Kathleen Schmitt inserts a piece of tile Thursday into one of the seams of the nearly completed mosaic art pieces that adorn the facade of the new Hartley Block on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. This piece is called “Smelt Brook Falls.” It was based on a painting by renowned artist Marsden Hartley and created by New York artists Stephen Miotto and Nancy Blum. Miotto, background, is being assisted by Schmitt with the installation.
LEWISTON — New York-based artists Stephen Miotto and Nancy Blum install mosaics depicting two of Marsden Hartley’s well-known oil paintings on the facade of the Hartley Block building on Lisbon Street on Thursday.
The building’s developer, The Szanton Co., announced in February that it had commissioned the two 9- by 9-foot installations from the artists, who are experienced in installing mosaics in public spaces.
One of two nearly completed mosaic art pieces adorns the facade of the new Hartley Block on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. This piece is called “Jotham’s Island in Georgetown, Maine.” It was inspired by a painting by local artist Marsden Hartley and created by New York artists Stephen Miotto and Nancy Blum
According to a news release, the pieces are intended to be “interpretations and enlargements of details” from two Hartley paintings: “Smelt Brook Falls” (1937, St. Louis Art Museum) and “Jotham’s Island, Georgetown, Maine” (1938, Portland Museum of Art).
Hartley, born in Lewiston in 1877 and raised here, is considered one of the foremost American painters of his time. Later in his career, Hartley’s work shifted back to his Maine roots, with Maine landscapes, including the works chosen for this project, often the subject of his paintings.
One of two nearly completed mosaic art pieces, right, adorns the facade of the Hartley Block on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. This piece is called “Jotham’s Island in Georgetown, Maine.” It was inspired by a painting by local artist Marsden Hartley and created by New York artists Stephen Miotto and Nancy Blum. Miotto and assistant Kathleen Schmitt install a second mosaic in the background. Sun Journal photo by Russ Dillingham
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