Michener Art Museum Opens New Exhibit

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (July 2021) – Michener Art Museum is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit highlighting the work of Bucks County artist Robert Beck. The show opens July 30 in the museum’s Beans Gallery.

A long-time artist in the New Hope-Lambertville arts community, Beck depicts the people, places and occupations of our time in documentary-style paintings, several created on site in one sitting. Many of his works depict recognizable scenes of Bucks County as well as New York and the upper coast of Maine.

“Beck’s approach to his subjects is personal, but his subjective vision is relatable and familiar to many of us,” said Laura Turner Igoe, Ph.D., Chief Curator of the Michener Art Museum. “Beck’s paintings convey a strong sense of community and belonging that we are sure will resonate with many visitors.”

Over the course of his career, Beck has helped to advance and expand the region’s traditions of Impressionism and Urban Realism. The exhibit features Beck’s oil paintings documenting a world that contemporary audiences recognize as their own, from storefronts and street corners to restaurants, carnivals, parades, and more.

“For the first time, we have gathered paintings from all parts of Beck’s career, bringing them together in this comprehensive exhibit,” said Guest Curator David Leopold, who organized the exhibition.

Beck attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and maintains studios in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and New York City. His work has been featured in exhibitions and galleries in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maine. He lives with his wife Doreen in New Hope and New York.

Other exhibits currently on display at the Michener Art Museum include:

• Through the Lens: Modern Photography in the Delaware Valley explores nearly 70 years of artistic experimentations with photographic processes and subject matter. It runs through Aug. 15, 2021.
• Collection Spotlight: Etchings by Daniel Garber demonstrates the Bucks County artist’s skilled draughtsmanship and keen attention to texture and expressive line. It runs through Dec. 26, 2021.

The Michener Art Museum is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From June 3 to August 26, the museum is hosting “Summer Nights Pay-What-You-Wish” on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. General admission tickets may be reserved on the museum’s website.

Image Credit: Robert Beck (b. 1950), Dog Day, 2012. Oil on panel, 24 x 30 inches. Collection of Richard Marfuggi and Andrew Ruffo.

This exhibition is generously supported by Amy Stewart Powell, Elise and John Rupley, and Barbara and David Stoller. Additional support is provided by Lucinda Avery Ayers, Rago Auctions, Jean Wilson and John Roberts, Joe and Judy Franlin, and Jacqui and David Griffith.

Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits American artistic expression in a variety of forms. Named for the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author and noted Bucks County resident James A. Michener, the independent, not-for-profit cultural institution promotes the work of nationally known regional artists past and present. Through permanent collections, rotating exhibits and enriching educational programs for all ages, our mission is to inspire and nurture a lifelong connection to the arts in everyone.