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

PHOTOGRAPHERS Impressionist vs Realist where do you stand?

Pictorialist Anne Brigmann 1930

It's Thanksgiving weekend in the states that means excess of : family, food, friends and conversation. If you have holiday visitors in town and you need a change of scenery take a tour of the Portland art district , walk off a yam or two and see some art.

 One of the central debates in all art is Impressionism vs Realism; which is better, which do you like? There are two excellent shows that feature the use of the camera and offer up a buffet of potential controversy for you art gourmands.
    The VOX  Photographs gallery has a Public exhibit in the Portland Library's Lewis gallery.  This exhibit displays some of the best in Photo artistic talent that the state of Maine can offer and the PMA's show Debating  Modern Photography is a recap of the Impressionist vs Realist battle royal that ragged in the 1930's and in some, still rages today.

f/64 Artist Ed Weston's Cypress 1932

It was in the 1930's that a group of rabble rousing photographers openly questioned there own as to the future of Photo Art. Historically prior to the 30's it was the pictorialist photographers that ruled the day,  they are the photographers that by intention worked photo images to a more fuzzy impressionistic painterly style.  It was leading photo pictorialist William Mortensen that stated: "The business of  a work of art (insert word photograph) is to make an effect, not report a fact".    In come the "f/64" photo renegades, the f/64 is after the camera's small aperture which produced greater depth of field and more detail. It was photographers: Ansel Adams, William Van Dyke & Edward Weston that shook the Photo Art status quo.  Together they created a manifesto that was a call to action for photographers to embrace the new future and focus their photo art on the capability of the camera to capture detail.  The Portland Museum of Art's show Debating Modern Photography the triumph of group f/64 is perhaps one of the best exhibits I have seen of both schools. The exhibit is so complete and extensive that it asks a question and has your answer before you know it; Are you a "Pictorialist" or Realist sympathizer?

Abigail Wellmen VOX Photographs

After viewing the f/64  Debating Modern Photography show at PMA you are ready for the VOX Photographs exhibit at Portland Library's Lewis Gallery.  The Lewis is huge, with a high ceiling bathed in light,  it is a fantastic venue to view the fine art Photography of the 11 VOX photo artists.   Let it be said: talent, technique, composition and darn good timing are skills all the VOX photographers possess, where they differ is in subject matter & presentation.   My Favorite pieces of the exhibit are steeped in color but that is all they have in common.   Abigail Wellman's work Holiday Inn is like jumping into the twilight zone, that somewhere between sight and sound...  Also bold in color, strong in composition and precise in timing  is Mark Rockwood's Pool table lightning bright neon flash with out florescent noble gas, how did he do that? It is a stunning piece that begets more questions; How many beers? How many years? How many games of pool had Rockwood played in that bar on that pool table until that exact moment came?  Those are just two of 48 photographs in this exhibit from the VOX artists it is refreshingly modern exhibit compared to PMA show..
Pictorialist or Realist or both what moves you?  The debate continues on....

Mark Rockwood Pool Table Lightning VOX Photographs

 Debating Modern Photography   is in it's last week and the final day is Dec 5th, don't forget the PMA is open every Friday evening 5-8pm for free courtesy of grant from LL Bean.
The VOX show in the Lewis Gallery continues through Dec 31st for hours & Directions click Portland Library   

Why go see the efforts of the
VOX Photographers and The PMA show Debating Modern Photography

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/

Note: Images from VOX photo Artists are supplied courtesy of VOX Photographs and are available for purchase through there web site. For more info e-mail VOXPHOTOGRAPHS.COM

Map Art the Osher Map Library VS The Fitzy Gallery @MECA

Maps & Charts! Love'm

Maps reek adventure and discovery.  To go tour two galleries with exhibits that involve maps sounded like a journey worth embarking on.


1st Stop was the Famous Osher Map Library  & Gallery, Did you know early map makers were not called map makers or chart makers they were called cosmographers,  They were the Graphic artists of their time and responsible for sharing the knowledge of the known & unknown world/heavens. It was the graphic nature and idea of the existence of a 4th world that was presented in a 1507 Map by cosmographer Waldseemuller.  Little did he know that his map would forever change and have a profound influence on the great Copernicus and Copernican theory's  on the order of the universe.  I don't have time to tell ya all, so click on the links for more info on the maps, more info on the theory's and the exhibit "Envisioning the World  The First printed maps1472-1700".
It will part the blinds so you can see the art of the map in a new light.

Now the yang of the Osher yin is the June Fitzpatrick Gallery  @ the Maine College of Art and the Show "Deconstruction".  The Map artists or shall we call them cosmoarters give new life to old and outdated maps. By their efforts we are forced as viewers,  like Copernicus to change the way we view the world.  Jeff Woodbury's Ground Zero provides vision of a previously hidden lattice. The image was extracted with the precision of a surgeon from some outdated Rand McNally. It exposes in a new way the arteries and veins that allow the flood of life to enter New York city each day.
Conversely artist  Irmari Nacht 's shredding of a world atlas at first is shocking but creates a sculptural rebirth of the map book back into it's original tree form, it's the circle of life thang.

At first the different exhibits appear diametrically opposed, yet upon further review are originating from a common place.
Both exhibits offer images that will ask you to embrace a new outlook.

Envisioning the worlds 1st printed maps @ the Osher-Glickman library Gallery at the University of Southern Maine continues through Dec 31st,
The Deconstruction Show at the June Ftzy Gallery is in it's last week, so get there before Thanksgiving. 

Why chart a course for these galleries, 

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/


QUICK LINKS TO COOL MAP STUFF:

Interactive Waldseemullermap of the world

For access to Osher map archives to view or purchase click  MAPS


Link to Toby Lester'sbook   4th part of World, Epic Story of the map that gave America it's name;

Link to all the Maps in the Osher exhibit "Envisoning the World..."

Don Meserve Momento Mori... We will miss you.

It was two Physicists Charles Mann & George Twiss, not philosophers that put forward the question:
"When a tree falls in a lonely forest and there is no animal to hear it, does it make a sound?"


The art world had a big tree fall this week, a resounding bomb and crash was heard worldwide as renown Maine Sculptor Don Meserve died in his home this week surrounded by family and friends.



Don a fantastic sculptor is best know for his work the famous "stations of the cross" 14 pewter cast Bas-reliefs depicting Christ's walk to crucifixion as seen by Christ, They have been exhibited in Washington DC's National Cathedral & New York's Trinity Church. In 2008 they were installed permanently in Portland's St Luke Cathedral's Emanuele Chapel.  If you've never been there it is a treat, the Chapel is this octagonal Victorian era edition to the catherdral with stunning Philippine mahogany carvings and intricately layered step moldings, the woodwork is mind blowing.  All in all, it's a special place for Don's incredibly interesting twist on the most religious theme.

I was first drawn to Don by his work in Granite & Basalt.  His most famous piece is perhaps the 2007 International Sculpture Symposium piece called "CLEAT" , it's huge deck cleat located out in Winter Harbor.  It celebrates the maritime industry and depending on tide looks like a boat or a big ass cleat out in the middle of the harbor.  Don called his art in stone "rewarding , but merciless when it doesn't work out".


A graduate of University of Bridgeport with a degree in Industrial Engineering, it was this background that helped him map out a successful path to his goal of creating something simple & beautiful out of such difficult stones.  A teacher for many years at the Rhode Island School of design he worked there with colleagues; glass blower Dale Chihuly  and woodworker Tage Frid.  I think it might have been that tenure at RISD,  that he found his life passion, that ability to enjoy the process of making art and encouraging inspiration in his fellow artists.

Don would say and I paraphrase;

" Art is a continuum, it is bigger than you or me, it's bigger than us.  It's a life path that is gratifying because you can borrow from the past and create for the future".  Don inspired many sculptors because he was living our dream, which may be true but mostly Don inspired because he was intelligent, gave respect, enjoyed humor, and if he found out you were an artist, he went out of his way to help you on your path.
Don was living an artists dream, his dream.
Don Maine will miss you , I will miss you.

Don's work is displayed in the Gleason Galleries Boothbay & Congress street in Portland and the "Stations of the Cross" bas-reliefs are in St Luke Cathedral's Emmanuel Chapel on State street in our city by the sea.
(Saturday Nov 13th the Cathedral is open for tours as the Holiday Street fair and state street stroll takes place) 

Go see some of Don's works this Saturday , Visit the Gleason gallery on Congress or go to the State Street Stroll 9am - 3pm and stop in to Saint Luke's Cathedral, as you enter the church go left through the archway corridor into the Emanuel Chapel and take in                        Don Meserve's "Stations of the cross"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
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/