Lawrence Young graces the Firehouse Art Gallery May 23 – June 17!
Prior to Laurence Young’s 28-year career as a painter He grew up in Newton Massachusetts. Young graduated with honors from the University of Hartford with a BFA in art education in 74’ After 3 year as an art teacher in Bloomfield, CT, Young went on to receive his Masters from Rhode Island School of Design in 78’.
Upon graduating, New York City seemed like the obvious choice for an artistic person just starting out. With a backpack and $500, Young moved to NYC. He soon landed a job as a sample-maker printing fabrics and piece goods. Several years later was running his own design studio, “Young Ideas”.
After 10 years and achieving surprising success, Laurence decided to take that leap of faith to sell the company and go off to live as an artist. “For me the only place to do so was in Provincetown. To be a part of the oldest art colony, to paint and learn side by side with some of the best contemporary artists, was a dream come true.” Wolf Kohn, Lois Griffel, and Cynthia Packard, all had a profound effect on his work.
At present, Young is represented by seven galleries around the country, including the Alden Gallery in Provincetown where he resides.
Some of his most recent credits and exhibits include having his work featured on, “This Old House.” He is presently in two juried exhibitions: one at the Cape Cod Museum and in the Texas National. Young’s paintings are part of permanent collections and private institutions such as The Provincetown Art Association and Museum, the NJ State Museum, Franklin Bank and Trust and Summit Trust, to name a few.
Artist Statement:
“The title, ‘Past and Present,’ refers to the source materials used in creating this body of contemporary paintings that have an historical twist.
I used old postcards, Polaroid pictures, and images from public records and books from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s of Provincetown.
For years I have been coming to Provincetown, which I am now happy to call home.
As a full time painter I am also proud to be a part of the legacy of the oldest Art Colony in the United States. So it seemed natural that I would want to explore the past of this old Portuguese fishing village. However, over the years the forces of nature, accidental fires, and gentrification has changed the look and feel of the town, leaving behind much of its historical past.
The original piers, first playhouse, and the way of life of this once fishing and whaling village is all but eradicated.
So in my own way I wanted to touch upon that past and honor that which came before us. Not so much as an historical documentation but simply to remind us what Provincetown and other New England coastal towns were like.” (Laurence Young)