The American figurative painter Alex Katz has maintained a deep connection to Maine since he first ventured out of New York City in 1949 when he received a scholarship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Katz eventually became a lifelong summer resident of Lincolnville, a seaside town where fellow artist Lois Dodd and his former wife, abstract painter Jean Cohen, purchased a yellow farmhouse where he continues to practice and develop his artistry today.
While Katz frequently shows his fondness for Maine in his work — his Lincolnville residence and the state’s landscapes regularly appear in his art— he also displays his appreciation for the state through his contributions to local arts institutions. Since establishing his namesake foundation in 2004 with the mission of “support[ing] the work of emerging and underrecognized artists,” Katz has donated over 150 artworks across disciplines to the Portland Museum of Art (PMA), from paintings and drawings to sculptures and prints by artists the foundation has supported and acquired over decades.
