Artist Exhibit: Claus Hoie “Waves & Watercolors”

 Claus Hoie (1911-2007) “Waves & Watercolors”

Huntington Public Library / Main Art Gallery

338 Main Street, Huntington, NY  11743; 631-427-5165

October 3-November 16, 2014; Artist Reception & Program: Monday, October 6; 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Mon-Fri  9 am – 9 pm; Sat 10 am – 6 pm Sunday 1-6pm

Claus Hoie was born in Stavanger, Norway, in 1911.  At the age of 12, he immigrated to America with his family.  Raised in a sea-faring family, Hoie painted many scenes that demonstrated his love of the ocean.

As a young man he served as a Merchant Marine, an experience that helped to shape one of the enduring themes of his work: the picturesque adventure of seafaring. He also served in the Norwegian-American ski battalion trying to free Norway from the Nazis.  He later attended Pratt Institute and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in France.

Hoie’s watercolors draw extensively from his interactions with the sea.  Influenced by his travels, he painted elaborate depictions of whales, whaling, and scenes from Moby Dick, including busy life above and below the water.  In 1994, inspired by his interest in whaling, Hoie wrote and illustrated the book Log of the Whaler Helena, based on the experiences of sailors and the whales they hunted. From the striking depiction of a whale tail rising above a whaleboat to the meticulous calligraphic recreations of 19^th century captains’ logs, Hoie’s subjects provide emotional weight to the whaling experience.

His award-winning artwork has appeared in major art museums around the world. He lived with his wife, Helen Hoie, also an artist, in East Hampton until his death in 2007.  Viewers of this very special exhibition will commend the judgment of those who have awarded Hoie their high honors – The American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Academy of Design, and the American Watercolor Society.

Artist Inquiries: Nomi Dayan, Executive Director-Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

e-mail:  ndayan@cshwhalingmuseum.org