The Beauty of the Blizzard of 1996

Deborah Künstler, Mort's wife, was a freelance writer and was frequently published in Newsday. Back in the winter of 1996, Long Island was hit with a blizzard.  Here is the article published in Newsday on February 1, 1996 documenting how Mort channeled his creativity and huge amount of energy – by building an igloo to beat all igloos!

The Beauty of the Blizzard

By Deborah A. Künstler

Who can forget the winter of ’93-’94? The miracle of nature was no longer a miracle; it was a nightmare.

By the time the eighth or ninth storm hit, our 9-year-old grandson, Tommy, was tired of playing video games, and sledding had lost its allure.  I’m not the outdoor type, but, fortunately, my artist-husband, Mort, is.  So he laid down his paint brushes, took Tommy outside and decided to build an igloo.

After calling upon our architect son-in-law, Cliff, for structural advice, the two of them and Tommy started their project. Once completed, the ’94 igloo was fun for a starter house but rather small. It was just big enough for Mort, Tommy and one friend at a time to cook cocktail franks over a can of sterno.

In ’95, we had only one major storm, but that didn’t deter Mort and Tommy, who built an even larger igloo. More experienced by then, we celebrated the winter with brunch for five, complete with bagels, lox and coffee.

When the blizzard of ’96 struck, it was bad news for lots of people but not for my husband. “This is fabulous,” Mort said to Cliff on the phone. “We’ll make the greatest igloo ever seen south of Alaska.”

The streets were vehicle-free for good reason; even those with four-wheel-drive cars knew enough to stay home. But Mort, unstoppable in our ’79 Bronco, drove it, plow and all, to Cliff’s studio, dragged him away from his drawing board, and chauffeured him back to our house.

Then he went to work with the plow, piling a huge mound of snow near the kitchen door. Dressed in ski clothes, the two men started shoveling. Our son, David, was home along with everyone else on the East Coast, so he and Tommy joined in the dig.

Scooping out an igloo is hard work. While one person is inside digging, someone else has to shovel the loose snow away from the entrance. (A word of warning: this can be dangerous work and it is necessary to have an adult around at all times. Do not try to build an igloo of this magnitude without having architectural advice on how thick the walls need to be to prevent a cave-in.)

By the time they were finished (about 16 hours of digging, in Mort’s estimation) this year’s effort had become a veritable snow mansion – the walls and roof were about 18 inches thick. Inside, the ceiling rose to more than 6 feet and it was 11 feet in diameter. A plastic plumbing pipe jammed through the roof serves as a chimney.

Such a structure could not be left unadorned, so the next day, Mort and I went to work on decorating the interior. In the kitchen area, we scooped out holes in the wall for wine bottles and soft drinks, and built a shelf for dishes, napkins and glassware. Silverware was stuck horizontally into the icy walls and hooks held our cooking utensils. We brought in a round patio table and surrounded it with four folding chairs. We placed an old fondue pot, from early in our marriage, on the table for cooking. Built-in wooden ledges around the perimeter of the igloo were covered with carpeting samples to serve as additional seating.

We scooped out four niches in the walls for candles and installed a shelf for a basket of dried flowers. On the wall, we hung a framed print of a ship from Theodore Roosevelt’s Great White fleet, in tribute to our community. While not exactly warm inside, we were able to sit with coats on but without hats, gloves or scarves.

Ready to entertain in grand style, we started scheduling dinner parties. We had dinner for seven with friends and their two young sons. We had lunch with our daughter Jane, Cliff, David and Tommy and his friends. Then people started calling us. The word was out. Everyone wanted to see the igloo. A teacher friend suggested scheduling it for a field trip. Schools and offices were open again, so we limited parties to weekends. Our menu became routine: shrimp, chicken noodle soup served in mugs, cocktail franks, smores and hot chocolate. For grown-ups, there was wine and beer; for the younger set, apple cider and soda.  Needless to say, there was no shortage of ice.

Of course, the downside of igloo building is similar to that of building castles in the sand. They tend to be short-lived. Our igloo didn’t make it through the Jan. 19 rainstorm.  And Mort swears it will be his last. “I’m going to do my best to prevent myself from doing it again,” he said last week.

But the men in my family have igloo-building down to a science now, so by the time the next big snow rolls around, he may be singing a different tune. I wonder if we could put a hot tub in one. ~ 

WSU Brings Civil War Art Work of Mort Künstler to Ogden Utah

Press Release: September 28, 2015

OGDEN, Utah — Civil War stories, photographs, prints and paintings have captivated and inspired generations of Americans. Some of the most historically accurate paintings will be displayed in the Ogden Eccles Conference Center (2415 Washington Blvd.) from Oct. 15-17.

Several original works of famous Civil War artist Mort Künstler will be exhibited as part of the annual Lampros Lecture Series hosted by Weber State University’s Department of History. The exhibit, “Civil War Stories,” will be free and open to the public from noon-7 p.m. each day.

The artist will lecture on select pieces of art Oct. 16 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center.

“Ogden is in for a real treat,” said Jack Lampros, chairman of the Stewart Education Foundation. “Mort Künstler is one of the premier Civil War artists. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most of us to see an artist of his stature come to Ogden and display his art.”

Lampros has always had an affinity for the Civil War, having grown up in Florida. The lecture series that bears his name has brought Civil War scholars to Ogden each year.

“My interest in the Civil War goes back a long way,” he said. “In my hometown there was a big statue of a confederate soldier in the courthouse square, and I used to see that every day as a boy growing up.”

The exhibit was made possible by a donation from the Stewart Education Foundation. The effort to bring Künstler became a possibility after WSU development director Nathan Clark and history professor Richard Sadler met an acquaintance of Künstler at a Civil War reenactment in Virginia. With the support of Frank Harrold, dean of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, they contacted the artist about bringing a show to Ogden.

  “He has shown his artwork in many museums in the east but was intrigued that a university out west wanted a showing,” Clark said.

Künstler’s fascination with the Civil War began in 1982 when he was commissioned by CBS to create a piece of artwork for the miniseries “The Blue and the Gray.” Six years later his painting “The High Water Mark” was unveiled at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the battle. That painting was sold to a private collector many years ago, but was recently repurchased by a Künstler representative and will be part of the Ogden exhibition.

“Every picture that Mort Künstler paints is a chapter out of the Civil War,” Lampros said. “It is like a whole story told in picture form.”
In addition to pieces on the Civil War, Künstler will also bring four pieces showcasing the American West, including his depiction of a famous Utah event.

In addition to pieces on the Civil War, Künstler will also bring four pieces showcasing the American West, including his depiction of a famous Utah event.

“One in particular that we wanted him to bring was his Golden Spike piece,” Clark said. “At one time, Mr. Künstler had been out here and seen the historical site, and it inspired him to recreate the scene in a painting.”
Künstler studied art in New York and California, where he received assignments from book and magazine publishers. He came to prominence in the early 1970s, generating the interest of art collectors, including former President Ronald Reagan. He has painted many important events in American history, from pre-colonial America to the launch of the space shuttle.

The annual Lampros Lecture is sponsored by Jack and Betty Lampros, the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences and the Department of History.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

  To Read Original Press release, Click Here

The Heckscher Museum of Art Presents Mort Künstler - Official Press Release

Künstler Painting Featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine

Fine Art Connoisseur magazine recently published an issue featuring collectors and their favorite pieces. Mort was honored when an art collector with a collection of approximately 125 pieces chose Mort’s painting So Close to the Enemy as his favorite.

End of the Civil War - Künstler Announces Retirement

END OF THE CIVIL WAR

When Mort announced his retirement from the Civil War genre, he planned on his final print release to coincide with the conclusion of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. This painting, as many have already guessed, depicts Robert E. Lee after the surrender at Appomattox.

However, there was one more Civil War painting that Mort was compelled to paint. Over twenty years ago, someone wrote Mort a letter about a most unusual event that took place in LaGrange, Georgia. About a week after Lee’s surrender, the Nancy Hart Rifles (an all women militia) confronted Union Col. Oscar H. LaGrange when he and his troops entered their town. LaGrange vs. LaGrange will be released as a limited edition print in LaGrange, Georgia on April 17, 2015, the sesquicentennial of the event. The article below will give you an insight into Mort's retirement and the last two releases.

MORT IS RETIRING

A lot of people thought when Mort announced his final Civil War print series in 2012, that he was retiring. Since then he painted a large body of work on the American Revolution, which resulted in a beautiful volume of his works, The New Nation published by Sterling Publishing, and released last October. However, he recently decided that he really is retiring from painting major works. LaGrange vs. LaGrange will be his last major painting. After 65 years of doing what he loves, it started to feel like work. That’s when it stops being fun. Below is an article based on an interview he gave discussing this change.

Künstler Ends Painting Career With 1865 Georgia Scene
By Bill Bleyer
(February/March 2015 Civil War News)

OYSTER BAY, N.Y. — Mort Künstler has retired after a six-decade career that made him one of America’s foremost painters of historical scenes.

Künstler says his recently completed scene from the end of the Civil War, the subject of most of his paintings in recent years, will be his last because it had become too hard and too time-consuming to continue generating complex historical scenes.

“The reason I want to stop is because it’s starting to feel like work,” Künstler says. “I am 87 years old and have been painting for the last 60 to 65 years professionally. I used to take a paintbrush, dip it in the paint and it was almost like handwriting. Today it’s taking much longer, which takes a lot of the joy out of it.”

He says it used to take him an hour to paint someone’s face in the middle of a crowd scene and now it can take all day.

“I always thought I’d like to die at the easel, but I don’t want to do bad work,” Künstler says. “And although I’m really doing a good painting – I think this new one is one of the best I’ve ever done – I would like to quit at a high note.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Article courtesy of Historical Publications Inc. 

Exhibit shows human moments of Civil War

Exhibit shows human moments of Civil War

The T&D • March 14, 2013 12:00 pm  •  Special to The T&D

COLUMBIA — Mort Künstler’s Civil War art is known around the world and is prized by collectors. The South Carolina State Museum’s exhibit of his paintings, “For Us the Living: The Civil War Art of Mort Künstler,” has drawn praise and interest among art enthusiasts and historians alike.

But for all the expectations of battle and heroism the subject of the war conjures, Künstler just as often goes for the smaller moments, the tender asides, the very human stories that counterbalance the often dehumanizing aspects of combat.

“Each painting tells a story,” Curator of History JoAnn Zeise said. “Sometimes that story concerns the chaos of epic battles. Other times, the story is intimate and personal.”

“The Gunner and the Colonel” portrays the full-scale combat of the Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C., in 1865, a bloody conflict that was “hand-to-hand for nearly six hours,” according to New York soldier Herman Clarke.

As a contrast to that heart-pumping action scenes, Künstler turns his hand to moments of tenderness, kindness and calm.

In “Especially for You,” Künstler presents a quiet gesture of gratitude among a tumult of rejoicing. As Stonewall Jackson’s troops march triumphantly through Winchester, Va., after having routed Union forces, a little girl holding a basket of fruit offers an apple to a young soldier as the townspeople cheer the marching column of boys in gray.

One of the most poignant scenes is “How Real Soldiers Live.” As Jackson, Lee and other officers enjoy a toast over a hot turkey dinner on Christmas 1862, a lone sentry stands his post in the freezing snow outside, looking longingly through the window at the comforts he can’t share.

“Christmas was a time when soldiers tried to put the stress and horror of war aside, even for a moment,” Zeise said. “And that is what Mr. Künstler captures so well, moments that help us understand the human stories of that terrible conflict.”

Künstler’s paintings demonstrate that war is not all — or even mostly — battle, blood or glory. It’s life going on between the moments of conflict, and in “For Us the Living,” Künstler shows that life brilliantly.

The exhibit can be seen through April 7 in the fourth-floor Recent Acquisitions Gallery.

Cinema Retro Magazine Interviews Poseidon Film Poster Artist Mort Künstler

A few months ago, Mort was contacted by Cinema Retro magazine in regards to providing materials for the magazine's 40th anniversary tribute to The Poseidon Adventure. Check out the published interview, along with Mort's original sketches for the ad campaign.

S.C. State Museum features paintings of famous Civil War artist

By Don Worthington
The (Rock Hill) Herald

Artist Mort Kunstler was once the king of hot rods, hot women and manly men. His paintings were on the covers of men’s magazines and the paperback pulp fiction of the day, as well the box tops of model car kits.

“I though that would be my road to riches,” Kunstler said.

His artistic road, however, has traveled through the Wild West, through the formative years of our republic, and to space.

But he is best known for his Civil War work. His paintings have been published as prints, collected into books, and adapted to a variety of media including jig saw puzzles, holiday ornaments and cards, stationary, mugs and mouse pads.

Kunstler has painted the Civil War battles – from Charleston to Richmond – with bullets and flags flying.

But it is his ability to paint the human condition, the love and the loss, that gives his work distinction. It has Kunstler traveling the country to sign his prints and attend gallery showings. His most recent show is “For Us The Living” at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. The show is on display until April 7.

The show has 30 painting and sketches, a highlight of the more than 350 Civil War scenes Kunstler has painted over the past 25 years.

Now, at age 81, Kunstler is moving on. He recently announced – to the dismay of his fans – he will paint only eight more Civil War themed paintings.

The first, “Shenandoah Strategy” depicts Confederate general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and a group of mounted soldiers approaching the Glen Burnie mansion in Winchester, Va. on a snowy night. The painting, Kunstler’s annual snow scene, was unveiled Saturday in Winchester.

The last painting, still untitled, will center on the surrender at Appotomax. The painting’s release will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender.

Ironically, when Kunstler painted “The High Water Mark,” depicting the charge of troops led by Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett at Gettysburg, Pa., he thought the painting for the 125 anniversary of the epic battle would be one-shot assignment.

While he already had established a reputation for his detailed-oriented work centered on history, Kunstler admitted during a recent phone interview while in Columbia he wasn’t then all that interested in the Civil War.

As he painted more Civil War-themed painting, Kunstler decided he wanted to do more than paint battle scenes. “I wanted to things others had not painted,” he said.

He has painted Jackson’s men using horsed to pull steam engines down the “Valley Pike,” the main road of the Shenandoah Valley, to get them to rails controlled by the Confederacy. He has painted Thaddeus Lowe, commander of the Union’s Aeronautics Corp and his hot air balloons.

His heroes are not all gods and generals. He has painted common soldiers receiving apples from the adoring crowd as they march to battle. A common theme is a soldier in a tender embrace with a loved one before they depart. Several paintings depict soldiers and their faith.

Before starting each painting Kunstler consults with experts – be it historians with national reputation to local writers – to learn about his subject. He wants to know what the weather was on a particular day. He wants to hold the weapons, feel the uniforms used. If the painting involves a building, he wants to know what it looked like during the Civil War.

“If you paint it right, it looks right,” he said.

He reads too. Kunstler admits he wasn’t interested in history as a child. Now it’s become part of his passion.

His details are more than physical. He studies photographs of his subjects to understand the characteristics of each face.

One of his favorites is Gen. Jackson. “He is easy to draw,” Kunstler said, checking off Jackson’s features: low eyebrows, high cheekbones, a prominent nose.

While a number of his painting show Jackson in battle, it was Kunstler’s rendering Jackson and his wife, Mary Anna, sharing a private moment in the snow before the general left, that showed he was more than just a “military artist.”

Titled “Until We Meet Again,” it is one of Kunstler’s most famous Civil War works and original prints, when available on the secondary market, sell for $4,000 or more.

To paint George Washington crossing the Delaware in 1776, Kunstler posted a dollar bill near his easel. But that likeness, taken from Gilbert Stuart’s famous painting, showed a 64-year-old Washington. In 1776 Washington was 44.

“You have to take years off your vision. I struggled with that,” Kunstler said.

Kunstler also faced the iconic image of Washington crossing the Delaware painted by Emanuel Leutze in 1851. While the Leutze painting has large doses of glory, inspiration and heroism, it lacks historical accuracy. Kunstler sought to paint the most history accurate version of Washington’s crossing.

When it came to painting the Confederate submarine Hunley departing on its fateful last mission, there were no images. There were items pulled from the Hunley’s watery grave, as well as some historical accounts.

“Painting The Final Mission was an exhausting, but exhilarating experience for me,” Kunstler said after finishing the work in several years ago, “Thanks to the enormous amount of research assistance I received, I believe that the painting will stand the test of time. I hope that generations of Americans will be able to visit the restored Hunley, examine the submarine closely – then study this painting and understand what that incredible last mission was really like.”

And for Kunstler, there is a bit of irony with the Hunley painting. A men’s magazine assignment in the 1950s to paint a World War II submarine set him on his quest for historical accuracy.

While he won’t be painting the Civil War, Kunstler stressed he is not slowing down. He still projects he will paint between 10 to 15 works a year and has commissions that will keep him busy until 2015.

And that’s fine by him, being an artist is all he has ever know. He said it started when he started scribbling at 2 1//2 years-old. He insists it was meant to be. After all, he said, Kunstler means artist in German. “It’s in the genes,” he said.

In Mort Kunstler’s "Final Mission" the H.L. Hunley prepares for its first and last mission in Charleston harbor in 1864.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/23/4434937/sc-state-museum-features-paintings.html#storylink=cpy

Künstler Plans Series - Article from The Winchester Star

Künstler plans series
Posted: November 15, 2012
By Laura McFarland
The Winchester Star

Mort Künstler will sign prints of “Shenandoah Strategy,” a night scene featuring Stonewall Jackson, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at King James Galleries, 161 Prosperity Drive, Winchester. Winchester — Mort Künstler, isn’t ready to lay the Civil War to rest yet, but he is getting closer.

The artist has announced he will do a series of eight Civil War paintings over the next three years before retiring from the genre altogether. The series, titled “A Tribute to the Legend,” will feature historical locations, personalities and events that are special to Künstler, 81, of Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Künstler has produced more than 350 paintings on the Civil War since he began focusing on that time period almost exclusively in the 1980s. When painting, he said he always wants to do his best, but he has gotten to the point where he is competing against himself “to top the last one.”

“After a while, you come up with different ideas and just keep working away at it,” he said. “But at this point I think it is time to move on.”

The first painting in the series, “Shenandoah Strategy,” will also be the last of Künstler’s annual snow scenes, he said. Prints will be sold at a signing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at King James Galleries, 161 Prosperity Drive, Suite 104, Winchester.

The signing is part of a larger weekend of events that includes a dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday in the ballroom of the George Washington Hotel and a book signing for the newest book of Künstler’s paintings, “For Us the Living,” from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St.

Painting is a compulsion for Künstler and not one he intends to give up as long as he is physically able to do it, he said. But after he paints the eighth and final painting in the series in 2015, the only reason he will draw any more Civil War paintings is for his own “amazement or amusement.”

The projected end for the series will be April 9, 2015, the 150th anniversary of the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. The last painting will depict the signing, he said.

The activities start with Friday’s “An Evening with Mort Künstler,” a fundraising dinner at the hotel for the Mort Künstler Endowment Fund for the Timber Ridge School, said Troy Newbraugh, director of development. A reception starts at 6 p.m. and dinner will be at 7 p.m.

In addition to the dinner, guests will be able to watch Künstler create a live charcoal sketch, which will probably be related to the Civil War, Newbraugh said.

“After he does the sketch, I will talk about why we are doing the endowed fund. Mort will say some words,” said Newbraugh of Winchester. “We will have an auctioneer come up and auction off the sketch.”

Künstler said he plans to keep the sketch time short so the guests won’t get bored. “It has got to be a five or 10 minute sketch.”

Tickets are $100 per person. To reserve a ticket, call 540-888-9523.

At the official unveiling of Künstler’s 2012 snow print at King James Galleries, the artist will sign prints of “Shenandoah Strategy,” a night scene featuring Stonewall Jackson. He is on horseback surrounded by several of his men in woods near Glen Burnie and he is using a lantern to read a map.

“I think it is one of the best paintings I have ever done, so I am very happy with it,” he said.

The event is free and open to the public. Print prices vary.

The weekend ends with a book signing at MSV of the collector’s edition of “For Us the Living,” the book featuring Künstler’s work about the 19th century. The text of the book was written by James I. Robertson Jr. and the foreword by Harold Holzer, who is a foremost Lincoln expert. He is a senior vice president at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The title of the book came from a line in the Gettysburg Address. The cost of the coffee table book, which was released in October, is $50, he said.

Though Künstler is stepping away from the Civil War, he is not leaving the war genre altogether, he said. He is shifting his focus to the Revolutionary War with several commissioned paintings and a book planned on the subject.

As with his first foray into depicting the Civil War, the Revolutionary War paintings started with a commission. He did a painting of Gen. George Washington crossing the Delaware River that is more historically accurate than Emanuel Leutze’s iconic 1851 piece.

“I am not taking away from it. It is an inspirational, fabulous painting. But it is not accurate,” Künstler said. “I was commissioned to do the accurate version.”

For Künstler, war is swell - Article from The Winchester Star

For Künstler, war is swell

Posted: November 19, 2012

By Rebecca Layne

The Winchester Star

Künstler, 81, smiles as he talks with customers. He is doing a final series of paintings on the Civil War, then retiring from the genre. KERNSTOWN — Colorado resident Lisa Vining thought it was fate that brought her to Winchester on the same weekend that noted artist Mort Künstler was in town.

On Saturday, Künstler signed prints, ornaments and books at King James Galleries at 161 Prosperity Drive and unveiled “Shenandoah Strategy” — the first painting in his last Civil War series.

Vining, 44, has been a fan of Künstler ever since her sister-in-law from West Virginia sent her an ornament of his in 2000. She was in high spirits and admitted getting goose bumps after meeting him on Saturday.

“I love the Civil War, and I love the emotion he portrays in his pictures,” she said.

Künstler, 81, of Oyster Bay, N.Y., has announced he will do a series of eight Civil War paintings — titled “A Tribute to the Legend” — over the next three years before retiring from the genre altogether.

The first painting in the series, “Shenandoah Strategy,” will also be the last of Künstler’s annual snow scenes, he said. The print was the main draw on Saturday.

Künstler has produced more than 350 paintings on the Civil War.

“I bring history to people who didn’t really pay attention to it before,” the artist said between signings. “That’s gratifying.”

As of 11:45 a.m. Saturday, more than 100 people had made their way into the gallery to have Künstler sign something of theirs. Between 250 and 300 were expected to show.

“These are the people who put my kids through school and who helped me pay for the old homestead,” he said. “I really appreciate them.

“After all these years, I feel at home in Winchester completely.”

Shelly Tavenner, 37, of Berryville, had a print of “Shenandoah Strategy” in tow on Saturday.

“The lure for us is all the local scenes and places you can recognize,” she said about why she likes the artist’s work.

Lisa and Chris Renner of Winchester have at least 60 Künstler prints at home.

“He’s extremely detailed,” Lisa Renner said. “It’s life-like.”

Her husband, Chris, was bummed to hear it will soon be the end of the Civil War prints.

“I kinda hate it myself,” he said. “It sucks. It’s upsetting.”

But as everyone agreed, meeting Künstler was a great experience because of his kindness toward everyone he met.

“It was the first time I met him, and it was absolutely thrilling,” said Susan Goode, Vining’s sister-in-law from Capon Bridge, W.Va.

On Friday, a fundraising event was held at The George Washington Hotel for the Mort Künstler Endowment Fund for the Timber Ridge School. On Sunday, Künstler signed his new book “For Us the Living” at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.

Though Künstler is stepping away from the Civil War, he is not leaving the war genre altogether, he said. He is shifting his focus to the Revolutionary War with several commissioned paintings and a book planned on the subject.

Press Release: Mort Künstler Announces Retirement from Civil War Genre

Mort Künstler announces retirement from Civil War genre.

“What a remarkable people they were – the generation of Americans that faced the Civil War.”

This quote comes from the book An American Palette--The Paintings of Mort Künstler and was offered

up by the artist himself when asked to comment on one of his paintings depicting the plight of the

nation. “Remarkable” is certainly a fitting adjective to describe the courage, strength and conviction of

America during the Civil War. It is also a fitting term to describe the 83 year-old painter himself.

Although he is not retiring altogether, as Künstler will continue to paint commissioned pieces, he is

officially announcing his impending retirement from the Civil War genre. His final Civil War print will

be released to coincide with the conclusion of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Collectors will be happy to know that there are still eight remaining Mort Künstler Civil War paintings

to come including the 2012 annual snow scene depicting an event in the Winchester/Shenandoah Valley.

Künstler’s final Civil War series is titled “A Tribute to the Legend” and will feature historical locations,

personalities, and events that are special to the artist.

This early announcement is being made to give collectors and the public an opportunity to meet Künstler

during his farewell tour. His Civil War paintings represent an amazing legacy that will live on for

generations. “Mort Künstler is the foremost Civil War artist of our time – if not of all time,” says Dr.

James I. Robertson Jr., the dean of Civil War historians and the author of the celebrated biography,

Stonewall Jackson. Referring to Künstler’s newest painting Shenandoah Strategy, Robertson says, “His

gift of using light never ceases to amaze me. I have no doubt but that accuracy marks every stroke of his

brush.”

For over 50 years, Mort Künstler has been capturing the essence of the American story on canvas.

Focusing on the Civil War almost exclusively since the 1980s, Künstler has produced over 350 paintings

on the subject. Commemorative prints, as well as poser illustrations for the television mini-series The

Blue & The Gray and companion books for the motion pictures Gettysburg and Gods and Generals have

been published on his work. Today, Künstler remains the most collected artist in the genre.

In September of 2012 Künstler was honored at the National Archives in Washington, DC. This

prestigious tribute came as the latest in an impressive line of accolades. Due to his stellar reputation for

both accuracy and artistic mastery Künstler was commissioned from the U.S. Postal Service in 1992 to

produce a painting of the Buffalo Soldiers. The resulting stamp was issued in April of 1994. In 1999,

Virginia Governor James Gilmore officially declared a “Mort Künstler Day” in the Old Dominion and in

2004 Mort was named as an official artist for the Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley.

“Several contemporary artists are capturing the Civil War in their work; the best is Mort Künstler,” says

James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian. “With his vivid use of color, of light

and shadow, of movement conveyed by brush strokes and facial expressions, he succeeds in bringing to

life the people caught in a moment of important or decisive action.”

Certainly no one has painted the American Civil War with the extraordinary authenticity and drama as

Mort Künstler. He truly is America’s artist and collectors everywhere are cordially invited to accompany

him as he concludes this portion of his career while honoring those who fought and died during

America’s Great Divide.

Museum Exhibit of Künstler's Civil War Paintings in New York for the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War

"For Us the Living"

The Civil War

in paintings by

September 25, 2010 through January 9, 2011

Nassau County Museum of Art

1 Museum Drive
Roslyn Harbor, NY 11576-1138
(516) 484-9338

With the upcoming 150^th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, the Nassau County Museum of Art has announced an exhibit of Mort Künstler’s Civil War paintings. They will be on display from September 25, 2010 through January 9, 2011. Künstler is regarded as the world’s foremost Civil War artist. His work is esteemed for its drama and artistry, and for the extraordinary level of authenticity that results from his intensive research.

The upcoming exhibit, For Us the Living – The Civil War in Paintings by Mort Künstler, will capture the sights, feelings, and drama of the Civil War through Künstler’s stunning paintings. Künstler gives you an inside look at the conflict that tore the United States apart, pitting brother against brother. This exhibit coincides with the release of the book For Us the Living: The Civil War in Paintings and Eye Witness Accounts – The Art of Mort Künstler, published by Sterling.

For the first time, visitors of an exhibition of Mr. Künstler’s paintings will get an inside look into the artist’s creative process. The artist’s sketches, drawings, preliminary studies, photographs and props will be on display, as well as Künstler’s research materials and notes.

“He is the foremost Civil War artist of our time – if not of all time,” says Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr. of Virginia Tech, and author of the Pulitzer Price nominated biography Stonewall Jackson – The Man, The Soldier, The Legend. “To study his paintings,” says Robertson, “is to simply see history alive. Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks, inspiring representatives of America’s common folk, show their courage in battle, their endurance in the field, and their dedication to the generals who controlled their lives.”

From Manassas to Appomattox Courthouse, in vibrant paintings featuring immortal figures like Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jeb Stuart, as well as ordinary men and women swept up in the rush of history, the war’s grand history unfurls throughout this exhibit in all its drama, excitement, and pathos.

Harold Holzer, Civil War art expert of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, says of Künstler, “He deserves double credit. His art is terrific, and he’s attracted thousands of people to Civil War art.”

“Several contemporary artists are capturing the Civil War in their work: The best is Most Künstler,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning Historian James McPherson.

This will be Künstler’s third exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art. His exhibition in 1998 broke all attendance records with more than 40,000 people visiting during the seven-week run of the show.

Künstler lives with his family in Oyster Bay.

Is with great sadness we share the news of the passing of our dear friend Ted Sutphen.

OBITUARIES

Edwin Lawrence Sutphen
Published: Friday, July 31, 2009 5:58 AM EDT
Edwin (Ted) Lawrence Sutphen, age 77, of Navarre, Fla., passed away Tuesday, July 28, 2009.

Born in 1932 in Neptune, N.J. and raised in Freehold, N.J. Edwin worked with his father and eventually became owner of the family road contracting business; C.H. Sutphen Inc. Edwin met the love of his life, Mary, in 1954 and they were wed June 22, 1957. They spent 52 years working side by side in business and in everyday life, with many adventures, including living in Grafton, Vt., and opening an antique shop and art gallery, which led to the move to Gettysburg in 1980, where Ted became the leading pioneer in establishing Civil War Limited Edition Prints, and was the finest sought after publisher of Civil War art. The American Print Gallery was owned and operated by Ted and Mary for over 20 years.

Retiring from the publishing field and moving to Navarre, Fla., several years ago, Ted was able to enjoy a slower paced life with his family, as well as sitting in his favorite room overlooking the bayou, watching the wildlife, listening to his favorite music from the ‘40s and enjoying each sunset.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Cort and Hannah (Good) Sutphen; his sister, Jane Sutphen; and his son, Kenneth Lawrence Sutphen.

He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Mary I. Griffin; his daughter, Susan C. McKinnon; son-in-law, Timothy S. McKinnon; and his grandson, Spc. Aren Jakob Selmer, serving in the U.S. Army with the 82nd Airborne.

The funeral will be a private affair with no viewing.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the First United Methodist Church of Freehold, 91 W. Main St., Freehold, N.J. 07728.


Copyright © 2009 - Gettysburg Times



Ted was one of the smartest, well informed men I have ever known. He was always ahead of the curve and a true business visionary. I was fortunate to have known him well enough to enjoy his great sense of humor. My sincerest condolences to his daughter Susan, and Mary, his beloved wife


Mort

The Little Orchestra Society Presents A Children's Concert Celebrating Lincoln's 200th:Honest Abe: Four Scores and More

Legendary Actor James Earl Jones Guest Narrator,
Renowned Violinist and Composer Mark O'Connor,
Production Designer Elliott Forrest, and Students from Opus 118 Harlem School of Music

New York City (Monday, February 9, 2009) - On February 28th at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, Dino Anagnost and The Little Orchestra Society will present the year's most exciting children's concert in tribute to Abraham Lincoln and the music he inspired. "Honest Abe: Four Scores and More," part of the Happy Concerts for Young People series, will feature the legendary actor James Earl Jones; Mark O'Connor, one of America's greatest violinists; media designer and concert producer Elliott Forrest, and talented young musicians from Opus 118 Harlem School of Music in an afternoon of engaging music, living history, visual excitement and all-around fun for children ages 6 to 12.

"Music has the unique ability to frame extraordinary times in our nation's history," said Dino Anagnost, Music Director of The Little Orchestra Society. "Having just elected our nation's first African-American president during the bicentennial year of Abraham Lincoln, one of our nation's - and President Obama's - greatest inspirations, these are indeed extraordinary times. We are honored and excited to have an A-list roster of special guest musicians and artists to present an extraordinary concert that celebrates the great achievements of Lincoln and the music he inspired. We believe that "Honest Abe" will, in turn, inspire today's young people - who are a part of what people are calling the "Obama Generation" - to participate in the excitement of American history, politics, music and culture."

"Honest Abe: Four Scores and More," endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, will explore President Lincoln's extraordinary impact on both music and history, having inspired more works of music than any other American president. The concert will feature works by Aaron Copland and Morton Gould, as well as several original works written and performed by Mark O'Connor.

Actor James Earl Jones, who just last month received the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, will narrate, bringing the amazing story of Lincoln to life. "The Little Orchestra Society has built its mission around engaging young people with classical music and has always found exciting ways to make music, art, and history come alive in the concert hall," said Mr. Jones. "I am thrilled to be a part of the Orchestra's celebration of one of America's most influential figures, Abraham Lincoln, and relish the opportunity to help young people learn about America's journey as a nation."

Mark O'Connor is one of America's most celebrated violinists and composers and well known for his work with young music students. He will perform original works and lead the young violinists from Opus 118 Harlem School of Music in the rousing "Fiddler's Dream." "Abraham Lincoln was at the center of one of our nation's most defining moments and some of our country's most gifted composers and musicians took note, incorporating the drama of the Civil War and the fight for our union into truly great pieces of music," said Mr. O'Connor. "It is a privilege to be part of this artistic tribute to Abraham Lincoln that celebrates what he means to our culture today."

Elliott Forrest is a producer, director, designer and broadcaster. For "Honest Abe," Mr. Forrest has created and selected images, paintings, animations and video to be projected on a giant screen above the orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall culminating in a moving theatrical experience. "President Lincoln is one of our country's most memorable figures, lived during the early use of photography and remains an unending inspiration for artists," said Mr. Forrest. "I think that young people will be excited by the grand scale of this production -- the glorious music, narration, lighting and big-screen imagery."

Sources of Mr. Forrest's material include The Library of Congress, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Wendall Harrington Collection and paintings by Mort Künstler, the foremost living painter of the Civil War.

This is the first of two concerts from The Little Orchestra Society to celebrate the Lincoln Bicentennial. On Monday evening, March 23, 2009 at the newly-renovated Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, James Earl Jones, Mark O'Connor and Elliott Forrest rejoin Dino Anagnost and the Orchestra to present "A Lincoln Portrait: Four Scores and More," part of the Orchestra's Concerts for Adults series.