Peter Marcus in his Jamestown studio. The printmaker was named the inaugural Distinguished Artist of the Year by the Jamestown Arts Center for his “substantial and important body of work.”
Peter Marcus, whose work is described as crossing boundaries between painting, printmaking and drawing, has been named the Distinguished Artist of the Year by the Jamestown Arts Center.
The inaugural honor coincides with the Summer Soiree, which is the art center’s largest annual fundraiser. The award will be given annually to recognize someone whose “accomplishments reflect their particular and extraordinary points of view to make the community a more culturally rich and diverse place.” It also honors the winner’s “substantial and important body of work.”
Marcus is being honored “as a master printmaker” who was instrumental in founding the medium’s studio at the center. By honoring the outstanding achievements of an individual artist and their work, the nonprofit organization “reaffirms its mission to engage, enrich and inspire through extraordinary arts and educational experiences.”
As the recipient of the Distinguished Artist of the Year award, Marcus has the opportunity to create a limited-edition print to benefit the Summer Soiree, which is scheduled for Friday, June 28. This print will be produced in the arts center’s studios by its instructors, highlighting the capacity of printmaking facilities and programs. As a special benefit, each sponsor and benefactor of the summer fundraiser will receive a limited edition signed print. The editioned prints Marcus is creating align with his new work, which incorporates remnants of his past prints collected the past 50 years into a digital print.
Originally from New York, Marcus earned a bachelor’s degree from the Parsons School of Design in New York City and received his master’s from Brooklyn College with special training in printmaking in Urbana, Italy.
He taught at Washington University in St. Louis for more than 30 years. His work is represented in collections across the United States, including the Newport Art Museum, St. Louis Art Museum and Dallas Museum of Art.
The soiree will coincide with the opening of “Pivot,” which is an exhibition that explores artworks that stand out from the bulk of each artist’s oeuvre, perhaps outside anyone’s expectations. Co-curated by Karen Conway and Jeff Foye, each of the 21 artists in the exhibition have a distinct interpretation of what a “pivot” might be in their own work.
Each artist’s contribution to the exhibition was determined through conversations about their practice and processes. These artists are taking a risk to produce new work or revisit an aesthetic idea simmering in the studio that they haven’t had time or reason to realize.
Featured, alongside Marcus, will be Kate Barber, David Barnes, Lisa Barsumian, Alyn Carlson, Spencer Evans, Tom Deininger, Lesley Dill, Peter Diepenbrock, Bob Dilworth, Peter Flood, Brooke Erin Goldstein, Joan Hall, Martin Keen, Susan Matthews, Algernon Miller, Kelly Milukas, Luke Randall, Didi Suydam, Christopher Terry and Bradley Wester.
Admission for the event starts at $250. Co-chaired by Wooley Dutton, Maria Flood and Dianne Grippi, with Patti Watson as an honorary chairwoman, the soiree will feature an auction, raw bar, cocktails and live music by La Mechante et le Connard. Tickets can be purchased online through the art center’s website.
