Carl Sprinchorn: All the World is a Painting, On View August 6 – November 15, 2026
The Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA) presents Carl Sprinchorn: All the World is a Painting, on view August 6 – November 15, 2026, a major exhibition devoted to an underrecognized voice in American modernism. Born in Sweden and arriving in New York in 1903 to study with Robert Henri, Sprinchorn (1887–1971) developed a wide-ranging practice informed by global travel and deep artistic community. His friendships with figures such as Marsden Hartley, Charles Demuth, Marguerite and William Zorach, B.J.O. Nordfeldt, and Florine Stettheimer placed him within the vibrant artistic networks that shaped early twentieth-century American art.
All the World is a Painting brings renewed attention to Sprinchorn’s contribution to American art, contextualizing his practice within wider discussions of modernism, queer history, environmental concern, and transnational artistic exchange.
The exhibition is co-organized by guest curator Donna Cassidy and OMAA’s Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Devon Zimmerman, who explains, “All the World is a Painting repositions Sprinchorn beyond a regionalist framework, tracing how travel, industry, sexuality, gender, and class shaped his work both within and beyond Maine. By bringing Sprinchorn into sharper critical focus, the exhibition not only expands our understanding of his achievement but also illuminates the broader complexities of American modernism in the early twentieth century.”
Although long associated with Maine—where Sprinchorn produced some of his most compelling images—his career reflects a much broader cultural and aesthetic landscape. The exhibition highlights his deft movement between working-class subjects and scenes of leisure, between intimate portraits and energetic compositions of lumberjacks, hunters, dancers, and swimmers. Together, these works illuminate the artist’s negotiations of identity as a Swedish immigrant, a gay man, and a modern painter attuned to shifting ideas of region, nation, labor, and the natural world.
RELATED EXHIBITION
An exhibition of Sprinchorn’s work at Bates College Museum of Art, Carl Sprinchorn: Points of View, will be on view from October 1 through December 19, 2026. Together, the two projects represent the most comprehensive presentation of his paintings and drawings to date, deepening our understanding of an artist whose relevance continues to grow.
PUBLICATION
The catalogue Carl Sprinchorn: A Rediscovery, to be published by the University of Maine Press in August 2026 in collaboration with the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and the Bates College Museum of Art, brings together more than 180 sketches and paintings—the most comprehensive publication of the artist’s work to date. This landmark volume offers a major reevaluation of Sprinchorn’s legacy, positioning him on the national stage alongside his peers, where his work has long belonged.
ADDITIONAL EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS
Additional exhibitions will be presented at OMAA during the 2026 season: Looking for America on view April 10 – July 19; American Conversations, on view April 10 – November 15; and Maggie Strater: In Her Own Light , on view April 10 – November 15. Additionally, OMAA will present guest lectures by such renowned artists as Cara Romero, and a robust slate of programs, special events, and community collaborations. Visit https://ogunquitmuseum.org for more information.
ABOUT THE OGUNQUIT MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART (OMAA)
The Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA) presents thought-provoking exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, and engaging education and community programs. The Museum’s seaside landscape and three-acre sculpture park offer a sense of place and a destination for experiencing art and nature, with stunning panoramic views of Maine’s iconic coves and outcroppings.
Founded by a community of artists and supporters, led by Henry Strater (1896-1987), and opened in 1953, OMAA celebrates its ties to one of America’s earliest art communities which directly contributed to the roots of modernism in the United States. OMAA’s collection includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and photographs from the late 1800s to the present.
Led by Executive Director David Cunningham and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Devon Zimmerman, OMAA is open for the 2026 season from April 10 through November 15. For more information, visit ogunquitmuseum.org.
Media Contact: Meg Blackburn, meg@blackburncreative.com
