BEAUFORT – Seafaring vessels of the 1700s and 1800s have been captured on canvas by internationally known maritime artist Paul Hee. The N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort will display an exhibit of his paintings from Oct. 3, 2009 through March 7, 2010. Hee has a special niche in the maritime art world. Unlike many who follow the “super-realistic school, his paintings accurately portray the historical prototype ships yet also carefully reproduce the styles of contemporary maritime artists.
Hee’s realism and stylistic fidelity produce paintings the general audience and specialty audience will enjoy. Hee has exhibited at the museum before and the new retrospective will give a broader view of his talent. It also serves as an introduction to his new coffee table book, “Three Centuries of Seafaring: The Maritime Art of Paul Hee,” published by the Friends of the Maritime Museum.
The N.C. Maritime Museum is located at 315 Front Street in Beaufort. It is part of the Division of State History Museums in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources www.ncculture.com, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. For more information, call (252) 728-7317 or go to www.ncmaritimemuseum.org.