Masterworks to remember one of island’s best-known artists
One of Bermuda’s best-known artists is to be remembered with an exhibition that will feature personal narratives about the painter and his impactful artwork.
The Masterworks Museum has recently revealed plans to hold a retrospective of Alfred Birdsey later this year.
The exhibition, entitled “Stories and Sentiment”, will primarily feature oil paintings while also showcasing drawings, block prints and watercolours by the prolific artist, Masterworks said.
Born in England 1912, Alfred Birdsey moved to Bermuda in 1919 where he became a self-taught artist. He is one of Bermuda’s first modernist painters and helped to redefine Bermuda’s international reputation with his abstract oils and watercolours.
Masterworks is now calling on local collectors to share their Birdsey art to be featured in the exhibition alongside any accompanying stories about the artist and his works.
Executive Director Risa Hunter explained: “This Birdsey exhibition is particularly compelling, not only as a spotlight on a well-known Bermuda artist, but in its ability to highlight his widespread appeal by uncovering personal narratives of those who have lived with and loved his works.
“Sharing these stories as part of this exhibition places not just Birdsey, but Bermuda art, as a focal point for better understanding the fabric of our diverse community.”
According to Masterworks, it will be working alongside guest curator Carole Reed – who has more than 20 years of experience working with Vernacular and Self-Taught Art – for the project.
Regarding the upcoming exhibition, she said: “I am excited to be joining the Masterworks team in bringing this compelling retrospective to life.
“Living on the island now for almost two years, I feel a deep and abiding connection to my new home here in Bermuda and being able to work on this project that truly celebrates the island community, only solidifies this connection.”
People who wish to share their Birdsey artwork can head to www.masterworksbermuda.org/birdsey or e-mail birdseybda@gmail.com to submit their information.
The Alfred Birdsey exhibition will open in September 2022 and run until April 2023.
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