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Arts & Entertainment

Eugene Allen (1937-2011): A Memorial Retrospective

Eugene Allen (1937-2011): A Memorial Retrospective                     

 

July 7—August 4, 2012     

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Opening Reception: Saturday, July 7 12-2pm

The Field Library Gallery is honored to present the  career work  of Eugene “Gene” Allen, a native Peekskill artist whose striking portraiture and personal, instinctual gift for capturing subjects at their most defiant and bold, attentive and vulnerable will be presented in a special show from July 7th  to  August 4th, 2012.  An opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 7th from 12-2 p.m.

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Allen’s oil and acrylic works offer a literal, unblinking series of portraits which strike the viewer and hold them spellbound and fascinated.  Every picture leads on a journey to learn more about each subject.  What secrets did they hold?  Allen’s style, his energy, and his personal flair lay claim to subjects that may be outside yet draw the observer in.

Washington E. Allen (Eugene Allen) was born in Peekskill, New York in 1937.  After graduation from Peekskill High School in 1957,  he was awarded a two-year scholarship to the Art Career School in New York City.  Upon completion, Gene continued his studies at the prestigious Art Students League under the noted painter William Earle, and later earned a B.A. in graphic and commercial art at New York University.

From 1961 to 1963, Gene served in the United States Army as an illustrator.  After completing his active service, he was employed as an illustrator at the United States Military Academy at West Point for five years, and then moved to Tucson, Arizona where he taught art and photography at Pima Junior College.

It was here, and later Mexico, that Gene began an anthropological research study of the Seri Indians in Sonora, several portraits of which can be seen in this retrospective.  In 1978, he created a mural entitled, “Roots of Black History,” depicting the chronology of notable Black Americans.  The 8x12 foot mural contains over 400 subjects who have made significant contributions throughout American history.  This mural can be viewed at the Northwest Neighborhood Center in Tucson, AZ.  He later moved back to Westchester and began a series of intimate portraits of family and the dignified and proud men and women of the neighborhoods he inhabited.

Mr. Allen’s paintings can be found in galleries and private collections in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  He passed away in 2011 in Peekskill.

Eugene Allen’s daughter, Daphne Redd, will be on hand at the opening to discuss her father’s life and work.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Eugene Allen’s paintings will be donated to diabetes research.

The Field Library Gallery is located on the upper, mezzanine level of the adult reading rooms, and viewing hours are the same as the Field Library open hours.  The Field Library is located at 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, New York, and is wheelchair-accessible.  For further information please call Sibyl Canaan, Library Director at (914) 737-7110, or email scanaan@wlsmail.org or visit the library's website (www.peekskill.org).

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