Lee Brown and Robert W. Coye artwork at Hamilton Public Library

by Sally Lura

The Hamilton Public Library invites all patrons and friends of the library to an exhibit of father and son artists, Lee Brown Coye and Robert W Coye. The exhibit will be on display at the Hamilton Library through September 7.

Everyone is also invited to a reception on Friday, July 22 at 7 PM at the library. Jim Loveless, Colgate Professor Emeritus, will recall his friendship with Lee Coye, who lived in Hamilton from the late 1950s to his death in 1981. Loveless will also introduce son, Robert Coye, an artist and architect who now lives in Syracuse.
During his career, he illustrated fantasy/horror books and magazines and exhibited his artwork throughout New York State, including the Whitney and Metropolitan Museums in New York City and the Everson Museum in Syracuse.

Lee came to Hamilton because he was searching for a small town where he could create his art and raise a family. Lee and his wife, Ruth, lived in Hamilton from 1959-1981.

Many of Lee’s works can be found around Hamilton. He painted the wonderful murals in the Hamilton Post Office above the mailboxes. These murals depict the early settlement of Hamilton and its development. Another painting, “Frankie and Johnny” is on display at Colgate’s Picker Art Gallery and many people are familiar with the mural above the fireplace in the Colgate Inn’s Dining Room.

Lee’s son, Robert Brown Coye, graduated from Colgate University and is also an artist. Bob works in acrylics, oil pastels, watercolor, and pencil and ink and has won several awards for his paintings. Bob also holds a degree in architecture from Syracuse University, and this too has influenced his art. The exhibit includes some familiar cityscapes, including one of Crouse College at Syracuse University and a sketch of the Sperry Block building, located in the center of Hamilton, which now houses the Colgate Bookstore.

Both father and son shared an interest in trains and train stations and collaborated on a fine book of central New York railroad stations, including Syracuse, Cazenovia, and Jamesville.

Bob Coye will also present a Gallery Talk on August 5 at 7 PM at the library to discuss the exhibit, sharing reflections on his artwork, as well as his father’s.