Justin McCarthy Becomes Known

Strauser managed to arrange numerous showings in more professional settings for the artist. One man shows followed. In 1965 the Everhart Museum in Scranton PA mounted a solo show, and the Museum of Art selected four paintings for their touring exhibition “Seventeen Naive Painters” in 1966. There were shows at East Stroudsburg College in 1967 and again in 1972. Most notably the solo show at the Allentown Art Museum in 1985 resulted in the color catalog shown here. From that point on numerous exhibitions, catalogs and books have reproduced his paintings. The artist was in his 70s by this point but demand for his works, especially the large oils, was heavy. None of this seems to have changed McCarthy. He continued his remarkable prolific output. In the late 1970s age took it’s toll, and he “retired” to be near some family in Arizona, where continued painting sporadically until he passed at age 86.