Upcoming Exhibitions at PAAM Previous Exhibitions Current Exhibitions Elspeth Halvorsen: An Intimate Cosmos Curated by Varujan Boghosian May 24-July 7, 2013 Opening reception: Friday, May 31, 7pm Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture: Tuesday, June 11, 7pm, free with Museum admission Elspeth Halvorsen, Love Lock, 2011 Halvorsen’s mixed media assemblages are the subjects of this exhibition. These assemblages represent a convergence of homage to her loved ones and reverence of nature. “…Many of my boxes are in homage to lost ones: my mother and father, my brother, my husband…I consider them very intimate, in an attempt to express a boundless reverence for the glory and beauty of the universe,” Halvorsen writes of her work. Mary Ann Cawes, in the exhibition catalogue, writes “if you were to ask me to characterize these boxes with their intricate architecture, to speak of these constructions as a whole, I would say something about their intense inwardness, together with what they develop in the observer, to whom they bring that inwardness; their accumulation from the ages, to our own. Unstated, often, but no less extant…That is the thing about these boxes: they seem to contain meanings we do not have to spell out. That is its own kind of poetry, the poetry of these boxes I have known for so long and loved.” Boston Globe art critic Cate McQuaid said of her surrealist constructions that “they contain galactic meditations [in which Halvorsen] balances expansion and containment, liberty and boundaries.” Elspeth Halvorsen received a Bachelor of Arts as well as graduate studies in Art Education, Art Therapy and a Teacher Certification at Purdue University in Indiana. She also studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiére in Paris, France; the Art Students’ League; and the New School for Social Research in New York City. She has resided in Provincetown for over 50 years. Her artwork is represented by the Berta Walker Gallery in Provincetown. Spring Auction Preview Featuring work from estates gifted to PAAM May 31-June 15, 2013 Opening reception: Friday, May 31 at 7pm Mary Hackett, untitled, Nickerson Street interior (Chauncey), 1947 PAAM presents its annual Spring Consignment Auction on Saturday, June 15 at 7pm. This year the auction features special works from the estates of valued community members-100% of the proceeds of these sales will go to PAAM. Bidding is open to the public, paddle registration is free of charge. Auction lots will be available to view online in mid-May (phone bids accepted until Saturday, June 15 at 7pm) and at the Museum in the Auction Preview exhibition May 31-June 15, 2013, opening on Friday, May 31 at 7pm. PAAM presents annual live consignment auctions and preview exhibitions twice yearly. These events present works of art that may not otherwise be seen by the general public. Proceeds directly benefit the cultural initiatives of PAAM. Since 2004, the auction at PAAM has drawn crowds of national art collectors in search of rare vintage pieces by artists of outer Cape Cod. PAAM Executive Director Chris McCarthy states, "the quality of the auctions has reached a national level both for collectors and consignors. PAAM is the venue for Provincetown art and we are thrilled to not only exhibit this art, but help others build their collections of such an important period in American art history." PAAM presents live consignment auctions and preview exhibitions twice yearly, and these events have served to present works of art that may not otherwise be seen by the general public. Consigners and customers know that the 15% buyer's premium and the 20% seller's commission support a solid non-profit institution with a long history of providing programs that serve the public good. To accession important works into the permanent collection, PAAM depends on the generosity of its supporters. Consignors would often love to contribute a fine work to the collection, but may not be in the financial position to do so. Yet they know that, by offering the work for auction at PAAM, they give the organization the opportunity to search out a potential donor who may wish to contribute the piece back to the museum.   James Balla: Into the blue again, 1992-2012 Curated by Pasquale Natale June 28-August 11, 2013 Opening reception on Friday, June 28 at 8pm Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture: Tuesday, July 9, 7pm, free with Museum admission PAAM is pleased to present James Balla: Into the blue again, 1992-2012, a solo exhibition on view from June 28 - August 11, 2013 curated by Pasquale Natale. The public is invited to an opening reception on Friday, June 28 at 8pm (free of charge), and a Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture on Tuesday, July 9 at 7pm (free with Museum admission). The body of work will span the last 20 years of Balla's career in a variety of media, including oil paintings, drawings, and prints. This will be the first time that examples from the various series have been shown together. Balla writes of his process: "Good art is always elegant. It can be dirty and crude and offensive, but it always strives for the highest level of expression. It has a language, but a really good painting hits you like a smell, without warning. All of a sudden it connects with your gut, your memory, and you have had your experience changed before you can even understand or articulate it. At least for this time you are in the time of the painting." Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Balla has shown his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the Northeast including: Abstraction, Albert Merola Gallery, Provincetown, MA, 2011; Papillon, Bow Street , Cambridge, MA, 2011; Shape, Bow Street, Cambridge, MA, 2006; Boston International Fine Art Show, Boston, MA, 2003; On Paper, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY, 2003; Gregory Lind Gallery , San Francisco, CA, 2002; New Trustees Select from the Collection, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 2002; Provincetown Print Project, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, 2000; Alfred Decredico, James Balla, Hasmig Vartanian, Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, 1999; Provincetown: 100 Years an Arts Community, Lamia Ink, New York, NY, 1999; Surface and Diversity, Housatonic Museum, Bridgeport, CT, 1998; Group Show, Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, LA, 1998; Provincetown in Hudson, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY, 1997; 66th S.A.G.A. National Print Exhibition, East Hanover, NJ, 1997; Takara Gallery, Houston, TX, 1996; Balancing Act, Fort Point Art Gallery, Boston, MA, 1995-96; Provincetown Portraits: The First Eighty Years, curated by James R. Bakker, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 1995; Cape Cod Printmakers, Past and Present, curated by Ann Wilson Lloyd, Cape Museum of Fine Arts, Dennis, MA, 1995; Provincetown Print Project Portfolio, UFO Gallery, Provincetown, MA, 1994; Invitational Show, Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA, 1994; Cosmos 3, Cosmos Press, Provincetown, MA, 1994; Positive Alliances, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 1993; Intimate Abstraction: Provincetown Boogie-Woogie, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, 1992; Boston Printmakers' Invitational Show, Art Complex Museum, Duxbury , MA/Zullo Gallery, Medfield, MA, 1991-92. Balla's work is also in the public collections of Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT; Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, MA; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Jim Peters Curated by John Wronoski June 28-August 11, 2013 Opening reception on Friday, July 19 at 8pm Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture: Tuesday, June 11, 7pm, free with Museum admission PAAM is pleased to present a solo exhibition curated by John Wronsoki of work by Jim Peters, June 28-August 11 with a free opening reception on Friday, July 19 at 8pm and a Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture with the artist on Tuesday, July 16 at 7pm (free with Museum admission). Jim Peters is a member and former chair of the Visual Arts Program Committee at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. He teaches painting and drawing at the Museum School at Provincetown Art Association and Museum and the Fine Arts Work Center Summer Program. "My work is a search for a domestic space and a domestic sensuality", writes Peters. "I paint from my mind and my imagination. I paint where we live or want to live. The work is a constant revision, changing and honing images until fantasy and reality meet. I love constructing, building, and creating space both illusionary and real. I add elements such as wood, wire, metal to the pieces in an attempt to create a tension between 2-D illusion and 3-D reality. I want the work to be both an object and an illusion.......like passion!" Jim Peters was born in Syracuse, NY, in 1945. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD in 1967 (BS, Atomic Physics), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA in 1969 (MS, Nuclear Engineering). He began painting while serving on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy and, using the G. I. bill, graduated from Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD in 1977 (MFA, Painting). A painter and constructionist, he exhibits regularly at CDS Gallery, NYC (since 1986) and at the artSTRAND gallery in Provincetown, MA, of which he is a founding member and co-owner. Awards include Fellowships at Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown (1982-83 and 1983-84), Massachusetts Artists Grants (1985 and 1988), Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Fellowship (1999), and Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship (2002). He has work in many collections worldwide including William Benton Museum, University of Connecticut, Flint Institute of Art, and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC. Jim Peters lives and works in Pawtucket, RI with the writer Kate Carr. . Members’ 12x12 Exhibition and Silent Auction July 12-September 7, 2013 Opening reception: Friday, July 19, 8pm Artist drop-off day: Tuesday, July 9, 12-4p, First day to bid: Friday, July 12, 11am Last day to bid: Saturday, September 7, party begins at 4pm, bids begin closing (alphabetically by artist last name) at 4:15pm The 12x12 Exhibition and Silent Auction is an exciting event that draws artists and collectors together in support of PAAM. PAAM is proud to hang works by emerging and established artists side-by-side in this annual exhibition, a celebration of the high level of creativity and achievement of PAAM members. With over 300 submissions in 2012, the 12x12 exhibition is regarded by collectors and enthusiasts as one of the most exciting displays of talent on outer Cape Cod. Bidding starts at $125, climbing by demand throughout the exhibition until the final hour of the silent auction. Participating artists agree to a 50% commission, with an option to donate their own percentage of the final sale to PAAM. These commissions and donations provide funding for year-round art exhibitions and educational programming. Pioneers from Provincetown: The Roots of Figurative Expressionism Curated by Adam Zucker July 19-September 2, 2013 Opening reception on Friday, July 19 at 8pm   Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture: Tuesday, July 23 at 7pm (free with Museum admission). This exhibition presents a missing link in American modernism and features some of modern art's finest painters. Several of the artists featured in this exhibition are under-appreciated and have been ignored by critics and art historians. During the second generation of Abstract Expressionism, the figurative painters took control of Cape Cod and challenged the Abstract authority, with their new form of figurative art. These artists included seminal Figurative Expressionists: Lester Johnson, Jan Müller, Bob Thompson, Tony Vevers, Robert Beauchamp, Jay Milder, Bill Barrell, Robert DeNiro, Sr., Emilio Cruz, George McNeil, Peter Passuntino, Peter Dean, Anne Tabachnick, and Red Grooms. Many of these artists studied with the great modernist teacher Hans Hofmann at his Provincetown summer school. However, while they took similar artistic qualities employed by Hofmann and their abstract contemporaries, they used these revolutionary techniques, theories, and compositional practices like gestural painting, automatism, and the push and pull method, to work with the figure. This exhibition will focus on a period, style and location that art historians and art critics have naively overlooked. This exhibition will provide an in depth examination of Provincetown from the mid-1950's into the early 1960's when it became one of the pioneer spots in the chronicle of American modernism. Acting as a bridge to New York City, many important American artists got their start in Provincetown and many important works of art were created there. Without the force and dedication of Provincetown Expressionists during these years, the momentum for the evolution of painting would have been deeply diminished. The Figurative Expressionists' rebellion against the abstract authority in Provincetown during the late 1950's illustrates one of the most exciting moments in modern American art history. This exhibition will open up a bold new perspective and interest in modernist painting. Curator Adam Zucker was born in New York City and attended the University of New Haven where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in art and design. Mr. Zucker is currently working on his Master's thesis in art history on the East Coast Figurative Expressionist painters during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He has been conducting extensive research in both New York and Provincetown over the last few years. Mr. Zucker is also a contributing arts writer for Berkshire Fine Arts. He lives and works in New York City. Abstract Marriage: Sculpture by Ilya Schor and Resia Shor Curated by Mira Schor August 16-September 29, 2013 Opening reception on Friday, August 16 at 8pm   Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture: Tuesday, August 20 at 7pm, free with Museum admission PAAM proudly presents Abstract Marriage: Sculpture by Ilya Schor and Resia Shor, curated by their daughter Mira Schor, August 16-September 29 with a free opening reception on Friday, August 16 at 8pm and a Fredi Schiff Levin lecture with the curator on Tuesday, August 20 at 7pm (free with Museum admission). Ilya and Resia Schor's lives and work offer fascinating and unique links between the aesthetic values of mid-Twentieth Century European art and the New York School of Abstract Expressionism, between secular modernism and traditional Jewish religious and folk art. Their works break the boundaries between high art and craft. Their artworks also are visual and material embodiments of a great love story between two artists expressed in an aesthetic conversation that continued and grew over half a century, transcending loss. Both born in Poland, Ilya and Resia Schor lived together in Paris in the years immediately preceding the Second World War and were lucky to escape Europe and be able to settle in New York in 1941. They quickly developed friendships with many artists in New York, representing a wide spectrum of American art of the time: close friends included the abstract expressionist painter Jack Tworkov and also the sculptor Chaim Gross, among many others. In the late 40s and the 1950s, while Resia Schor made gouache paintings on paper in an abstract painterly mode similar to artists such as Philip Guston, and exhibited in New York under the name Resia Ain, Ilya Schor developed an important practice as an artist working with Jewish themes, committing himself to the depiction of the spirit of the deeply Hasidic eastern shtetl culture from which he came. He worked as an engraver, made exquisite jewelry, beautiful Judaica in silver and gold, and painted Jewish themes from his memory. He also made some of the most noted book illustrations of the time, of books such as Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath in which he responded in powerful graphic abstract form to the injunction against figuration in Jewish religion. Ilya Schor's interest in abstraction reasserted itself in late works made between 1956 and 1961: brass and copper abstract sculptures and abstracted figures made of hammered, cut-out, and riveted metal parts, typically placed on simple found wood bases. His long-standing love of cubism and the freedom to express himself in the modernist mode beyond the responsibilities of representing a lost world were powerfully expressed in these works done in the last few years of his life. After Ilya Schor's death in 1961 at the early age of 57, Resia Schor picked up his tools and his practice, making jewelry and Judaica out of silver and gold, applying her abstract painting style to metal. Her passionate belief in abstraction also was evident in sculptures she began to produce in the 1970s. Working well into her 90s, before her death in 2006, she created large scale bas-relief sculptures, in which gouache painting on paper is enclosed within layers of wood, Plexiglas, white metal and brass. Smaller works of this nature brought together her painterly interest in color and nature-inspired atmosphere with an attraction to bold geometric shapes. Bringing these two groups of abstract sculptural works together embodies the artistic conversation between two remarkably talented artists. This artistic conversation enlivened their marriage and was not interrupted by death. The exhibition reveals fascinating connections of form and of artistic process and highlight their similarly inventive use of materials and sculptural solutions. The Schors first came to Provincetown in 1957 and found in its art community and in the natural beauty of the town the summer refuge they had been seeking since their arrival in America. It has been the beloved summer home of the Schor family ever since, including also for their daughters, Mira Schor, and the reputed scholar of French literature and feminist theorist Naomi Schor (1943-2001). Mira Schor is a painter and writer. She is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship in painting and the College Art Association's Frank Jewett Mather award in art criticism. She is the author of Wet: On Painting, Feminism, and Art Culture, co-editor of the highly respected magazine, and, currently, of the website M/E/A/N/I/N/G. Two new books, A Decade of Negative Thinking: Essays on Art, Politics, and Daily Life, Duke University Press, and The Extreme of the Middle: The Writings of Jack Tworkov, edited by Mira Schor, Yale University Press, were both released in 2009. She had a one-person show of recent paintings at Momenta Art in Brooklyn, NY in 2009. In Provincetown she has exhibited her work at the East End Gallery, PAAM, and at artSTRAND Gallery. She is a member of long-standing of the visual committee of The Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) and a board member of Provincetown Arts Magazine. She is a member of PAAM. The Tale of the Goldsmith's Floor, a 2003 film she produced on the works of Ilya and Resia Schor, was premiered at the Pembroke Center of Brown University and also shown at FAWC and PAAM in the summer of 2003. Constantine Manos: Looking Back Curated by Breon Dunigan August 16 – October 13, 2013 Opening reception: Friday, August 16, 8pm At the age of thirteen, photographer Constantine Manos began his photographic career in the school camera club, where he was immediately smitten by the magic of the darkroom. At that time black and white was the medium of serious photographers, and mastering the craft of the darkroom was the first order of business. This was the only route to the ultimate product, a fine print on paper. Manos would go on to become a serious photographer, who would eventually become a member of an international group of elite photographers – Magnum Photos. For thirty-five years he maintained his love for black and white photography and the darkroom, where he developed the film and made prints of those pictures that meant the most to him personally. Most of the pictures were not made on assignment. At a certain point in time the romance with black and white finally came to an end, and Manos turned to color for his personal work. He found a new kind of picture and reluctantly gave up the darkroom for the computer and the inkjet print. This exhibition is a collection of some of Manos? favorite images. Many of these pictures have been printed for the first time and have never been published or exhibited. The son of Greek immigrant parents, Manos grew up in South Carolina where he received a B.A. English Literature from the University of South Carolina and made his first serious pictures in 1952. Manos' photographs are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the George Eastman House in Rochester, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Benaki Museum in Greece, and others. In 2003 he won the Leica Medal of Excellence out of a worldwide field of 250 entries.

Current Exhibitions at PAAM Previous Exhibitions PAAM reviews exhibition proposals throughout the year. If you are interested in proposing an exhibition at PAAM, please download the Exhibition Proposal Form. Exhibition Proposal Form

MUSEUM HOURS :

October–May:
Noon to 5 pm, Thursday through Sunday,
and by appointment

Memorial Day–September:
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PAAM is located on the corners of Commercial and Bangs Streets in Provincetown's East End.

Take Route 6 to the Provincetown Center exit. Turn left at light onto Conwell Street, then left at stop sign onto Bradford Street, 1/2 mile on right is Bang Street, right one block to Commercial.

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