Please join us for
Yankee Homecoming
July 27 – August 4
SWEETHAVEN GALLERY
25L Inn Street, Newburyport, MA
FEATURING ORIGINAL WORK OF
Jack Frost
Creator of Yankee Homecoming — 1958
This exhibit runs until Sunday, September 1st.
United Church of Christ – Wilmington, MA
Jack Frost (1915-1997) was a New England sketch artist born in Eastport, Maine on December 22, 1915 to Elizabeth and Edward Frost. By age 10, he was drawing animals and people on the wharf behind his Dad’s fine men’s European apparel store. Jack was an innately God gifted artist, who decades later, would be teaching fine art at Boston College, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and many other venues.
After his graduation from the University of Maine, he went to the staff of the Boston Herald, and later became an artist and columnist for the Boston Post. It’s believed that it is here that his friendship and association with Boston Post journalist William Schofield led to the creation of the Boston Freedom Trail and his published works with Robert Booth and the Boston Freedom Trail Guidebooks, including “Port Book”. Mr Frost would go on to publish for than sixty illustrated books, including another called the “Yankee Sketchbook”.
In 1958 Newburyport was one of twenty-nine cities to adopt the vision of Jack Frost “Yankee Homecoming”. At the time, Newburyport was suffering from a regional and national “reputation” crisis due to crime and corruption. Many in town had lost hope on any change or improvement. It wasn’t just in Newburyport. Businesses all across America were leaving the urban centers and depressed inner commercial districts. Jack Frost and some powerful financial backers including ties to “American Express”, began to implement his vision of a “national pilgrimage back east where it all began.” His intention was to restore pride and interest in old cities like Newburyport that were the “historic homesteads where their ancestors had once lived” and the “roots” of their own national identity. After sixty-two years, Newburyport is the only surviving participant of this original vision.
The Jack and Jillson Frost Project is a tribute to this pilgrimage, bringing Jack Frost back home to where it all began in this very special Yankee Homecoming exhibit. The original works of Jack Frost are made possible by the collaboration of his daughter Jillson, and John Brown, artist of the Spirit of Newburyport, and Coordinator of the 4th Annual Inn Street Artisans Revival. Up to a dozen framed original sketches, out of an existing 244, will be exhibited at Sweethaven Gallery, 25L Inn Street. This exhibit will begin with Yankee Homecoming on Saturday July 27th and runs through Sunday August 4th. Reproductions will be available for sale. A future publication is being planned along with other exhibits in Boston and Jacks home state of Maine. The goal is to ensure that Jacks vision is appreciated, recognized, and more importantly, ensure that the last remaining body of his work is preserved in a museum where it belongs.
More information, along with a GoFundMe project to make this all possible, is available at the following address; www.jackandjillsonfrost.com.
To see all the images in this show, click on the ARTISTS link in the menu bar above.
ALSO FEATURING:
B&W and color flower and still life photographs by Ezra Sesto
B&W landscape photographs of Paris by Vincent Lemonnier Ferro
Contemporary acrylic glass, metal and traditional landscape photographs by Greg Nikas
B&W landscape and botanical photographs by C. Max Schenk
Slab built tableware by Don Williams of Don Williams Clayworks
Cast bronze sculpture and jewelry by Lauren & Josh Dow of GreenFoundry
Paintings and sculpture by Paul Neverette
EZRA SESTO
Echeveria Plant
© Ezra Sesto
VINCENT LEMONNIER FERRO
Inspired by Notre-Dame
© Vincent Lemonnier Ferro
DON WILLAMS
DON WILLIAMS CLAYWORKS
Slab made pottery
© Don Williams
LAUREN & JOSH DOW
GREEN FOUNDRY
Cast bronze large & small Gourds
Cast bronze jewerly
GREG NIKAS
Joppa Flats– Sunrise
© Greg Nikas
C. MAX SCHENK
Joppa Clouds
© C. Max Shenk
PAUL NEVERETTE
Outside Santa Fe
© Paul Neverette
SWEETHAVEN GALLERY
25L Inn Street, Newburyport, MA
978-465-765
greg@www.sweethavengallery.com
By the fountain – down the stairs
Sweethaven Gallery is dedicated to art and photography and features landscapes of Newburyport, Plum Island and beyond, bronze sculpture and jewelry, and slab made pottery. We work closely with our clients to insure they find the images and art they love that fit perfectly in their home.
We participate in ArtWalk weekends, First Thursdays, Pop-Up events and special showings throughout the year.
If you have any questions about an artist or work featured above, please give us a call at 978-465-7656 and we will be happy to help you in any way we can.