RECEIVED by Wednesday, April 28th.  Please MAIL YOUR CARDS to: The Carlo Pittore Foundation, c/o Sarah Bouchard, 94 Morning St., #2, Portland, ME 04101.  All cards will be exhibited. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like the card returned to you.

In addition, if you have birthday cards that Carlo sent to you during his lifetime, and you are willing to place them “on loan” for the exhibition, please send them to The Carlo Pittore Foundation c/o Sarah Bouchard, 94 Morning St. #2, Portland, ME 04101.  All cards MUST BE RECEIVED by Wednesday, April 28th.  Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so that the card may be returned to you.

The exhibit will open on Friday, April 30th with a reception from 5:00 - 10:00pm.  On Friday, May 7th, the gallery will stay open late for Portland’s First Friday Artwalk, from 5:oo - 10:00pm.  Friday, May 14th (CARLO’S BIRTHDAY!!), the foundation and the gallery will host a special birthday celebration from  5:00 - 10:00pm.  Bring anything that embodies the Pittore spirit.  Sing.  Dance.  Perform.  Eat.  Drink.  Perform Again.  Feel free to BYOB.  Light refreshments and drink will be served.

Standard gallery hours are Monday - Thursday from 11am - 3pm, Friday and Saturday from 4pm - 8pm.  The gallery is closed on Sundays. The exhibition will run through Wednesday, May 26th.

INFO:

EXHIBIT RUNS: Friday, April 30th - Wednesday, May 26th

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, April 30th, 5pm-10pm

FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK: Friday, May 7th, 5pm-10pm

PITTORE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: Friday, May 14th, 5pm - 10pm

The Constellation Gallery, 511 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101, 207-409-6617

Monday - Thursday: 11am-3pm, Friday and Saturday: 4pm-8pm, Closed Sundays.

Lost and Found: The Work of Bern Porter from the Collection of The Museum of Modern Art Library

April 7–July 5, 2010

Mezzanine, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building

Bern Porter contributed to some of the most important scientific innovations of the past century, including the cathode ray tube, the Manhattan Project, and NASA’s Saturn V Rocket. He was also an artist, poet, and publisher. He published work by Henry Miller, Kenneth Patchen, and Dick Higgins, among others, and authored numerous books, including compilations of collage he dubbed “Founds.” His personal work is heavily influenced by the guilt he felt regarding his role in the development of the atomic bomb. As the self-proclaimed inventor of mail art, Porter was also very involved in the Correspondence Art Network. This installation presents a selection of MoMA’s unparalleled collection of Porter’s materials, from artists’ books and original collages to mail art and other ephemera.

Organized by Rachel Morrison, Library Assistant.

Click here to view the works and additional information regarding the exhibit.

In addition, don’t miss:

Lost and Found: An Evening with Bern Porter

In conjunction with the exhibition Lost and Found: The Work of Bern Porter from the Museum of Modern Art Library, Mark Melnicove, Dan Domench, Kenneth Goldsmith, and Rachael Morrison will present, perform, read, and interpret the life and work of Bern Porter (1910–2004). Porter was an artist, poet, performer, and physicist who contributed to some of the most important artistic and scientific innovations of the twentieth century. The evening will include a screening of the short film Joy Glows Where Confusion Was: A film about, with, and without Bern Porter (2010) by Mark Melnicove, writer and executor of Porter’s estate; a portion of the performance Bern Porter: The Authorized Fictional Biography of the Artist, Scientist, Poet, Publisher, Performer, Adventurer, and Iconoclast (2010) by author and director Dan Domench; and a selection of Porter’s poetry read by Kenneth Goldsmith, poet and founder of ubuweb. The evening will be introduced by Rachael Morrison, exhibition organizer. This event is sponsored by the MoMA Library and The Esopus Foundation Ltd., and takes place at Esopus Space, 64 West Third Street #201, New York, NY.

Please note: confirmed RSVPs are required for admission to this event. (info@esopusfoundation.org) Free admission.

Please click here to visit the Museum’s web site.

Portrait of Damien.  30″ X 36″.  Oil on Linen. 1984.

Carlo Pittore: A Fighter’s Eye
March 1st through April 30th
Celebratory Reception: Sunday, March 14th, 5 p.m.–8 p.m.,
Featuring the musical talents of Mark Tipton + guests
Sonny’s, 83 Exchange St., Portland, Maine
Hours: Mon.–Fri. 11:30 a.m.–1 a.m., Sat. and Sun. 5:30 p.m.–1 a.m.
For Dining Reservations, please call 207.772.7774

The Carlo Pittore Foundation will present a rare exhibition of Pittore portraits in Portland, Maine, from March 1st through April 30th at Sonny’s, the Old Port’s newest restaurant and lounge. Carlo Pittore : A Fighter’s Eye features 18 oil paintings, including several selections from the acclaimed “Boxer” series.

This exhibition follows the packed public auction that took place last spring, and is the precursor to the first major solo exhibition of Pittore’s paintings opening in New York City this fall. Over the past year, Pittore’s work has been sought by the Smithsonian Archive of American Art, the University of Maine Museum of Art, the Ogunquit Museum of Art, and the Portland Museum of Art. The foundation is in currently in conversation with additional nationally recognized institutions. We are planning for two solo museum exhibitions in 2011.

Pittore’s “Boxer” series has not been on view in Portland for nearly 25 years, since an Old Port restauranteur’s decision to prematurely pull a show of the works caused an uproar over the issue of artistic freedom. Carlo Pittore : A Fighter’s Eye will take place just a block away from the original scandal, highlighting the strides Portland’s arts community has made over the past quarter century, thanks in no small measure to Pittore’s passionate advocacy.

Carlo Pittore: A Fighter’s Eye is the inaugural exhibition at Sonny’s, which opened last month on Exchange Street. Chef/owner Jay Villani. a sculptor, is also the proprietor of Local 188, the Congress Street eatery that pioneered the melding of visual and culinary arts in Portland over a decade ago. Under the guidance of Portland painter and illustrator Patrick Corrigan, Local 188 has exhibited the work of dozens of established and emerging Maine artists, a tradition that now continues at Sonny’s.

The 18 portraits in Carlo Pittore: A Fighter’s Eye are among the most accomplished Pittore paintings made available for private sale since his passing. In addition to selections from the “Boxer Series,” Carlo Pittore: A Fighter’s Eye includes compelling portraits of fellow artists and writers who joined Pittore’s fight on behalf of fine art and free artistic expression.

For additional information about the exhibit, or if you are unable to attend and would like to see a digital representation of the works being offered for sale, please contact Sarah Bouchard at 207.809.9670, or e-mail sarah@carlopittorefoundation.org. All proceeds from this exhibit will go directly toward funding the foundation’s activities.

We hope to see you there!

To visit the Museum’s web site, please click here.

Complacency.  2001.  Oil on Linen.  24″ X 24″

Please stay tuned for info on happenings, opportunities, and special offerings from the foundation.