FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2005
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THE FLEMING MUSEUM PRESENTS

NATIVE VERMONT FRANK HEWITT ARTIST USED VERMONT DIRT TO CREATE PAINTINGS

Burlington, VT -- Native Vermonter Frank Hewitt obtained his university education out of state and received recognition as an artist and educator before returning to Vermont in 1970 to become associate professor of art at UVM. The Four Corner Series signals his return and the imaginative exploration of Vermont he began at that time.

The exhibition of this series, shown complete for the first time since 1971, is intended to bring a renewed appreciation of its significance within the contexts of the artist's work and the history of 20th-century American art. Thanks to the generosity of Karen Hewitt (of Burlington), we are able to present these little-known paintings created by her late husband.

This series consists of four large canvases, each defining a specific land area: the Hewitts' hilltop retreat; Corinth town and Orange County, in which the property is located; and the state of Vermont. In the separate quadrants of each work, Hewitt applied paint that he made from samples of dirt taken from the four corners of the defined area. The effect is subtle and engaging. Art historian William Lipke has called these abstract works "Presentational" landscapes because they exhibit the actual material of the land, instead of its likeness.

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Image Info:
Frank R. Hewitt (1936-1992), Vermont State, 1971
Dirt on canvas
Gift of Karen Hewitt, 2001.15

EXHIBITION LISTING:
The Four Corners Series of Francis R. Hewitt (May 17 - September 18, 2005)

OPENING RECEPTION:
For New Turf; The Four Corners Series of Francis R. Hewitt; and Familiar Terrain: Landscapes from the Permanent Collection.

DATE:
Thursday, July 14

TIME:
6-8:30 PM

PLACE:
Fleming Museum

DETAILS:
Hosted by director Janie Cohen and the Fleming Museum Board of Advisors; opening remarks Museum Director Janie Cohen 6:45 pm; tour with New Turf's curator Evelyn C. Hankins 7 PM; cash bar; refreshments.

MUSIC:
Frost (local musicians David Kammerer, Ryan Power, and Sam Coffey)

ADMISSION:
$5 adults. $10 family, $3 students and seniors. Free to: Museum members; faculty, staff and students of UVM, Burlington College, Champlain College, Community College of Vermont, and St. Michael's College; Children 6 and under.