CARMEN CICERO
DRAWINGS AND WATERCOLORS
Tales of Intrigue, Danger and Humor

Exhibition Dates: July 3 – October 5, 2025
The exhibition is sponsored by Bob and Cathey Portrie.

This summer, the Cape Cod Museum of Art is pleased to present a major exhibition featuring the art of renowned artist, Carmen Cicero.

Carmen Cicero has been a prominent figure for over seventy years in the New York and Cape Cod contemporary art scene. While his early work focused on Abstract Expressionism (influenced by Robert Motherwell among others), he was later drawn to the figurative. After a 1971 fire destroyed his New Jersey studio, and with it, his entire body of work, Cicero’s art took a personal turn- combining figuration, landscape and wit in compositions with Surrealist overtones, a style that became emblematic of his later work’s representations and state of mind.

Curated by acclaimed art critic, David Ebony, this solo exhibition will showcase works on paper in Carmen’s favorite mediums – pencil, ink and watercolor. “We want this exhibition to be uplifting for visitors, so we have selected many playful, colorful works… including those with themes of music and the painting process.” says Ebony who also oversaw the production of the newly published, monumental book Carmen Cicero Drawings and Watercolors: Tales of Intrigue, Danger and Humor. David also wrote the essay for the book.

Exhibition-related programming includes:

Thursday, 7/17
Gallery Talk and Opening Reception – 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Talk is presented by Curator, David Ebony
Followed by Reception 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Friday, 7/11 & Saturday, 7/12
2-Day Painting Workshop with Joe Diggs: Color and Value Relationships

Saturday, 7/26 – 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Intense Visual Distortions: A Presentation by artist Bethany Noel

Sunday, 8/3, 5:00 – 9:00 pm
“Jazz Club” CCMoA’s Annual Gala when Carmen Cicero will receive the 2025 MUSE Artist Award.

Friday, 9/12, 5 pm
Panel Discussion on the Life & Career of Carmen Cicero with David Ebony (curator and moderator), Deborah Forman, Bill Evaul and
Mary Abell

Carmen Cicero was a founding member of the Long Point Gallery in Provincetown, MA. He has had over 70 solo exhibitions, been in over 220 group exhibitions, and has shown at such venues as Museum of Modern Art, New York (1953, 1955, 1957); Newark Museum (1955, 1964, 1966, 1967); Art Institute of Chicago (1957); Fine Arts Pavilion, New York World’s Fair (1964); Whitney Annual (later the Whitney Biennial), New York (1955, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966); as well as the Guggenheim Museum. His work is in the collections of 33 museums.
Please see attached bio and other materials for more information.