Jazz Players
Oil on canvas, c. 1995, 19 ¾” x 23 ¾”
Framing by the Noble Maritime Collection
Jack Demyan (1923-99) is the legendary restaurateur and a prolific painter known for capturing nostalgic scenes of Staten Island. In 1954, he opened Demyan's Hofbrau, a favorite watering hole for judges, public officials, lawyers, and artists drawn by his gourmet cooking and personality, and ran it until it was destroyed by fire in 1980. He personalized the Hofbrau, giving select regulars their own booths with name tags and dedicating a room to John A. Noble. Eventually he set up an easel in his office at the restaurant and created more than 2,000 works of art. In his later years he studied with Zygmund Jankowski, a well-known watercolor painter. Like Noble, Jankowski admired Jack’s work. The spontaneity and looseness of Jazz Players reflect his influence. Demyan’s works were included in exhibitions at the Art Lab, the Wagner College Gallery, and Staten Island Museum.
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