Alexander Minewski (American 1917-1979)

Born in 1917, Alex Minewski was an independent spirit who left home at age fourteen with sketchbook in hand exploring the American West.  He studied with Sarkis Sarkisian in Detroit and the the Arts Student League in New York with Jean Charlot, Ernest Fiene, George Grosz and Vaclav Vytlacil.  Minewski claims a strong influence with left on him by Boardman Robinson during a time in Colorado Springs.

After serving in WWII (member of Merrills Marauders), he studied in Paris for two years and then returned to study in New York City with Hans Hoffman.  While in New York he maintained a studio where he painted, framed and provided restoration services.  In 1966, Minewski became a teacher at State University College, New Paltz. 

Many of the most important artists in American history such as Robert Henri, George Bellows, Eric Hudson, Rockwell Kent & Jamie Wyeth just to name a few have all been drawn like magnets to the little rock of an island Monhegan located 10 miles off the coast of Maine.  A place where the the dynamic forces of nature are so vividly experienced and the aesthetic experience resonates with artists like strings on a guitar.  Minewski would spend over 20 years going to the island during the 50s modernist era and add his name to the roll of exceptional artists the island has influenced.  In these works we see an exploration of dynamic forces through colors and form and the use of the fish form to express emotion and character and the dynamic forces that produced them.