An American Original: Margaret Lefranc, 50 Years of Watercolors

A half century of works by Margaret Lefranc, considered to be among the most important watercolorists of the 20th century, are presented in An American Original: Margaret Lefranc, 50 Years of Watercolors, opening at Peninsula Fine Arts Center on Nov. 7, 2009.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1907, Margaret Lefranc produced a diverse body of work â€" landscapes and portraits â€" in a variety of styles that reflect cubist and other avant-garde influences that were so prevalent in early 20th century American art. Her media was wide ranging, including oil, watercolor, gouache, pastel, etching and monotype, among others.

Her artistic journey allowed her to participate in an artistic vanguard that transformed American art in the 1920s and 1930s. She lived in Berlin with her parents from 1920-1922 and lived in Paris from 1923-1933 where she studies at the Ecole du Louve and the Sorbonne. The rest of the 1930s was spent in New York City, where she founded the Guild Art Gallery (1935-1937). She died in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1998.

According to Pfac Program Director & Curator Michael Preble, “Several qualities about Lefranc’s work are noteworthy, and lend to her sense of ‘originality.’ While new and revolutionary modernist tendencies captured the art headlines of the day, Lefranc took many of their principles and spirit, especially the cubists, colorists and expressionists, and incorporated them into her vision of a more familiar tradition of portraiture and landscape painting. This fusion of styles and traditions gives her work a unique sensibility.”

Of her legacy, Preble adds, “Her watercolors, are particularly energetic. They contain the best of what watercolor can offer â€" a strong painterly quality, an understanding of drawing, a bravura sense of color â€" all maintaining a sense of place and commitment to the subject. A few monoprints have been included in the exhibition to demonstrate her prowess with this most immediate of print processes.”

Continuing through Jan. 3, 2010, An American Original accompanies 2009 American Watercolor Society International Exhibition as part of Pfac’s Artful Holidays.

Artful Holidays is presented by The Coliseum Business District, and sponsored by Dr. Glenn H. Shepard, the City of Newport News, Newport News Arts Commission, Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Margaret Lefranc Gallery Talk and Tour
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 5:30-6:30 pm, free
Join Curator Michael Preble for an informative and entertaining look at An American Original: Margaret Lefranc, 50 years of watercolor.

The Peninsula Fine Arts Center is located at 101 Museum Drive in Mariners' Museum Park, Newport News, Va. Hours: Tuesday 10 am-8 pm (free Tuesday evenings, 5:30-8 pm); Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10 am-5 pm; (third Thursday every month: Arts Café, 5:30-8 pm, Pfac members free, non-members $7.50); and 1 to 5 pm Sunday. Admission (tickets valid 7 days): $7.50/Adult; $6/Seniors, Students, Active-duty Military & AAA; $4/Children (6-12); Free/Children 5 and under. Call (757) 596-8175 for information or visit www.pfac-va.org.

More contact info: Phone: 757-596-8175 URL: www.pfac-va.org