Paintings, inspired by beautiful Bermuda, have set the American art world abuzz after key pieces of a Masterworks collection debuted yesterday in New York City.

The `Big Apple' exhibition follows directly on the heels of the collection's successful showing at the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia.

"The show has received tremendous ovations while in Philadelphia,'' said Masterworks director Tom Butterfield. "The reviewers in Philadelphia were gushing over this. It was there for a total of five weeks.'' The special travelling show consists of more than 100 key pieces from the Masterworks Foundation Collection which totals more than seven hundred pieces of art.

The New York leg of the American tour opened last night at the highly respected Richard York Gallery.

"Richard York has a fine reputation so we're very lucky to exhibit the exhibition in such a location, it's right in the heart of Manhattan,'' noted Mr. Butterfield. "It is a very prestigious occasion for us.

"Its going to give Bermuda continued exposure and Masterworks is being reevaluated because of the collection.'' Susan Menconi, executive vice president of the Richard York Gallery, told The Royal Gazette that momentum leading up to yesterday's opening had been tremendous.

"We sent around 1,000 invitations out and we're just overwhelmed by the response,'' she said. "The collection is something that hasn't been seen in New York.

"This is good for Masterworks and Bermuda in general. It will remind people of how wonderful Bermuda is and make them think about the treasures of Bermuda.'' And with the collection's impressive American debut, Mr. Butterfield said he hoped that other exhibitions in the US will follow.

"We have to take a great big breath and look at what we can do to enhance the collection,'' he said. "At the moment we don't have a home so now that the collection is overseas there's no point in bring it home just yet. Hopefully we can get it to show in other places like Boston.'' In the meantime, Mr. Butterfield encouraged any Bermudian who will be in the New York area over the next few weeks to visit the Gallery and support the exhibition.

"I hope many Bermudians will visit the Richard York Gallery at 21 East 65th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenue, while they are in New York,'' he added. "All Bermudians can now feel a sense of pride over the fact that our Island is being showcased overseas.'' The Masterworks Foundation was founded in 1987 in a bid to preserve an important part of the Island's heritage for future generations. The Foundation has amassed an enormous collection of artwork ranging from cubist to post-impressionist, realist to modernist.

But all the art in the collection shares one common theme -- they were all inspired by the beauty of Bermuda.

American Beauty: This painting entitled Blue Aloe, by American artist E.

Ambrose Webster, was inspired by the beauty of Bermuda and is just one of the artworks from the Masterworks Foundation Collection that went on display in New York last night. Yesterday's Big Apple debut followed on the heels of the collection's recent triumphant showing in Philadelphia.