(Buffalo, NY)--The Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park has opened a new War of 1812-themed art exhibit featuring 12 paintings by local members of the prestigious American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA). The exhibit will run through October as part of the Park’s War of 1812 bicentennial celebration.
Also unveiled was a new limited-edition, commemorative plate featuring the painting entitled Lake Ontario Squadron Off Niagara, c. 1813 by local ASMA artist and historian Robert Averill. The plate will be available for sale through the Park Gift Shop.
Averill died July 18 at age 56 after a brief illness. His painting shows several vessels of the squadron nearing the anchorage at Fort Niagara. The large vessel in the center is the flagship USS General Pike, the vessel to the left is the brig USS Oneida and the schooner to the right is the USS Hamilton.
"Bob was a friend and collaborator whose work not only reflects his passion for art, but for history,” said ASMA Secretary and Regional Exhibitions Chair Mike Killelea, who has several paintings in the exhibit. “We miss him tremendously, but we have his meticulously researched and detailed paintings to display and marvel.”
Founded in 1978, ASMA and its 500 members promote and encourage cooperation among artists, historians, marine enthusiasts and others engaged in activities related to marine art and maritime history. Killelea said all the watercolor and oil paintings in the exhibit depict local War of 1812 battles, locations and people. They were created as part of ASMA’s War of 1812 Project with the U.S. Navy to develop a website showcasing artwork on the war.
“The Park will welcome the Navy to Western New York for a week in September for the bicentennial, so we are proud to be the first place to display these new paintings celebrating local maritime history,” said Park Executive Director Patrick Cunningham. “We have dedicated the exhibit in Bob’s memory and look forward to making the commemorative plate available as a special remembrance.”
In addition to Averill and Killelea, local ASMA artists Ray Massey, John Montague and Roland Stevens are participating in the exhibit. More information about the American Society of Marine Artists and its War of 1812 Project can be found at americansocietyofmarineartists.com. More information about the Naval & Military Park’s bicentennial celebration can be found at buffalonavalpark.org.
