The Lupine Gallery and the Island Inn will be showcasing Stan Moeller’s paintings of Monhegan Island and Paris, France in the 2017 Island Inn Show, “Stan Moeller: from Montmartre to Monhegan.” The exhibit will be on view from Friday, May 26 through Sunday, October 8. The public is invited to a reception for the artist at the Island Inn on Wednesday, June 28 from 2-4 pm.
Stan Moeller has been painting and teaching oil painting workshops on Monhegan since the 1990’s. He describes his style as “Modern Impressionism with a little Contemporary Realism and a smidge of the Ashcan school.” The works on display reflect his passion for painting on site and his ability to capture the energy of a moment—whether the power of an ocean wave or the gesture of a figure in a café.
There has been a strong thread of connection between Monhegan and Paris for over 100 years, as American artists who were drawn here to paint the rugged and rustic life of the island were also drawn to the Paris art scene. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the hill of Montmartre was a mecca for painters, and many of Monhegan’s most prominent artists lived and studied in Paris, bringing the latest movements in European art back with them.
Stan travels annually between Maine and Europe to paint two of his favorite muses: Monhegan and Paris. This show brings together, for the first time, his paintings of these two iconic places. The owners of the Island Inn, Jaye Morency and Michael Brassard, split their time between Monhegan and Paris each year, and were inspired to bring their love of their two favorite places together in this exhibition.