Maine Masters • An ongoing film series of Maine’s exceptional artists

The latest episode of the Maine Masters series

is now available on DVD.
See a preview here.

“It was not unusual for (Pace) to have a painting at the Whitney Museum hanging between Hans Hofmann who was his teacher on the one hand and Franz Kline who was a wonderful friend on the other,” says Bruce Brown Curator Emeritus of the Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

Brown and Stephen Pace biographer/art critic Martica Sawin are among the featured commentators in a new film by Richard Kane and Paul Koronkiewicz titled “Stephen Pace: Maine Master”. Between 1953 and 1961 Pace's work was exhibited at the Whitney Museum Annual and Biennials seven times. His work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hirschhorn Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Phillips Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, National Academy Museum, and the Whitney amongst many others.

Born in Missouri, Pace spent his boyhood in New Harmony, Indiana. Pace was considered a second generation abstract expressionist who painted in New York and later in Maine, specializing in the figure (including nudes) and landscapes.

On April 1, 2009 a professional development workshop for teachers, based on a new, free curriculum guide on Pace’s work will be led by curriculum designer Melody Lewis-Kane at the Evansville Museum of Art, History & Science in Evansville, IN. Upcoming screenings include March 31, 2009 also at the Evansville Museum with Stephen and Pam present. Fall 2009 screenings are planned for Boston and Portland, ME.

This latest episode in the Maine Masters series was premiered at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, ME and the Stonington Opera House on August 24, 2008. The Indiana premiere was held at the Kenneth P. McCutchan Art Center Palmina F. and Stephen S. Pace Galleries on September 7, 2008 with Stephen and Pam present. Stephen and Pam Pace returned to Stephen’s boyhood home of Evansville, Indiana in November 2007.

Subsequent screenings were held at the Grand Auditorium, Ellsworth, ME and Waterfall Arts, Belfast, ME. On November 12, 2008 the New York City premiere was held at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab at 56th and Madison in conjunction with a retrospective of Pace’s work at the Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery at 57th and Madison.

Reviews:
    “a heart tug … left us tearful, speechless … beautifully presented”
          –Duncan Smith, former curator, Portland Museum of Art

   “I loved the Stephen Pace film … wonderfully shot and edited to bring forth a wonderful story.”
           –Susan Dowling, Co-Creator, founding Co-Executive Producer, PBS series Art 21:
               Art in the 21st Century

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