CAPE MAY – Thomas Kinkade, the beloved artist whose paintings inspired hope and recalled simpler times, will be honored in a weekend tribute Aug. 18-19 at Cape May Convention Hall and Victorian Walk Gallery in Cape May. The Thomas Kinkade Legacy Celebration will feature the largest museum collection of Kinkade’s original works ever assembled on the east coast. It also will unveil one of the last canvases ever painted by the artist.
Thomas Kinkade was a prolific painter whose heart-felt art connected deeply to the public. He worked hard to create art that was uplifting and understandable, and galvanized millions of people, even those who had never bought a painting, to appreciate art. Kinkade wove universal themes and basic human values into his works that resonated powerfully with admirers of his work. Until his death, he was considered the most-collected living artist of his time, earning him the designation, “America’s Most Favorite Artist.”
Legacy Celebration
The Aug. 18-19 weekend tribute to the people’s painter kicks off with a Museum Exhibit of Kinkade’s works, which is open to the public. The collection is drawn largely from the Kinkade family’s personal collection housed in California. The Legacy Celebration exhibit will be unique in the large number of paintings being shown, the breadth of the artist’s styles represented, and the fact that many of these original works have never traveled outside of California. The show will also feature footage of Kinkade, including times he spent in Cape May. This one-time-only event will be held at Convention Hall on Sat., Aug. 18, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free but donations to Art in Public Places, a new community outreach program, are welcome.
The tribute will turn more introspective on Saturday night. Thomas Kinkade’s brother, Patrick, will talk about his sibling’s legacy and present a new video about his life and work. He also will reveal the last painting his brother was working on before he died. The family has not shown this work publicly until now. Event hosts Dawn and John DeMayo also will discuss their recently launched effort, Art in Public Places, and share what inspired them to give back to Cape May. The Saturday evening program will be from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Convention Hall. Tickets to the evening program are limited but still available through Victorian Walk Gallery.
The DeMayo’s will host a Champagne Brunch for collectors and friends at their Victorian Walk Gallery located at 315 Ocean Street on Sunday. It is also open to the public.
The Artist
Kinkade captured quieter, less frenetic times in his paintings. His chose charming street scenes, cozy cottages, lazy streams and lush gardens as his subject matter. He also wove Christian images into his work. A signature of Kinkade’s work was his use of glowing highlights to romanticize his settings and convey a calming sense of spirituality. He was often called the “Painter of Light” as a result of this lighting technique.
Kinkade viewed art as an “inspirational tool.” “People who put my paintings on their walls are putting their values on the wall,” he was quoted as saying in The New York Times, “faith, family, home, a simpler way of living, the beauty of natural, quiet, tranquility, peace, joy and hope.” Kinkade estimated that one in 20 homes in America had one of his paintings hung on the wall.
Kinkade rarely painted people into his paintings. He preferred that people put themselves in the picture instead, and connect emotionally with the place or scene in the painting.
Cape May Connection
Kinkade connected emotionally with Cape May. He visited the resort for the first time in 2001 for an event at the Southern Mansion. Two years later, he returned with his family on vacation. His wife and daughters came mainly for the beach. Kinkade came mainly to paint.
“He fell in love with Cape May,” Dawn DeMayo recalls. “He decided to paint the lighthouse but turned the municipal building there into a cottage in his painting, which it actually was a long time ago. Once word got out that Kinkade was painting at Cape May Point, so many people came out to see him there that the police had to be called to manage the crowd.”
Kinkade painted three more Cape May scenes during future visits. In addition to the lighthouse, he found inspiration in Victorian Cape May’s stately cottages and picturesque streets. He also painted Jackson Street, Corgie Street, and the Joseph Hall Cottage on Hughes Street. These iconic images are still hugely popular today.
KInkade’s wife, Nanette, urged him to wear painters’ overalls when he worked to protect his clothing, Dawn DeMayo remembers. He arrived “in uniform” to paint on Jackson Street, and virtually no one recognized him, she says. “People were amazed when they found out afterwards he was there,” she says.
Kinkade was deeply moved by his experiences in Cape May. “There are places I visit that feel like dreams come true,” Kinkade said, “When I visited charming Cape May, I felt as if I’d stepped into one of my own romantic paintings.”
Giving Back Through His Art
Kinkade was generous in supporting causes he believed in, and focused heavily on organizations helping children, disaster victims, and the arts. He raised more than $2 million for The Salvation Army after 9/11 by creating custom images the charity used in its fund-raising efforts. He also generated $750,000 as National Spokesperson for Make-A-Wish Foundation, and succeeded former U.S. President George H.W. Bush as Ambassador of Light for the Points of Light Foundation. Today, works donated by Kinkade hang in the White House, Vatican, Tate Museum in London, and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Kinkade won numerous honors over his lifetime for his art, philanthropy and contributions to tourism. He was inducted into the California Tourism Hall of Fame for shaping public opinion about his home state through the his images. He also won the Cape May County Tourism Award for promoting local tourism.
The DeMayo’s
Dawn and John DeMayo have been art dealers in Cape May for 25 years. They own Victorian Walk Gallery, the oldest Thomas Kinkade signature gallery in the country, which recently moved to new custom-built gallery space at 315 Ocean Street. They also own Gallery D’May in Cape May and Moorestown Gallery in Moorestown, NJ. The DeMayo’s started working with Kinkade in 1994. In working with him for nearly two decades, they came to truly appreciate his ability to relate to people.
“People passing by the gallery will see a painting of his and be drawn to it.” Dawn DeMayo says. “They have an emotional reaction to his work and leave at peace with themselves.
“His work inspires them,” she says. “It makes them dream. It makes them think of possibilities. What a wonderful legacy.”
Tickets and Information
For more information about The Thomas Kinkade Legacy Celebration, call (609) 898-4200. Or visit Victorian Walk Gallery, 315 Ocean Street (Corner of Washington & Ocean), Cape May, NJ 08204
