For Gary Curtin, creating art was a way to express his creativity and encourage others to do the same. The local Williamsburg art vendor passed away this winter after over a decade selling his designs to the community.
After moving to Williamsburg in 2006, Curtin began selling original prints, T-shirts and greeting cards at Second Sundays, Williamsburg’s monthly street festival, in 2011. His creations, known collectively as ArtBurn, are loved by students at the College of William and Mary and Williamsburg community members alike.
Originally from Denver, Colo., Curtin worked as a geochemist and drew maps of mineral resources across the Western United States. His daughter, Molly de Marcellus, remembers watching her father’s love of art express itself since she was young.
“He was not professionally trained, although as an adult he did take a few classes to branch out into painting. But really he was an illustrator. He just has his own style and it was hard to get away from that,” de Marcellus said.
De Marcellus went on to explain the unique style that characterized Curtin’s art.
“When I was a kid growing up, he did some of the outlines that he has now in the bright colors,” de Marcellus said. “He originally would take magic markers and he would draw the line drawing of the figure and then he would trace the outline going around the inside with different colors. There was a lot to look at, a lot of color. He was just always doodling when he came home from work.”
As a regular vendor at Second Sundays, Curtin was able to engage with members of the Williamsburg community and enjoyed talking to them to hear their stories. He also got to know the other regular vendors, like his long-time booth neighbors Matt and Rhonda Starcher from MaD Seasonings.
“He loved connecting with people. He was very curious, very intellectually curious, and he just loved meeting with people and asking them about their lives,” de Marcellus said. “I think for him, it was just the enjoyment of being at Second Sundays and interacting with people. He absolutely loved the students from William and Mary, and there were some regulars and other people who lived in the community who would come by.”
Curtin made an effort to connect with those who frequently visited his booth, and was extremely flattered to learn that one woman got a tattoo of one of his illustrations.
Curtin especially loved seeing students from the College, and he loved remembering their names, majors and even graduation years.
Apart from ArtBurn, Curtin was also an active member of Saint Bede Catholic Church. He volunteered with Special Olympics, Meals on Wheels and Williamsburg House of Mercy.
“He was just a person who cared a lot about the underdogs and invested a lot in folks who needed it,” de Marcellus said.
Curtin’s art reflected his own creativity and created a community of those who fell in love with his bright colors and playful designs. When asked what inspired his illustrations, Curtin would reply that they were portraits of family and friends.
“I’m just glad that he didn’t try to conform to anything else or anyone’s expectations,” de Marcellus said.
An all-around creative person, Curtin loved to restore antiques, such as a square grand piano from the 1880s, and dreamed of creating illustrations for children’s books.
“He was not a conventional thinker,” de Marcellus said.
De Marcellus hopes to eventually move her father’s designs to an online platform where they can continue to be appreciated by the public.
“It was not, for my dad, a big money maker,” de Marcellus said. “I wouldn’t expect it to be a big money maker, but it just brings me joy. And, at least among his fan club, it seemed to bring a lot of joy, and I just feel like the world needs that, especially these days.”
The last of Curtin’s physical inventory will be sold April 13 at Second Sundays. This final booth will serve as a reminder of Curtin’s lasting impact on the Williamsburg community through his ability to connect with strangers and express their shared love of art.
“I’m very proud of him, I have to say,” de Marcellus said. “Proud of his art and just proud of who he was as a person. Just a really great person.”
