Retrospective of Internationally Acclaimed Artist Norman Laliberte of Nahant at Montserrat College of Art through Aug. 3

BEVERLY — Artist Norman Laliberte of Nahant, whose career in the arts spans decades and includes exhibitions all over the world, will be featured in a retrospective exhibition at Montserrat College of Art’s 301 Cabot Street Gallery. The exhibit, “Inside the Mind of a Maker: Norman Laliberte” will be on view through Aug. 3.

Laliberte is known for his whimsical, colorful and joyous creations, among them, the banners for the 1964 Worlds Fair and art at Boston’s Logan Airport, the Montreal Airport, and the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Laliberte has had exhibitions all over the world and has taught at some of the most prestigious art schools in the US. He holds honorary doctorates for his lifelong contributions to the arts from Montserrat College of Art, McGill University (Montreal) and Notre Dame University in Indiana.

His work includes banners, prints, paintings, sculpture, album covers, posters and more.

Inside the Mind of a Maker is a document and a fiction, a retrospective and interpretation, of the consciousness of the prolific artist, Norman Laliberté. The stage is set as a cartographic journey through the years and various materials used throughout Laliberté’s career. The forty-two banners displayed in the gallery range from the 1960s to the 2000s and represent his numerous explorations of form and content, from completely abstracted color studies to pictorial likenesses resembling ancient hieroglyphics. Figures, flora, fauna, gods, and ghosts dance upon the tapestries portraying tales and vignettes as complex as the great sagas of antiquity. Think of your time in the labyrinth as a hero’s quest; venture into the banners and experience the intricacies inside the mind of maker…you might be surprised at what you’ll find!

Biography: Born in Worcester, Massachusetts of French Canadian parents, Norman Laliberté grew up in Montreal, returning to the U.S. to complete his education in Chicago. He first achieved international recognition as the design consultant for the Vatican Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair of 1964.

His 88 banners were an ingenious solution for an all-glass building with virtually no walls. Using the vibrant play of colour and light, Laliberté creates cheerful, energetic interpretations on themes of love and frolic, joy and plenty, that are highly symbolic and evocative. His abundant talents have been the subject of over 100 solo shows across America and Canada.

His work can be found in over 75 major public and corporate collections, including some of the most prestigious such as the Smithsonian Institute, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He has also been the author of over twenty books on many aspects of contemporary art. Still active, Laliberté lives and works in Nahant, Massachusetts.