Remembering Stephen and Grete Palermo

By Shelley Wigglesworth

For more than half a century, Stephen and Grete Palermo quietly relished in their little slice of heaven on Land’s End Road in Kennebunkport. New York City was their primary residence where Steve and Grete lived in the same rent-controlled apartment on the Lower East Side of 123 Second Ave. until 2014. In 2014 the couple moved to Land’s End permanently to their modest, roomy ranch surrounded by nature, just steps away from Paddy Cove and a stone’s throw away from Cape Porpoise Harbor. From the beginning in the 1960’s when the couple bought their home on Land’s End, they quickly became a part of the fabric of the community. When they moved to Kennebunkport permanently, it was more like a homecoming for them, and they were welcomed with open arms.

Steve Palermo graduated from the Philadelphia Museum College of Art with a BFA in Fashion Design in 1958, advancing his art studies in Paris France in the following years. It was in Paris, that he met Grete and the couple married there in 1961. Their goddaughter Sophie Revillard Kaufman said while living in Paris “they enjoyed spending time with a lively crowd of international friends and artists and listening to live jazz.”

Steve went on to work for as a freelance fabric designer for a number of Europe’s well known high end dress manufactures and fabric converters, in addition to designing and working for moderately priced clothing companies in the United States. He ran a garment factory in Puerto Rico and showed his fabric design work at NoHo Gallery in NYC for years. He was known as one of the premiere designers for swimsuits and sports clothing in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

It was his inventive, abstract patterns that set his art style apart from other designers, and Grete was not only his partner in life, but in art as well. Her suggestions and influence, as well as her work with him firsthand with mock-up designs for dress fabrics throughout his career further strengthened his success.

Shortly after buying their Land’s End home, Steve began showing his original fabric designs at Mission Art Gallery in Kennebunkport, which was housed in a former church on Maine Street in Kennebunkport. Fellow artist and former gallery director John Andrews said “As an abstract artist, I was always drawn to Steve’s work. His art was based on his own experimental techniques. He liked to see how different paints reacted together and would sometimes combine house paints, industrial paints, and enamels to experiment with effect. There was a lot of motion in his work- swirling and marbleizing. His was inventive, and I believe the results of his experiments sometimes surprised even him.”

Steve also created abstract sculptures, working with found objects, discarded metals, and other materials he collected in both NYC and Maine, often while walking with his dog Molly. The Palermo property was the unofficial exhibition area for most of his sculptures. Pieces were placed in the yard and along wooden pathways Steve had forged on the property over the years. Smaller sculptures were also inside the home.

Neighbor and friend Susan Field became close to the couple over the last few decades of their lives. She reflected on them fondly. “They loved nature and geography. They were enthusiastic, and they had their own way of doing things, as most artists do. Both were honest about their thoughts, reasonings, and philosophy. They were wonderful people, and their spirit is alive and well at Land’s End. I will always remember them in their little yellow boat with their dog, Molly.”

Andrews added “The Palermo’s were Bohemian characters, who loved Kennebunkport. Steve was known as the unofficial harbormaster of Lands’ End, making sure boats were safe and in order.”

Kaufman said “Steve and Grete formed a remarkable couple, fiercely independent, yet deeply supportive of each other. They were warm, kind, generous, welcoming, curious about everything and everyone, and so committed to their friends, neighbors, and the community, always ready to help. Also very funny, they both had a fierce sense of humor. They loved entertaining friends, Grete was a very accomplished cook, adding her own twist to traditional French, Danish, and American recipes.”

Katie Kerr and her husband are the current owners of the Palermo house and have left it much the same as the Palermo’s had. Katie said “We love everything about this property, and the legacy. We feel so lucky to live here. I think a lot of other people might have bought this house and torn it down, but we love its character. Hopefully, we can maintain the Palermos' legacy of keeping the property unique and interesting.”

After the couple passed, in 2017 Stephen and Grete Palermo gifted 40% of their estate and Stephen’s collection of modern art paintings and sculptures to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. 60% was also left to the Nature Conservatory.

Tom Bradbury, executive director of the Trust said “We were so excited, and grateful, for their generosity. We envision using some of the sculptures in a future art trail. Some paintings have been sold and others will continue to be sold to raise funds for the Cape Porpoise Archeological Alliance, a branch of the KCT. Such gifts are transformational to the Trust, allowing us to accomplish projects that will benefit generations yet to be born. I believe Stephen would have enjoyed the fact that his work was being displayed and that the money raised from his paintings will help uncover the ancient history of the place he called home doubles that pleasure. Seeing his art go to good homes delights us, for it honors him, even as it helps to fulfill the trust that he put in us.”

Field echoed Bradbury’s sentiments “It is fitting that they left so much of their assets to the KCT and the Nature Conservatory so that others could enjoy and experience what they loved and believed in.” 

In February of 2022, Tim Spahr of the CPAA organized a sale of some of Palermo’s paintings at F8 Gallery in Dock Square. Brad Maushart, artist, and owner of F8 said “The paintings sold at F8 were large, colorful, abstract paintings, all different but with that ‘right amount of the seventies’ look. It was easy to picture his art as patterns on beautiful dresses, yet they could be also used as trendy wallpaper design today. Almost all were painted on paper and sold for $300-each, with one larger canvas selling for $600. In total eleven pieces sold in one weekend; people loved them, and I am glad that the Trust could benefit.”

John Ripton is currently organizing another show and sale of Steve Palermo’s work which will take place at the Atlantic Hall in Cape Porpoise in early July. Details will be forthcoming.