University of New England

'Americans Who Tell the Truth: Portraits by Robert Shetterly'

Nov. 29, 2006 to Feb. 4, 2007

Margaret Chase Smith

Bill Moyers

Exhibition Reception
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 
5:00 7:00 p.m.

An Artist's Talk
An Artist's talk on Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007
noon

Gallery Conversation
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007
5:00-6:30 p.m.
Robert Shetterly, Bruce Gagnon and Natasha Mayers


Educational Programs
A series, dates TBD

The Exhibition
Americans Who Tell the Truth is an exhibition created by Maine artist, Robert Shetterly, of 50 oil portraits of people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Noam Chomsky, Margaret Chase Smith, Mark Twain, Chief Joseph and Samantha Smith with accompanying biographical material.

Shetterly has written of his subjects that they "allowed me to draw strength from this community of truth tellers, finding in them the courage, honesty, tolerance, generosity, wisdom and compassion that have made our country strong." These historical and present-day Americans have dared to speak out about important subjects such as democracy, war and peace, the environment, the rights of women, racial injustice, media and out countrys role in the world. This exhibition offers us an opportunity, using an artistic lens, to study history, debate timely issues and the importance of patriots in our midst.

Robert Shetterly
Robert Shetterly was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from Harvard College in 1969 with a degree in English Literature. It was at Harvard that he learned to draw, changing the direction of his creative life. During this time he also became active in the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements.

In 1970 Shetterly moved to Maine where he taught himself drawing, printmaking and painting and illustrated widely. For 12 years he did the editorial page drawings for the Maine Times newspaper, illustrated National Audubon's children's newspaper Audubon Adventures and approximately 30 books.

His paintings and prints are in collections all over the U.S. and Europe. He is well know for his series of 70 painted etchings based on William Blake's Proverbs of Hell, and for another series of 50 painted etchings reflecting on the metaphor of the Annunciation. His painting tends toward the narrative and the surreal, and he has not been, until this time, a portrait painter. 

To view all of Robert Shetterly's portraits, please visit www.americanswhotellthetruth.org