May 9 to June 27, 2009

Presented by the
Whistler House Museum of Art

It is rare that a museum director has the opportunity to present a career retrospective exhibition for an artist and say that he has know that artist for well over 30 years.  This is the case with the Whistler House Museum of Art’s next exhibition; Anne D. Sullivan ~ A Retrospective. 

I first met Mrs. Sullivan, (I always referred to her as Mrs. Sullivan) when I attended Lowell High School with her daughter, Lianne.  I met Lianne in our sophomore year when we sang in the school’s chorus together.  We were also in several musical plays together and spent most of our free time just hanging out with our other friends. Going to the Sullivan house to pick up Lianne for a night of goofing off was always interesting because of her mother, Mrs. Sullivan. 

Mrs. Sullivan would greet us at the front door and welcome us into the house while we waited for to Lianne to get ready.  Each time I went into the house there was a new piece of art hanging on the wall or on a table being wrapped for shipment to an exhibit somewhere in the world.  I remember one particular piece that Mrs. Sullivan had completed.  It was a portrait of an old man done in a monochromatic palette that hung in the family room.  I was quite taken with this piece and each time I was in that room I always had to have a good look at it.  I don’t really know what drew me to this piece, perhaps it was the lines, the shape of the head or maybe I thought the old guy reminded me of someone I knew.  Anyway, I really liked this piece and knowing the artist who had created it made it all that more special. 

I was not a student artist and I did not take any art classes in high school. Much of what I  learned about art at that time, came from my conversations with Mrs. Sullivan.  She would always take the time to talk with her children’s friends and explain the process of creating a piece of art.  Going into the Sullivan house was like having your own private museum or gallery tour.  There was always something new and exciting to see. 

During our high school and college years Lianne and I remained friends.  Mrs. Sullivan continued to pursue her career in art as she explored different techniques and developed her own unique style.   As always, if you asked about a specific piece of work, Mrs. Sullivan was more than happy to talk about her latest efforts. 

I remember going to my first art exhibit reception in a gallery in Lexington, Massachusetts.  Mrs. Sullivan was exhibiting a collection of her work.  At that time, I had never been to an art exhibit in a professional gallery.  I certainly had never known a professional artist.  Mrs. Sullivan was a member of the Copley Society. I wasn’t really sure what that meant, but it seemed like a big deal to everyone at the reception. Walking about the gallery it became clear that Mrs. Sullivan was really good at what she did, people were buying her paintings and everyone seemed very excited to be there.  Her paintings looked somehow different in the gallery; they appeared to jump off the wall, to be more luminescent.  Of course looking back at that exhibit now, it could have been as simple as good lighting.  Up until that time, I had only seen Mrs. Sullivan’s work in her kitchen, dining room, or family room. 

After college, Lianne and I went our separate ways and I didn’t see Mrs. Sullivan quite as much as I had before.  I knew that she was still painting and that she was exhibiting her work all over the country and in a few foreign countries as well.  I would sometimes read an article in the local paper about her work and so I was able to keep up with her. 

Jump ahead about 25 years or so, and suddenly I find myself in the position of Executive Director of the Whistler House Museum of Art.  I had served as a member of the Board of Trustees for several years and had learned at that time that Mrs. Sullivan had been a past President of the Lowell Art Association which owns and operates the museum as an historical site.  Here was another connection to my old friend’s mother, Mrs. Sullivan. 

One day while I was at the museum the telephone rang and it was Mrs. Sullivan.  She wanted to talk about some things that had recently been going on in the local art community.  At one point in our conversation, after referring to her yet again, as Mrs. Sullivan, she said, “Michael, I think it is about time you called me Anne, after all we are colleagues now.”  Colleagues… Mrs. Sullivan… I mean, Anne…  Anne and I are colleagues. I had never thought of her as anything other than my friend Lianne’s mother. Now she was a colleague and we were having a professional conversation about things that really mattered to the two of us.  It was the start of a new chapter in our lives. 

Throughout the past few years, I have had many conversations with Anne.  We have spoken about the museum, exhibits, art work in the Permanent Collection, and all manner of things related to the art scene.  We have attended the same art receptions and been in each others company at social events.  Anne and I have become more than colleagues, we are friends who share something that is important to each of us. 

About two years ago as we were putting together the exhibit schedule, Anne’s name came up for a possible retrospective exhibit.  I realized then that Anne and I had known each other for over 30 years and in all that time she has continued to pursue her work.  It is a great pleasure for me to be able to present Anne D. Sullivan ~ A Retrospective, in the Parker Gallery.  I never thought back in the 1970’s while I spoke with Mrs. Sullivan in her kitchen about her art work that I would be in the position to present a retrospective exhibit for my friend and colleague, Anne D. Sullivan. 

Anne D. Sullivan holds Signature Memberships in the International Society of Experimental Artists, National Association of Women Artists, National League of American Pen Women, New England Watercolor Society, Copley Society of Boston - Copley Artist, Florida Artist’s Group Inc., Monotype Guild of New England. 

Her Honors include: Who’s Who in American Art, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who in American Women.

Selected National Exhibitions include:

North American Open Competition, Boston, MA 
   Outstanding Contemporary Painting
   Hoarty and Grimm memorial Award

International Society of Experimental Artists
    Nautilus Fellow

National Open Competition, RI  Watercolor Society
     Honorable Mentions

Catherine L. Wolfe Art Club, New York City
      American Artist Magazine Award

National Association of Women Artists, New York
      Martha Reed Memorial Award
      Leila Sawyer Memorial Award

National League of American Pen Women, Washington, DC
     Award of Excellence
     Award of Merit