Portsmouth artist creates Oceanic Hotel woodcut

The woodcut tribute to Star Island and the Oceanic Hotel is a limited edition work of art. (Courtesy image)

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - The public is invited to join Star Island staff and Don Gorvett, Artist and Master Printmaker, to unveil his limited edition woodcut celebrating the Oceanic Hotel and Star Island later this month.

Gorvett will also the complex process of creating this large color woodcut. This event will be held in the Levenson Room at the Portsmouth Public Library at 5-6 p.m. on Feb 27. This event is free and open to the public.

The Oceanic Hotel on Star Island has hosted guests from around the world for 140 years. Star Island and the Isles of Shoals are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Oceanic was named to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance's Seven to Save list in 2015. Star Island is working to raise awareness about the historical importance of the Oceanic throughout the state, and has planned a number of events including informational talks in the region, and tours that will be available during the summer season.

A percentage of sales of the woodcuts go directly to benefit a fund for the Oceanic, which will help restore and preserve the historic hotel.

Gorvett maintains his Piscataqua Fine Arts Gallery & Studio in downtown Portsmouth year round and summers at the Perkins Cove Gallery in located in Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, Maine. He is a graduate of the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and a past board member of the Boston Printmakers. His works are in the collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Boston Athenaeum, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, the Cape Ann Museum, the Currier Museum of Art, the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Oqunquit Museum of American Art, Peabody Essex Museum, the Portland Museum of Art, the Worcester Art Museum, and numerous corporate and private collections.