By Newlin Tillotson Blue Hill, ME- For as long as I can remember, I have been venturing to Blue Hill, Maine every summer to spend a week by the ocean with my family. The tall pines, rocky beaches and dark blue sea draw me to the area year after year. I visited the villages of Stonington, Blue Hill and Deer Isle the week of July 4 to take in the local charm, seafood restaurants and a plethora of art galleries. After grabbing a basket of fried clams for lunch at Fish Net in Blue Hill, I stopped in Handworks Gallery on Maine Street to check out the exhibited work by local artists. Handworks Gallery features the crafts of jewelers, potters, wood workers, photographers, painters and fiber artists. The gallery is full of vibrant colors with a strong ocean influence. On the floor throughout the gallery are floor cloths created by Dale Macurdy that attract the eye with swirling colors, … [Read more...] about Wanderlust: Coastal Maine
Artscope Online
CORNERED: Sculptor, Peter Beerits
By Newlin Tillotson Deer Isle, ME- A quirky jelly farm in the heart of Deer Isle, Maine is also home to a variety of sculptures created from found objects from the local area that include a giant flamingo, a Western town and Knights from the Round Table. Nervous Nellie’s Jams and Jellies’ founders Peter and Anne Beerits began the business 25 years ago and now produce about 300 to 350 jars of jelly and jam a day. Through the years, Peter has created an interactive museum of sculptures that are scattered throughout his land and the woods adjacent to the jelly store. Artscope’s Newlin Tillotson caught up with Peter to learn about his inspiration and his next big project. TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS AN ARTIST AND WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO DEER ISLE? I went to the Boston Museum School (Museum of Fine School of Fine Arts, Boston), which was a great place for me. I really loved … [Read more...] about CORNERED: Sculptor, Peter Beerits
CORNERED: MONICA HINOJOS OF 3RIVERS ARTS
By Brian Goslow Ayer, MA- Built on the nearly four decade legacy of the former Groton Center for the Arts, 3Rivers Arts, a Ayer-Mass. based non-profit regional arts organization, has the stated mission of “engaging the humanities for artful living in central Massachusetts by connecting artists with audiences in a variety of creative forms and expressions” through quality arts education and events. Artscope’s managing editor Brian Goslow cornered executive director Monica Hinojos to see how things are progressing at 3Rivers Arts and find out about its summer offerings. WHAT ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN ON YOUR PLATE TODAY? A medley of activities is always on my plate each day. Today, everything from The Nines festival sponsorship meetings, board member discussions, a team meeting, working on The Nines creative brief and other 3Rivers Arts projects and events. Of course, answering … [Read more...] about CORNERED: MONICA HINOJOS OF 3RIVERS ARTS
Preview: Severin Haines: Recent Landscapes at Dedee Shattuck Gallery
By Don Wilkinson Westport, MA- In anticipation of the July exhibition of the recent work of Severin (Sig) Haines at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery, I have made several visits to his studio in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and although I have long been familiar with Haines and his paintings, I was delighted to see him pushing personal aesthetic boundaries, albeit within the genre he is best known for: the landscape. But when is a landscape painter not a landscape painter? When he is a formalist’s formalist. Close examination of the work reveals that, for Haines, the act of painting is not in service to the landscape, but rather, that the landscape is in service to painting itself. There are the comforting hallmarks and reassurances of the traditional landscape; the softening horizon line, brilliant dapples of sunlight, the calligraphy of tree branches and grass blades. However, the work … [Read more...] about Preview: Severin Haines: Recent Landscapes at Dedee Shattuck Gallery
Mystic as a Muse: 100 Years of Inspiration at the Mystic Arts Center
By Newlin Tillotson Mystic, CT- The Mystic Arts Center in the seaport town of Mystic, Conn. has had a long-standing history as an influential home for the arts. Its newest exhibition, “Mystic as a Muse: 100 Years of Inspiration,” explores a history that began with founder Charles Harold Davis, a landscape painter and impressionist, who settled along the Mystic River to capture the area’s marine beauty. The exhibit features work from the past 100 years up to the present day. The center perches on the edge of Mystic River and is just around the corner from the downtown shops. There are small boutiques, independent art galleries and jewelry stores, including The Art Garden, where visitors can find beads from around the world and a friendly pug named “Buddha.” At the top of the street, adjacent to the arts center, is the famous Mystic Pizza, the place Julia Roberts worked at as “Daisy” … [Read more...] about Mystic as a Muse: 100 Years of Inspiration at the Mystic Arts Center
Transformed Volumes at the Hera Gallery
By Newlin Tillotson Wakefield, RI - In “Transformed Volumes” at the Hera Gallery, the work of an artist is juxtaposed with the work of an author. Curated by Paul Forte, the exhibit includes six artists from around the country who work with books as a medium. Forte himself specializes in artist bookworks, and several of his pieces are on display, including “Map of Chaos,” a collage of a shredded atlas on canvas and “John Brown’s Body,” a book on a white pedestal that was unearthed after being buried in the ground for almost a year. Both pieces include details that add context to the work. “Map of Chaos” has jagged red, blue and green lines mixed throughout. Gallery director Dora Szekely said it reminds her of a T.V. gone static. Similarly, “John Brown’s Body” is weathered and worn from the elements; new roots are growing through the cover of the book. “Forte found it … [Read more...] about Transformed Volumes at the Hera Gallery