Portland Maine Holiday Art Gallery tours

Happy YoHo to ya'all

Holiday Times means friends or even better the fam is in town to visit!

Need something to do? 
Take them out for a little Kul-cha!
Maybe a beverage or two...
We're talking your own art tour of the Port-city...!

Their are several stomping shows that are in their last weeks,  I'll run the ideas by you at Machine Gun Pace if you want more info click on exhibit times, open hours and directions click on links.

PORTLAND GLASS BLOWING

Monjoy Hill (Back Nissen Bakery Building)
A Favorite Galley of mine during the cold winter months.  It's oh so warm and comfy is the Portland Glass Blowing Gallery of Ben Combs.  Ben is the bomb, blowing molten glass into outstanding shapes.  Ben's well known for producing unique one of a kind Glass lobster buoy's and Holiday ornaments.  The Place is warm,  the glass artist is dude cool.  Click on link for gallery hours during the holiday week.




GREENHUT GALLERY

Sarah Knock, Portland Show @ Greenhut

Next to PMA the Greenhut has set the bar so high for quality art & sculpture.  You can go in and always see something fantastic.  Ask for Lori,  she's approachable and will share interesting tidbits about the artists & art with you.  The current show has received rave reviews from the local press,  I toured the show two weeks ago and thought it was the bomb.   So many good artists (47) and they take a shot at a favorite spot in our fav city.  Lars Personal favorite the Gullseye view of the Custom House very  very. Airy...       
It is the Biennial Portland Group show, it is in it's last week. Closes Dec 31st.   See it, it's worth the time...



LEWIS GALLERY
Portland Public Library,  The Show is called Art Noveau (Vox Photographers Group).  This is the kind of show if you are a photographer you would want to be in this show. I reviewed it a few weeks back , its over in 10 days... Closes 31st so if you have not seen it make time , do not miss this show.

OSHER MAP LIBRARY

map from 15th century

"Envisioning the world" the first printed maps, If your a map geek it's a must see show, if your not a map geek you will be after you go and see this one.  Are you afraid of becoming a map geek?  Oh so life could be so bad, get a grip and go... Check the review a few weeks back this show closes 31st.   The maps are all originals from the private collection of California historian and map lover Henry Wendt.
This is truly a unique exhibit that is touring America's finer institutes of cartographic lore, we are fortunate to have it so close.  

GLICKMAN FAMILY LIBRARY
USM Portland campus Glickman Library gallery has 2 shows  this is in the same building as the Osher Map Library
Melanie Bennett's Old Port at Night. Plus the historical Photos of the Wamponahki, 
Glickman is a cool building they use to make 3500 loaves of bread a shift when it was the Nissen Bakery building back in the 40's

PMA yes the Mack-Daddy of Portland art, the show "False Documents and other Illusions".  Oh to be so good a forger and not have used your talents to break the law...   Actually one of the artists was arrested for allegedly defacing legal tender, or something like that.  You'll have to go to the PMA to find out but go before the end of the month the show is in it's last week.

MAINE COLLEGE OF ART
Has the" faculty show ",  these Professors of all things art! they are real artists they just also have a passion for teaching, when the opportunity to exhibit happens it's like a plant having the chance to bloom,  The art is good and the images strong.
At Maine College of Art Porteous Building,  Weird hours  check link...


ELIZABETH MOSS GALLERY

Michael Vermette @ Elizabeth Moss Gallery

A couple miles north of Portland on rt1 in Falmouth is the Elizabeth Moss Gallery. The current show entitled  Women of Monhegan & Michael Vermette which includes works by 5 women artists and Vermette,   I have not seen this show yet but anything Monhegan is usually cool and Vermette has a unique style and skill that is unquestioned.   Again check web site for Holiday hours.



Lots of art is an understatement.
Check gallery hours prior to your departure into Portland,  Remember it's as much about the journey and adventure as the actual art experience, enjoy it all.

Go for Adventure, Go see some art.
Why?
Because your good mind needs good art. 





The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

All Images are are property of Artists, for more information click on gallery links

Tim White a true Work of Art?

This week Lars takes 
a trip on a different road...




A good friend of mine 
Tim White died the other day.


He battled ALS & Cancer for the last year and would joke about it!  He was optimistic on the cloudiest days and he made you want to be a better person or at least be the best you could be...

You may not know Tim 
but when asked to describe him I would say:


"Tim's a work of Art"


Am I out of line in my description? 


I think not!


It was the great Tolstoy, yeah the War & Peace Tolstoy that also wrote a little know manifesto on What is Art  it was in 1896 that he wrote:


"Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them."


"It is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward the well-being of individuals and of humanity."



. "As thanks to man's capacity to express thoughts by words he can himself hand on to his contemporaries and descendants the thoughts he has assimilated" 


Tolstoy was a very wordy guy, (remember War & Peace was about 6"thick)


Allow me to paraphrase Tolstoy's Manefesto :

There is a uniqueness that we humans possess, when combined with respect and a touch of humor it is then,  that we become more than just a person we become a "Work of Art" for all to see.


Tim White 1958-2010  
Work of Art, 
Inspiration to many, 
Gave more than he took,  
friend to all who would listen. 
When I count my blessings
I count Tim twice!



Foot note:  Tim went to a sculpture show of mine a few years back, when I saw him after the show he said to me, I'm not an art guy, but I liked it, I don't really get it,  but I liked it.  He was an art guy and didn't even know it!

Why go see art?  
Your mind is like a plant and art is the water, the sun & the nutrients needed to help you grow into something unique.
Yes your good mind needs a feed ,  give it some art!  

Recommended Show:
  The Portland Exhibit @ The Greenhut.
  47 Maine artists expose their views of Portland
   The Show Continues through Dec 31st  
      Open Monday - Saturday 10-5pm
    


The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

Seasonal Window Art with a twist...

Christmas season in the old port. 
Every shop dressing their space for the big dance.

Love Window shopping.
That's actually within my holiday budget this year,
so I've been doing a lot of it.

I got art surprised yesterday at the corner of Trinket & Fern, oh I mean the corner of Market & Middle streets in the upper old port.
The New Shop Trinket & Fern is now the new sales home for several local artists.  It's the brain child of Lynn Curit-Smith & Ian Smith   They wanted to create a place where local artisans and local shoppers can meet and exchange goods. 

Back to the window shopping
So I was just browsing the window of Sebago Brewery looking at the Brewtique T's & lounge ware, then over to the Corduroy Surf Ski Gallery-Boutique after that I cross Market to the corner of Market and Middle.  There are 6 street level windows on the corner shop and they have displayed these  20" x 30"diorama's . (You know a diorama usually a model of something typically framed or in a box). So in each window there are two dioramas :12 drums in one diorama box and the other one in the window has 11 skateboarding dudes jumping off a mini skate park ramps complete with graffiti, In the next window 10 small shore birds, they look like Piping plovers, those birds your not even suppose to look at if you see them at the beach.  There's a couple dioramas with Geese, Swans, and women milking cows that's just in the Market street side windows.  The Middle street side has one diorama with 5 huge gaudy gold rings (still nothing) and then when I see a diorama with the 3 fashionista ladies observing a French dada-istic art scene, it hits me, yo three French Hens, yeah the 11 Skate board dudes are "Lords a Leaping",  Did you ever hear or see that  Movie the Lords of Dogtown loved it,  It took a lil'bit but now I got it; 12 drummers drumming,  11 Lords a Leaping, 10 Piping Plovers... it's the 12 days of Christmas done up like you would expect in ART CITY,   Left of center with a twist! 

The 12 days is art for a cause created by the Trinket & Fern Artists,  the diorama boxes are going to be raffled or if you've got flow you can just buy one outright ($50.00).  All proceeds from the 12 days will go to help the Portland Ronald McDonald house.
Funky fresh Art giving back to the community!   AMERICA WHAT A COUNTRY!

Thank you to the artists and  Ian & Lynn at Middle & Market , I mean Trinket & Fern. Please click on the links for more information on T & F, the exhibit and the cause.

Why go to the corner of Trinket & Fern

in the upper old port?

       Because your good mind needs good art!

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

MECA ART SALE , Buy Local and feel good about Christmas again!

Brown Paper packages tied up with String,

That's ok but try

MECA Art students selling cool art almost free !

When I'm buying ,the MECA Holiday Sale is one of my favorite things.
The 1st weekend in December is Craft sale weekend in every church in everytown Maine.
The Port City is no different, wait it is, it has the most happening Art School in the North east with the best art talent putting it all out for sale.
The gift of art at down right cheap holiday prices it's
>>>>>     The MECA HOLIDAY ART SALE   <<<<<

Last year at MECA Holiday sale I bought these cool orange foil origami crane earings the size of your finger nail,  the bride loved them , they are still today totaly unique and always garner complements and coments. All for under $10.00.  I'm looking for more of those this year.
There are 3 things you can expect at the MECA Holiday sale:
#1 the Porteous Building 522 Congress street will be packed with MECA Student, Alumni, Faculty & Staff Artists Selling their efforts,
#2 It will be packed with People buying cool art, I mean packed ( like hot body heat hot from so many folks)
#3 The prices for unique one of a kind gift art will be the best for the dollar holiday value you can find .  

The thing I really like best about this sale , is the money you spend at the MECA sale goes to help artists survive and create more art.  As a matter of fact you get to meet the artist and hand them your hard earned dollars.
Now that's buying Local!
That's FeelGood Capitalism and I can really buy into that...


MECA HOLIDAY ART SALE is at the Maine College of Art School  in the Porteous Building on Congress street the ground Zero for affordable art.
Holiday Sale Starts:  1st Friday 5-10pm and  continues Saturday 10-6pm
(do not forget to check out the MECA Faculty exhibit in the main Gallery on the 1st floor)

Why go see the MECA Artists at the Holiday Sale?
You could go to buy a Unique Holiday Gift,
or just go and browse, but go, 
because your good mind needs good art!

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

Please Note this isn't the only Holiday Art Sale in town , up on Monjoy Hill at the East End Community School is the Society for East End Artist Sale.  Perhaps one of the highest quality non jury reviewed art sales in the state.  It's more like a group art show that you get to buy the stuff right there right now.  I'll be there Saturday.  For More info click on the SEA HOLIDAY SALE