Growing up, Charlie Hewitt’s family put a strong emphasis on the importance of work and community. Having Aunts and Uncles that lived nearby provided him a sense of comfort and familiarity. Everywhere he turned, people talked about their jobs and what they did.
“My childhood was lovely and I like being in Maine. My father was in the Navy, and in my Junior year of high school he was shipped out to Southern Allen in Texas. It took me years to get back here, and become an artist, full of life and a very different man. But I’ve never lost that community we call West of the Turnpike.”
Raised in a Millworking Community
As a child growing up in a millworking community, Charlie would watch as hundreds of people poured in and out of the mills at the end of their shifts. As a young man, his family got him a job at a shoe shop in Brunswick where his aunts and uncles were also employed.
Despite being thankful for the opportunity, he found the job to be incredibly menial and boring. He spent hours doing repetitive tasks like attaching passes to boots for very little pay. So after three months, he fled to college to study graphic design and illustration.
“You always retain a little bit of guilt because you survived and got past it,” he said. “But there comes a point when you need to move forward and make choices for yourself. To be different, you need to take a chance and push through the door. Otherwise, you'll never change.”
It was during his college years that he discovered the world of fine art. Before that, his only exposure to art was limited to the Saturday Evening Post, which he received every week.
Over the years, Charlie has become more defined by his resilience and willingness to survive failure than anything else. With over 30 years of sobriety under his belt, he said that life’s challenging experiences have given him a deeper insight and admiration for those who exhibit perseverance.
“It’s an old school love, discipline — and I admire those who get up every day no matter what and make something happen. Through many experiments, and many failures, you create a patina that leads to an interesting person.”
The Importance of Being “Hopeful”
Amid the tumultuous after effects of the pandemic, Charlie became curious about non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a unique digital representations that buyers can use and share. Although most of his art pieces require welding, metal bumping and other manual labor, he saw the value in experimenting with a digital format.
Several years ago, he had a billboard near the Lincoln Tunnel that said "Hopeful." It was massive and transferred energy in a way that no physical object could. It engaged with people on an emotional level and created a sense of community.
Imagine a world without physical museums, he said — instead, you open your computer and buy something. NFTs are all about building a community and collaborating with others in a digital format.
He chose to emphasize the idea of being "hopeful" instead of merely “hoping.” The former requires action and commitment, he explained, while the latter is passive. When he put his artwork out into the world, he challenged himself to take a new approach — one that he would want to apply to every aspect of his life.
As he reflected on his relationship with his community, family, country, and personal narrative, Charlie said he realized the importance of connection and collective action. Regardless of our differences, he believes everyone should have opportunities.
To make this happen, Charlie said humanity needs to be willing to connect collectively with others in a big chorus to say “this is the future and it is bright!” Not just for ourselves, but for future generations as well.
BIO:
Charlie Hewitt, a Maine-born painter, printmaker, sculptor, and public artist, has exhibited his work in galleries and museums since the mid-1970s. His artwork is deeply nostalgic and has become a popular culture phenomenon.
For Hewitt, home was a place of immense significance, where life revolved around church and work, forming the foundation for his imagery and symbols. His Hopeful message installations can be found across seven states, at dozens of different sites.
Hewitt's style is rooted in expressionism and surrealism, giving his works a playful yet serious quality. He is a nationally renowned artist who has launched a collection of NFTs and owns the Electric Greenhouse studio in Portland.
Hewitt's artworks are part of the permanent collections of prestigious institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, New York Public Library, and Library of Congress. His work has also been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions.
