The Alfond Inn Happy Hour Tour is an enriching experience that reflects different cultures, enabling guests to understand the various backgrounds of featured artists. Looking behind the canvas, the artist conveys a deeper meaning than what meets the eye with their contemporary focus. Currently, a part of The Alfond Inn’s permanent collection features pieces from Kara Walker, Terry Winters, David Hockney, and Alex Katz. David Hockney is one of Britain’s most important painters of the 20th century, and he embodies the quality of art curated in the galleries.
Kara Walker, a featured artist, studied at the Atlanta College of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design. Walker continued her art career with the Eileen Harris Norton Fellowship. From the very beginning, Walker focused on her raw view of life, sharing her perspective with her viewers, without fear of being controversial.
Terry Winters, also featured on gallery walls, studied at Pratt Institute where he obtained his undergraduate degree in fine art. Winters focuses on making, “Process-driven art” as stated by the Colby College Museum of Art with a deeper meaning behind each piece. In the beginning of Winters’ art career, he had more botanical imagery with his pieces Pollen and Patterns in a Chromatic Field. However, nowadays he goes for a more abstract style portrayed with his piece The Structure of Things. Winters’ most publicized piece of art is his 1984 work, Good Government which is regarded as a milestone in his career for making bolder choices. The upcoming art piece that is expected from Terry Winters is his Point Cloud Picture Series which will be a 3D art series, soon to be on exhibit. Following Terry Winters’ eye-catching pieces in the collection is David Hockney’s groundbreaking work.
Hockney studied at the London College of Art which is the largest specialist college for art and design in Europe. There Hockney won the College Gold medal in 1962. However, ironically, he flunked out twice before fully graduating. Initially, Hockney had a, “Faux-naif” approach which means false amateurism creations. Frestonian Gallery recognized that Hockney’s work was suggestive of Jean Dubuffet and Picasso’s creations. Hockney’s most famous piece is A Bigger Splash from 1967 which is a large painting of someone jumping into a swimming pool with a suburban house in the background. Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris is looking forward to Hockney’s collection David Hockney 25, according to The New York Times.
Last but not least is the featured work of Alex Katz. Alex Katz studied at The Cooper Union Art School in Manhattan. He studied under Morris Kantar, who was a, “Prolific artist” as noted by The Smithsonian American Art Museum. He taught at the Independent School of Art for 30 years. He studied modern art with his mentor. Following that research, he was awarded a scholarship for a summer study at the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture in Maine. Katz’s most famous piece is known as the Blue Umbrella depicting his wife Ada, who is frequently in his pictures. Alex Katz’s Four Seasons depicts trees in the different seasons. Gladstone Gallery has a bunch of abstract pieces, Theater and Dance portrays dancers caught in the beauty of their bodies’ capabilities. Overall, The Alfond Inn showcases the diversity of its artists from various backgrounds, but brings them together under a unified mission.
