Art Spirit Gallery reintroduces the region to the work and story of artist Ernest Lothar
April 26, 2019 - Carrie Scozzaro
Art history has forgotten Ernest Lothar, whose contemporaries — artists like Marc Chagall, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee — fled Nazi Europe for America, converging mostly upon New York City, and forming the canon of so-called exile artists whose works are now celebrated in the annals of art history. But Lothar's escape from Hitler's juggernaut was circuitous, bypassing metropolitan art centers for many years. Though he made a significant body of artwork, illness and other circumstances conspired to dim his rising star in the art world for more than 60 years.
An upcoming exhibition at the Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene reintroduces Lothar, sharing not only his artwork, but also his compelling story.
"The story excited us in equal amounts as the artwork," says gallery owner Blair Williams. "We get approached often by artists and families of artists and we consider ourselves fortunate that way." More often than not, though, the artwork people share with them is not a good fit for the gallery, she says.
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