John Mecray
Encyclopedia
John Marcy Mecray is an American realist
painter best known for his marine art
.
, New Jersey
where family roots pre-date the 1800s. John's namesake was a Civil War soldier killed in action
at Williamsburg
, Virginia
on May 5, 1862, and memorialized by the GAR
with a ten foot obelisk in the Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery, Lower Twp., New Jersey. John's grandfather, James E. Mecray, started one of the nation's first Ford agencies in Cape May in 1903.
He won a number of awards for his artwork in the Cape May public school system. In 1954 he was accepted at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts
) where he majored in illustration under Henry Pitz and Joe Krush. After John's third year at PCA he fulfilled his military obligation and spent two and a half years in the US Army in Germany
. He quickly transferred from the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment to become set and graphic designer for the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra & Soldier Shows Company in Stuttgart
. He then secured the position of illustrator for Seventh Army Headquarters' Psychological Warfare Company, designing leaflets and posters. During his two and a half years in Germany
he had the opportunity to visit scores of museums throughout Europe
.
After his tour of duty he returned to art college. While still in his senior year he obtained a commission to illustrate the Senior Girl Scout
Handbook. He graduated in 1961, and was asked back to teach a drawing class one day a week. After two years increasing freelance work brought an end to teaching. His early varied clients included Smith Kline & French Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia Electric, the Franklin Mint
, and a number of clients through Philadelphia's Bruno/Mease Studio and the N.W. Ayer Agency. He illustrated several books, mainly for the teen-age market.
Inspired by a number of offshore yacht deliveries to the Virgin Islands
in the '70's he gave up his Philadelphia based illustration career to devote full time to marine painting. In 1976 Mecray, his wife, young son and daughter, moved to Newport, RI where he set up a working studio on the third floor at 166 Thames Street, a block from Newport's harbor. He had purchased a weatherworn, ca. 1798, early Federal style house at 83 Division Street in Newport's 'Historic Hill' district and undertook a total restoration in addition to starting a new career.
His second painting completed in Newport in 1976/77 was the J-Class
yacht Rainbow
. 1977 was the year of the 23rd Defense of the America's Cup
, and John's background in illustration served him well. He contacted Yachting Magazine
which resulted in Rainbow being published as a two-page spread in Yachting's America's Cup Issue. That summer Ted Turner
commissioned a painting of Courageous
. Gary Jobson
purchased the Rainbow painting and commissions from both Gary and Ted followed over the years. In 2007 Turner commissioned another painting of Courageous which he gifted to the New York Yacht Club
on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Courageous's victory over the 12-metre yacht Australia in 1977.
In 1978 Mystic Seaport Museum Store became publisher of John's limited edition prints. John took over the publishing in 1987 and Mystic Seaport Wholesale has remained John's print distributor ever since. Between 1976 and 2009 forty-six limited editions and six open editions have been published and distributed worldwide. Since 1981 John's original paintings have been represented by the dealer, Marguerite Riordan. She successfully presented his work to a wider audience more attuned to period American painting. Over the years she mounted several exhibits at her gallery in Stonington
, CT. and she represented his work until she retired in 2008.
John Mecray grew up in a restoration environment, beginning with Cape May's renaissance in the early 1950s. The restoration of that city's many Victorian houses left a lasting impression. In the 1970s Newport, RI was the epicenter for 18th century house restorations and John's Division Street Federal was one of them. More recent restorations include a 1936 race car, a 1958 sports car and a 1953 motorcycle, in addition to his involvement since its founding with the International Yacht Restoration School
in Newport, RI.
In 1992 John resigned his trustee position with the museum to join with Elizabeth Meyer at the start of the International Yacht Restoration School
. Shortly after its founding in 1993 IYRS acquired an historic waterfront site vacated by the Newport Electric Company, and within nine months one of its two buildings was rehabbed, and classes had begun. The accredited vocational school has gained recognition and respect worldwide.
In 2007 John was involved in negotiations that successfully merged the museum and the school.
in WoodenBoat
magazine caught the artist's eye. After visiting the yacht he explored options to see if the 133 foot schooner could be saved and restored. To this end he painted his first (1981) of three works of Coronet, then published a print using most of the proceeds to set up a museum fund to stabilize and help maintain the yacht. In 1995 the sadly deteriorated vessel was accepted by the International Yacht Restoration School. The yacht was secured and documented in preparation for restoration. Coronet's importance has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
, and has been called America's Most Historic Yacht. Finally, in late 2008, a full restoration under the auspices of Dr. Robert McNeil, a noted restorer of classic yachts, commenced on the IYRS Waterfront campus.
when it presented its 'Distinguished Service Award' during their Annual Awards Dinner held in the New York Yacht Club's
model room on 44th Street in Manhattan
.
It was an appropriate setting since John has utilized the model room on numerous occasions to sketch yacht models in preparing for a painting. The NMHS award said: "John Mecray [is] honored for using his considerable influence as America's preeminent artist of yachts and yachting to preserve our maritime heritage by working to restore the historic schooner Coronet."
John married Mary Gillette of Newport in 1996.
The minister who performed the service was the Reverend Frank S. Murray, Captain for 36 years of the schooner yacht Coronet. He married the couple on the lawn of the Newport Art Museum
.
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
painter best known for his marine art
Marine art
Marine art or maritime art is any form of figurative art that portrays or draws its main inspiration from the sea. Maritime painting is a genre that depicts ships and the sea—a genre particularly strong from the 17th to 19th centuries...
.
Formative Years
He was raised in Cape MayCape May
Cape May is a peninsula and island ; the southern tip of the island is the southernmost point of the state of New Jersey, United States. It runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
where family roots pre-date the 1800s. John's namesake was a Civil War soldier killed in action
at Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on May 5, 1862, and memorialized by the GAR
Gar
In American English the name gar is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters of eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.-Etymology:In...
with a ten foot obelisk in the Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery, Lower Twp., New Jersey. John's grandfather, James E. Mecray, started one of the nation's first Ford agencies in Cape May in 1903.
He won a number of awards for his artwork in the Cape May public school system. In 1954 he was accepted at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts
University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...
) where he majored in illustration under Henry Pitz and Joe Krush. After John's third year at PCA he fulfilled his military obligation and spent two and a half years in the US Army in Germany
. He quickly transferred from the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment to become set and graphic designer for the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra & Soldier Shows Company in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. He then secured the position of illustrator for Seventh Army Headquarters' Psychological Warfare Company, designing leaflets and posters. During his two and a half years in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
he had the opportunity to visit scores of museums throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
After his tour of duty he returned to art college. While still in his senior year he obtained a commission to illustrate the Senior Girl Scout
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
Handbook. He graduated in 1961, and was asked back to teach a drawing class one day a week. After two years increasing freelance work brought an end to teaching. His early varied clients included Smith Kline & French Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia Electric, the Franklin Mint
Franklin Mint
The Franklin Mint is a private corporation founded by Joseph Segel in 1964. The private mint operated from Wawa, Pennsylvania but that operation has now closed...
, and a number of clients through Philadelphia's Bruno/Mease Studio and the N.W. Ayer Agency. He illustrated several books, mainly for the teen-age market.
Painting & Publishing
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
in the '70's he gave up his Philadelphia based illustration career to devote full time to marine painting. In 1976 Mecray, his wife, young son and daughter, moved to Newport, RI where he set up a working studio on the third floor at 166 Thames Street, a block from Newport's harbor. He had purchased a weatherworn, ca. 1798, early Federal style house at 83 Division Street in Newport's 'Historic Hill' district and undertook a total restoration in addition to starting a new career.
His second painting completed in Newport in 1976/77 was the J-Class
J-class yacht
The J-Class serves as a rating for large sailing yachts designed between 1930 and 1937. Reserved for a wealthy elite of yachtsmen, these boats were used to compete with the best sailing talents in three races of the America's Cup.-The 1930s:...
yacht Rainbow
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...
. 1977 was the year of the 23rd Defense of the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
, and John's background in illustration served him well. He contacted Yachting Magazine
Yachting (magazine)
Yachting is a monthly English-language magazine published since 1907. It was founded by Oswald Garrison Villard, publisher of the New York Evening Post and the Nation. The next year Herbert L. Stone became the manager. In 1938 Stone and some friends bought the magazine.It features articles on...
which resulted in Rainbow being published as a two-page spread in Yachting's America's Cup Issue. That summer Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
commissioned a painting of Courageous
Courageous (yacht)
Courageous is a 12-metre class yacht. It was the third boat to win the America's Cup twice, in 1974 and 1977, after Intrepid in 1967 and 1970, and Columbia in 1899 and 1901. All three of these boats won for the NYYC and thus the United States...
. Gary Jobson
Gary Jobson
Gary Jobson is a decorated sailor, television commentator, sailing lecturer, and author based in Annapolis, Maryland. He has recorded many achievements in his sailing career, having won multiple championships in one-design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977, the Fastnet Race, and...
purchased the Rainbow painting and commissions from both Gary and Ted followed over the years. In 2007 Turner commissioned another painting of Courageous which he gifted to the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Courageous's victory over the 12-metre yacht Australia in 1977.
In 1978 Mystic Seaport Museum Store became publisher of John's limited edition prints. John took over the publishing in 1987 and Mystic Seaport Wholesale has remained John's print distributor ever since. Between 1976 and 2009 forty-six limited editions and six open editions have been published and distributed worldwide. Since 1981 John's original paintings have been represented by the dealer, Marguerite Riordan. She successfully presented his work to a wider audience more attuned to period American painting. Over the years she mounted several exhibits at her gallery in Stonington
Stonington, Connecticut
The Town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic...
, CT. and she represented his work until she retired in 2008.
Restoration Background
International Yacht Restoration School
The International Yacht Restoration School is a private school on Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island, that teaches boat and yacht restoration. The school also has a campus in Bristol, Rhode Island, that offers marine technology courses...
in Newport, RI.
MOY & IYRS
In 1978 Mecray and a small group of friends met in his studio on several occasions to discuss the possibility of starting a museum. Discussions ultimately led to the founding of The Museum of Yachting in 1979. In March 1980 John convinced Tom Benson to take the position of Executive Director, which effectively brought the museum to life. On September 13–14 of that year the museum held its first annual Classic Yacht Regatta which is still a popular Labor Day weekend event for classic yachts.In 1992 John resigned his trustee position with the museum to join with Elizabeth Meyer at the start of the International Yacht Restoration School
International Yacht Restoration School
The International Yacht Restoration School is a private school on Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island, that teaches boat and yacht restoration. The school also has a campus in Bristol, Rhode Island, that offers marine technology courses...
. Shortly after its founding in 1993 IYRS acquired an historic waterfront site vacated by the Newport Electric Company, and within nine months one of its two buildings was rehabbed, and classes had begun. The accredited vocational school has gained recognition and respect worldwide.
In 2007 John was involved in negotiations that successfully merged the museum and the school.
Schooner CORONET
In 1980 an article about the 1885 schooner yacht CoronetCoronet (yacht)
The Coronet, a wooden-hull schooner yacht built in 1885, is one of the oldest and largest schooner yachts in the world.-History:left|thumb|200px|Page 1, The New York Times, March 27, 1887The schooner Coronet was designed by William Townsend and built for Rufus T. Bush by the C. & R. Poillon...
in WoodenBoat
WoodenBoat
WoodenBoat is an American magazine that has been published since 1974. It is written for owners, admirers, builders, and designers of wooden boats. Its publication marked the start of a trend — a growing interest in traditional boats and boat building techniques and the development thereof...
magazine caught the artist's eye. After visiting the yacht he explored options to see if the 133 foot schooner could be saved and restored. To this end he painted his first (1981) of three works of Coronet, then published a print using most of the proceeds to set up a museum fund to stabilize and help maintain the yacht. In 1995 the sadly deteriorated vessel was accepted by the International Yacht Restoration School. The yacht was secured and documented in preparation for restoration. Coronet's importance has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
, and has been called America's Most Historic Yacht. Finally, in late 2008, a full restoration under the auspices of Dr. Robert McNeil, a noted restorer of classic yachts, commenced on the IYRS Waterfront campus.
Recognition
On October 29, 2007 John was honored by the National Maritime Historical SocietyNational Maritime Historical Society
The National Maritime Historical Society is a non-profit organization in USA devoted to historical ship preservation and maritime education...
when it presented its 'Distinguished Service Award' during their Annual Awards Dinner held in the New York Yacht Club's
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
model room on 44th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
It was an appropriate setting since John has utilized the model room on numerous occasions to sketch yacht models in preparing for a painting. The NMHS award said: "John Mecray [is] honored for using his considerable influence as America's preeminent artist of yachts and yachting to preserve our maritime heritage by working to restore the historic schooner Coronet."
John married Mary Gillette of Newport in 1996.
The minister who performed the service was the Reverend Frank S. Murray, Captain for 36 years of the schooner yacht Coronet. He married the couple on the lawn of the Newport Art Museum
Newport Art Museum
Newport Art Museum, founded in 1912, is located on 76 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. The museum operates a gallery in the John N. A...
.
Further reading
- http://www.mecray.com John Mecray Website
- http://www.solowey.com/Exhibitions/PitzBiohtml Henry Pitz
- http://7aso.org Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra
- http://www.moy.org/ Museum of Yachting
- http://www.moy.org/NewsEvents/ClassicYachtRegatta/tabid/478/Default.aspx Classic Yacht Regatta
- http://www.iyrs.org International Yacht Restoration School
- http://www.woodenboat.com/ Wooden Boat Magazine