Page A2 The Bar Harbor Times John Heliker, 91, artist John Heliker, a Cranberry Robinson and Thomas Hart he maintained close ties to the Edge: Forty Years of Maine Island artist and teacher, died at Benton. avant garde in the fields of art, Painting" at the Maine Coast age 91, Feb. 22, 2000, at Sonogee After he moved to Greenwich music and dance, Mr. Heliker Artists in Rockport in 1992. He Rehab and Living Center in Bar Village from his parents' farm in returned to Great Cranberry every also showed at the annual Harbor. 1938, he began his long career as summer to paint landscapes and to Cranberry art show held in the A prominent figure in the New an artist and as an active member take part in the lively circles of island schoolhouse. York art scene for more than 70 of the whole New York Art scene, island life. In his off-island life, Mr. years, he spent his summers on forging friendships with such "Mr. Heliker's work captured Heliker was a professor of art at Great Cranberry Island. creative lights as composer Lou the weather and light, as well as Columbia University for 27 years. Born to a farming family in Harrison, dancer Merce the very underpinnings of the According the New York Times, Yonkers, N.Y., in 1909, young Cunningham and composer John rocky coastline. He and his fellow his students there included the "Jack" dropped out of high school Cage. painter friends, among them artists Charles Cajori, Sally in 1923 and started haunting the His first solo exhibitions were Gretna Campbell, William Hazelet Drummond, Jonathan art museums in Manhattan to copy at the Maynard Walker Gallery in Kienbusch and Dorothy Eisner, Silver, Robert La Hotan and the old masters. New York in 1936, 1938 and 1940. helped to place the Cranberry Isles Angelo Ippolito, as well as the According to a New York Times After it closed he became affiliated on the map of American art. historian Karen Wilkin and the obituary, one day while making a with the Kraushaar Galleries, "But most islanders will recall critic Jed Perl. In 1965 Mr. study of a painting at the where he had 18 shows from 1945 John Heliker Jack and (his companion) Bob (La Heliker was a founding member Metropolitan Museum of Art, he to 1995. Hotan) driving past in a of the New York Studio School, met a fellow "copyist" Arshile In the 1940s, Mr. Heliker, along boyhood summers on Great Volkswagen bug on the way to get and taught there for a number of with several other prominent Cranberry and later became an arts Gorky, who led him into the world the mail in the morning. He was years, frequently returning as artists of the time including Carl writer, says he remembers Mr. of contemporary art by introducing the consummate conversationalist, visiting artist. He also taught at Heliker well, both as an artist and him to the work of the early Nelson, discovered Great full of wit and knowledge about the Art Students League and Cranberry Island as a haven for as a neighbor. impressionists Manet, Cezanne the arts." Parsons-New School. Mr. "Jack Heliker was one of and Gauguin. painting and escaping from the Mr. Little says the Ogunquit Heliker's work can be found in 75 From 1927 to 1929 Mr. Heliker stresses of city living. He returned Maine's most distinguished Museum of Art mounted a major public institutions throughout the attended the prestigious Art there every summer until just a painters, having devoted more than show of Mr. Heliker's work a few United States. He is survived by Students League, studying with few years before his death. 50 years to painting its islands and years ago, and he was included in Mr. La Hotan, his companion of Kenneth Hayes Miller, Boardman Carl Little, who spent his people," Mr. Little says. Even as the ground-breaking "On the 48 years. Obituaries