About
Studio 53 is proud to present “Don Justin Meserve: Sculpture Retrospective 2020,” an exhibition of over 40 works which reveals not only Don’s mastery of stone but also his prolific use of wood, metal, and mixed media. The complete exhibition runs through June and again through September, with select works remaining on display during July and August.
Sculptor Don Justin Meserve (1938-2010) explored narrative and abstract themes over the course of his 40-year professional career. He is best known for “Cleat,” a monumental work in granite commissioned for the waterfront of Winter Harbor and created during the first Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium (SISS) in 2007. “Cleat” is featured on the Maine Sculpture Trail which runs through coastal villages from Bucksport to Calais.
In 2013, Don’s estate donated The Meserve Collection of works in stone to the SISS which, in partnership with the Maine Stone Workers Guild, has raised significant funds for art education. Many works in this retrospective are from the Collection which has been expanded with additional estate donations made this year. A portion of sales from this exhibition, the gallery’s sculpture garden, and pieces on the Boothbay Harbor Region Sculpture Trail will support training classes and internships.
Outside the gallery entrance is “Peary-Henson,” an imposing granite portrait merging the faces of the two Arctic explorers who first reached the North Pole: Admiral Robert Peary, and Matthew Henson, an African American who served as navigator. Don’s interest in polar themes was piqued by U.S. Army tours of duty in Greenland during the Cold War. Later, one of his favorite venues to visit in Maine was the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum on the campus of Bowdoin College, Perry’s alma mater in Brunswick.
Works on display inside the gallery represent Don’s favorite themes: animated tools, maritime lore, and allegorical or biblical references. An early foray into spirited industrial forms is his award-winning “Rose Clippers” crafted in aluminum when he studied design at the University of Bridgeport. Closed, it’s a tool – open, a creature. Don’s facility with visual punning is evident in “Minotaur,” which, depending on one’s vantage point, is either an ancient helmet or the famous bull of legend. At first glance “Blade” seems to be just that, but look again and it becomes a primitive creature with menacing jaw.
Less familiar in Maine is Don’s celebrated “Stations of the Cross,” a set of devotional bas reliefs he cast in pewter in the 1980s while he lived in New York. Winner of the prestigious IFRAA award for excellence in devotional art, “Stations of the Cross” presents his uniquely subjective interpretation of Christ’s passion. The work was displayed at Trinity Church Wall Street, Washington National Cathedral and The Museum of Biblical art before it was acquired by the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Portland, Maine. In this collection, it is represented by a framed poster which is available for purchase as a print.
All of Don’s sculpture reflects a hands-on approach which is informed by his varied work experiences. In the 1960s, he practiced industrial design and studied Danish craft techniques at architectural offices in Copenhagen. At Bernadotte and Bjorn, Don designed architectural details, furniture, glassware, jewelry and other projects. While a professor at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) he was instrumental in establishing a graduate program in furniture design.
Studio 53’s owners Terry Seaman and Heidi Seidelhuber met Don Meserve in the late 1960s at RISD. Studio 53 is honored to celebrate Don’s legacy now, 50 years later.
For more information, please contact:
Terry Seaman, owner of Studio 53 Fine Art Gallery
53 Townsend Ave, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
p: 207.633.2755