Kallem Wharf at Night The trajectory of art history on Monhegan was forever changed when Modernists found the Monhegan muse after World War II. We explore the work of artists who lived in New York City and spent summers on Monhegan Island. They met at art school or through the Federal Art Project created during the Depression. On Monhegan, they made up a large part of the post WWII art community, choosing the island for its affordability, inspirational and isolation. They shared close friendships, engaging in sketching groups, art critiques, and year-round poker games, but at the same time respected each other’s need for creative space. Together they contributed to the revitalization of the art colony on Monhegan Island in the mid-Twentieth Century.

Joseph DeMartini

The trajectory of art history on Monhegan was forever changed when Modernists found the Monhegan muse after World War II. We explore the work of artists who lived in New York City and spent summers on Monhegan Island. They met at art school or through the Federal Art Project created during the Depression. On Monhegan, they made up a large part of the post WWII art community, choosing the island for its affordability, inspirational and isolation. They shared close friendships, engaging in sketching groups, art critiques, and year-round poker games, but at the same time respected each other’s need for creative space. Together they contributed to the revitalization of the art colony on Monhegan Island in the mid-Twentieth Century.

POSTWAR MODERNISM ON MONHEGAN

Joseph DeMartini