It was an extremely windy day in Portland and across the northeast. By the time I arrived at the city’s east end it was close to 12 p.m. and many artists at the show had already packed up their things and left, the wind having put their artwork, tents and equipment at risk of flying away. Nonetheless, the vendors that remained were in good spirits and excited to speak with me. I spent the next hour wandering from “shop to shop,” appreciating the varied crafts and talking with the local artists in attendance. I spoke first with a woman selling Ash Cove’s “Double Double Dip Dinghies,” mugs, figurines and more — the earthy pottery was hearty and stayed steady against the wind. She explained to me that these events (put on by Maine Crafts Association and aptly named “East End Vend”) came about as the Association worked to respond and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, and have ultimately … [Read more...] about CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR AN ONGOING CRISIS: MAINE CRAFTS ASSOCIATION’S EAST END VEND IN PORTLAND
Maine
GIVING PAUSE: VANDER SCHAAF’S VISUAL POEMS AT BROMFIELD
The Greek aphorism “Know thyself” has been attributed to numerous ancient Greek sages, but probably most often to Socrates and Plato. In more recent history, such luminaries as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Samuel Coleridge, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others have incorporated it into various dissertations of their work on self-examination and the exploration of wisdom. Westbrook, Maine (near Portland), encaustic artist, Dietlind Vander Schaaf, has followed her own path and adopted the enlightened understanding the sages embrace — totally in her own way. She’s effectively married her love of yoga — she’s a trained Kripalu instructor — with her studio work. She strives to “render ‘quiet’ visible.” And hence has embodied her own version of “Know thyself.” Vander Schaaf, who earned an MFA from the University of San Francisco and an MA from the University of Southern Maine, has immersed herself … [Read more...] about GIVING PAUSE: VANDER SCHAAF’S VISUAL POEMS AT BROMFIELD
MASTERFUL COLLECTIONS: MAINE’S UNIVERSITIES SHOWCASE AMERICA’S BEST
Driving across the Piscataqua River Bridge, connecting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with Kittery, Maine, a magnetic force seems to pull me to the end of the North American continent, east to the sea. Stately evergreen trees bordering the highway end as pines appear, their fragrance and statuesque beauty announcing that northeastern state where the sun first rises on America and a new Maine day. My Maine college art museums tour begins at Bowdoin College, with some of the oldest American art in any museum. With over 5000 art objects in its collection, and a statue commemorating the bear brought back from 1898 graduate Donald B. MacMillan’s 1915 Arctic expedition guarding its campus and Andy Warhol’s 1983 graphite drawing “Polar Bear” in its permanent collection, The Bowdoin College Museum of Art’s Maine-focused work emphasizes the state’s wild environment and constant struggle with … [Read more...] about MASTERFUL COLLECTIONS: MAINE’S UNIVERSITIES SHOWCASE AMERICA’S BEST
MIDCOAST MAINE: LOCAL COLOR AND FOODS AWAIT FALL ADVENTURERS
I like to joke that I found freedom in Maine. And in a way, it’s true. Recently, I traveled up the coast to the small town of Freedom for a much-needed weekend away. While there, I was delighted to find not just the peaceful, bucolic scenery I had been craving but also a region bursting with local flavor — from lobster shacks, farm-to-table restaurants and an Amish charcuterie to open studios, galleries and off the beaten path museums. Though summer is nearly over, the foliage will soon be blazing, and there is plenty of time to visit Midcoast Maine before winter. Local Color Gallery and Local Foods // Belfast, ME Belfast, at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River, has a bustling arts scene for such a small city. Many artists live and work in the region, displaying their work in Belfast’s many galleries, and the city hosts a monthly Fourth Friday Art Walk. Finch Gallery, Belfast … [Read more...] about MIDCOAST MAINE: LOCAL COLOR AND FOODS AWAIT FALL ADVENTURERS
ROCKLAND, MAINE: FINE ART, FINE DINING, FINE ACCOMMODATIONS
Maine is famous for its picturesque, artsy villages dotting the craggy coastline from Kittery to Cutler. Rockland was long included among the scores of such charming oceanside hamlets, but over the past few years, it has quietly evolved into a world-class destination for visual art. Anchored by the Farnsworth Art Museum — an international mecca for Wyeth fans — Rockland made a quantum leap forward with the 2016 opening of the architecturally exquisite Toshiko Mori-designed Center for Maine Contemporary Art. While Rockland already boasted more galleries than any other Maine municipality — including Portland — the sleek new CMCA underscores that cutting edge contemporary art has decisively overtaken traditional plein air painting as Maine’s primary output. With the fresh blossoming of art venues, finer amenities followed. Whereas Main Street was once quaintly lined with tchotchke … [Read more...] about ROCKLAND, MAINE: FINE ART, FINE DINING, FINE ACCOMMODATIONS
A TEACHABLE MOMENT: 10 YEAR MAINE CRAFTS RETROSPECTIVE AT FULLER
Is it “craft” or “fine art?” This old distinction is blurred in “Ten Years of Master Craft Artists” at the Fuller Craft Museum. Five craftspersons from the Maine Crafts Association exhibit works that are traditionally utilitarian, while 12 others look more like fine art. Tom Ferrero deserves the “Master Craft Artist, 2019” award he received for his “Collar of the Chancellor,” a silver and steel necklace. This circular, sculptural piece may be worn as a necklace, or the collar could be used as a table decoration surrounding a floral bouquet. Ferrero states that his inspiration derives from “Star Wars” movies. However, the basic motif of embellished leaves or shields surrounded by engraved grain stalks also recalls the Art Nouveau movement and Tiffany designs. “Traditional Maine Birchbark Canoe” by Steve Cayard is a functional, full-scale canoe in the traditional style of Penobscot … [Read more...] about A TEACHABLE MOMENT: 10 YEAR MAINE CRAFTS RETROSPECTIVE AT FULLER