The family of Art and Mary Carlson gather at the Marquette Maritime Museum on Saturday, Sept. 17, 17, to donate a collection of maritime artist Jim Clary prints to the museum. Shown with framed artist proofs of the Carl D. Bradley, left, and the Edmund Fitzgerald are, from left, Tori Nanstad, Andy Slaven, Pat Burke, Patti Slaven, Mary Carlson, Art Carlson, Fred Rydholm and Brian Slaven. (Photo courtesy of the Marquette Maritime Museum)

By Journal Staff

MARQUETTE — The family of Art and Mary Carlson donated a collection of prints by maritime artist and author Jim Clary to the Marquette Maritime Museum on Saturday, Sept. 17

The collection includes unframed lithograph prints, framed prints, and framed artist proofs and remarqued prints. The collection was given to Art Carlson throughout his 15-year friendship with Clary, while a few were purchased by Art and Mary Carlson.

According to the museum, Art Carlson volunteered in Clary’s gallery on the weekends in downstate St. Clair as a favor to the artist for years. As payment, Clary would give him signed prints. Clary always gave him the 1000/1000 numbered print so Art Carlson would tell everyone that “my print number is on everyone else’s print.”

The donated collection includes a series of prints and pen-and-ink drawings based on the 1994 Shannon expedition of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Clary died in 2018.

Some of the prints will go in the museum’s permanent collection, with a special exhibit of the Edmund Fitzgerald series on display during the 2023 season. The museum will set up a page on its website to display prints for sale in the near future.