Twardowicz at Huntington Arts Council:
Memorial for Mid-Century Modernist Art Master
HUNTINGTON, NY, 18 July 2008 –The Huntington Arts Council takes special honor in announcing an invitation to a public memorial service for Stanley Twardowicz, one of Long Island's most accomplished artists, on Sunday, July 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. at 213 Main Street. The Main Street Petite Gallery will have on display (for one day only) paintings by Twardowicz that achieved national acclaim, works on canvas once selected to hang on the walls of America's leading institutions: Guggenheim, Art Institute of Chicago, Detroit Institute of Art, Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum.
In a career that spanned seven decades, Twardowicz made significant contributions as an Abstract Expressionist borne from New York City's Cedar Tavern group, and later by leaving a signature mark within the Color Field genre of art. Perhaps his most famous works from the latter period are the "disappearing ovals": the paintings appear to move and/or partly disappear due to Twardowicz's masterful juxtaposition of colors on the canvas. Twardowicz was a critically acclaimed photographer in addition to his skill as a painter. He was an important figure in the history of the Beat movement, forming a close friendship with author Jack Kerouac when they both lived in Northport in the 1960s.
Twardowicz taught at Hofstra University for 23 years before retiring in 1987. His wife for close to 40 years, Lillian Dodson, is an acclaimed sculptor, painter and potter, as well as a member of the Fine Arts Department at Hofstra. The work of both artists was celebrated in an exhibit called "Inspiration" at the Main Street Petite Gallery this past winter.
Founded in 1963, the Huntington Arts Council is a not-for-profit organization which enriches the quality of life of Long Islanders with programs and services that address the needs and interests of artists, cultural organizations and the community. The Council's programs reach over 750,000 Long Island residents. The Council is the official arts coordinating agency for the Town of Huntington, and serves as the primary regranting agency in Suffolk County for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), in addition to its services to over 600 member cultural organizations and individual artist members.
