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