Anita Coffin Dammin (American 1920-2005) Oil on Canvas “Birds in Flights”, signed lower right A. Coffin Dammin and on reverse, in thin wood frame

30 in. x 24 in. Framed 33 in. x 26 in.

Dammin was born and raised on island, spending summers assisting Ernest Hemingway’s mother, Grace, an artist who roomed at the Coffin family’s guest house. After graduating from Nantucket High School, Dammin trained as a nurse in the 1930s. She lived and worked in Puerto Rico, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Weston before pursuing her dream to become an artist. Dammin trained in modern art and printmaking at Brandeis University, the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, and Radcliffe College.

An original member of the Nantucket Printmakers, Dammin was active as an artist on island between 1960 and 1980. She recalled the ladies dressing up and having a grand time as artists. She showed at the Lobster Pot Gallery as well as AAN’s Kenneth Taylor Gallery and Little Gallery, and was a member of the Copley Society in Boston. She worked for ten years as Head Administrator for AAN.