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From David Hollis, www.radiofreehamilton.com
Thursday, June 14, 2006
Hamilton Hosts Celebration of Lee Brown Coye’s Art;
Well Known Frankie and Johnny to Hang at Colgate Inn
HAMILTON -- Lee Brown Coye, a Central New York artist known worldwide for his illustrations and pulp magazine covers and regionally for his many murals, will be recognized by one of the several communities he called home during his very productive career.
On July 14 and 15, an unprecedented display of more than 100 of Coye’s work will be staged in several locations in the Village of Hamilton. The community-wide celebration is being organized by the Hamilton Business Alliance, the Colgate Inn, Exhibition Alliance, Colgate University and its Picker Art Gallery and Morrisville State College to celebrate the artist and one of his well-known works.
The community-wide exhibit of Coye’s work is being staged at the same time as the ever-popular Hamilton Music Mix. The day filled with concert, artwork and food will be held on the village green Saturday, July 15.
On Friday, July 14, Frankie and Johnny, a large oil painting done by Coye in 1942 will be unveiled in its new home, the Colgate Inn Tap Room. This near-legendary Coye painting formerly hung as part of a group of five paintings at Bob Casey’s Inn in the Orville Hotel (later known as Walter White’s).
The public is invited to view the unveiling at 3 p.m. Afterwards, Louis Ortiz, author of Arts Unknown: The Life and Art of Lee Brown Coye, will be in the lobby of the Inn, signing his book from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Frankie and Johnny was donated to Colgate’s Picker Art Gallery by the artist’s sister, Helen Gilchrist. Upon learning that Frankie & Johnny was to be rotated off display, Ben Eberhardt, president of Eberhardt LLC, the operator for the Colgate Inn, approached Picker Art Gallery regarding the relocation of the painting. With the assistance of Picker Art Gallery’s Director, Elizabeth Barker, permission was granted to hang the painting at the Colgate Inn, which is owned by Colgate University. Considerable effort to protect the integrity of this work of art was taken by Evergreen Gallery to frame the 40” by 111” painting.
This will be the third Coye to hang at the Inn. There is a large street scene that hangs over the fireplace in the dining room. A smaller Coye, The Park House, is being relocated from the Inn’s second floor to the Taproom wall opposite Frankie and Johnny.
“Lee Brown Coye painted numerous pieces during his lifetime with several pieces highlighting Hamilton,” said Eberhardt. “We are proud to have Coye’s works on display at the Inn as he was an important resident of this community and his paintings serve as a connective piece for many community members. We feel Mr. Coye’s work plays a significant role in making the Inn a place in which the town can be proud.”
Frankie and Johnny was inspired by the American folk song that tells how a woman shoots and kills her cheating lover. It has been suggested that the lyrics were inspired by a murder that took place in St. Louis in 1899, or one that took place in North Carolina in 1831.
Coye’s interpretation on the tale shows a barroom filled with a variety of central characters: a gossiping bartender, a pistol-packing wronged woman and her surprised victim. Coye himself is said to be in the middle of things as the piano player reading sheet music for the song, Frankie and Johnny.
The painting will be on display to the public after that, including Saturday, July 15, when numerous other works of Coye will be on display in several other locations as well.
The Palace Theater on Utica Street will be turned into a gallery for the day, featuring works from Morrisville State University’s Lee Brown Coye Collection, the largest holding of works by Coye in the country. The college came to be the home to much of Coye’s works thanks to a former librarian Gene Magner, who recognized the artist’s brilliance.
The Palace will also contain an exhibit of Robert Coye’s personal collection of his father’s works, as well as the Coye collection of Syracuse collector Chuck Westfall. Many of these works have never before been on public exhibition. The Palace will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 15.
In addition, another massive Coye mural will be on display where it now resides, in the lobby of the Hamilton Post Office on Broad Street. The mural is another Hamilton street scene and may be viewed until 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 15.
“This Coye event not only embodies the most representative exhibit of his works, it demonstrates what can be accomplished when the community gets involved. In this case, The Hamilton Business Alliance, Morrisville State College, Colgate University and the Exhibition Alliance collaborated in a wonderful way,” said Roger Bauman, President of the Hamilton Initiative.
Bauman and Eberhardt thanked all involved in the project and credited the partnership of Colgate University and Morrisville State College as vital to the event’s success. Special thanks were extended to Colgate University President Rebecca Chopp and Director of the Picker Art Gallery, Elizabeth Barker for helping make the event possible. They also thanked Morrisville State College President Dr. Ray Cross and Morrisville’s Director of Libraries Marion Hildebrand for making the works in the college’s library available for this one of a kind exhibit.
Morrisville’s collection includes two large metal sculptures, a large wooden whale, at least four oil paintings and more than 60 drawings, scratchboards and the originals of illustration for magazine covers.
Other individuals recognized for their contributions include Robert Coye and Westfall, curators of the exhibit, Laurie Tomberlin of Evergreen Gallery and Ted and Donna Anderson of Exhibition Alliance.
For more information call the Colgate Inn at 315-824-2300 or visit www.colgateinn.com or www.radiofreehamilton.com.
Media questions, contact:
Meagan Munger
315.685.8981 x 248
mmunger@thesherwoodinn.com
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