Join us for the opening reception of our retrospective of artwork by Israel (Joe) Costin (1926-2008).
Joe was a prolific visual artist who spent his final years in Western Massachusetts. He was born and raised in the Bronx during the Depression years. As a child he loved to paint. Even at a young age, his focus was on color and design, and he noticed that his work had the power to uplift others.
As a young man, Joe worked as a typographer for the New York Times, an experience that led him to a career in advertising. Using his artistic eye, he selected type fonts for advertisements for numerous clients, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work with fonts greatly influenced the early period of his own body of artistic work. Another important influence was Russian Constructivism; coming from a Russian background, Joe was able to discover Russia through its art.
Joe studied at the Art Institute of New York, and in his retirement years he was a street artist in Manhattan. As a member of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics), he was instrumental in fighting then mayor Rudy Giuliani’s anti-street artist policies. Joe was one of many street artists arrested during targeted police sweeps, and was part of A.R.T.I.S.T.’s legal battle with the city, which made its way to Federal Court in the mid 1990s. The case garnered the support of major museums, artists, critics, art dealers, and the ACLU.
In 2005 Joe relocated to Easthampton from Westchester, New York, to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren and to join the region’s vibrant arts scene.
Refreshments will be served.
We will also be participating in the annual Sidewalk Chalk Festival that day, so come check out the final result in front of our building!
