CRAFT Gallery opens its last show of 2016 on Friday, October 7th, with six fine craft artists who have been included in the 2016 and 2014 Biennials at The Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Susan Dewsnap, Morris Dorenfeld, Lynn Duryea, Jan Owen and Sharon Townshend, all of whom live and work in Maine, create artworks that honor traditional craft methods and are recognized as works of fine art. All have studied drawing, painting and art history at major art institutions and universities and have turned their interests to creating art with traditional craft materials. By using the craft medium as support, they break down the boundaries between craft and fine art.
Potter Susan Dewsnap, Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Bates College, investigates the dynamic of how drawing on the surface and the shape of her pottery can be intimately connected. She looks to painting and ceramic history, merging the two in her art. Weaver Morris Dorenfeld studied and practiced painting and has chosen the medium of fiber and tapestry technique to weave his abstract designs on the loom. He and Lynn Duryea are included in the 2016 CMCA Biennial. Duryea has returned to Maine after serving as Ceramics Professor of Art at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Her non- functional clay sculptures reference architectural, structural and mechanical elements. The physicality of construction, assembling and the poetic use of color is what interests her. Artist Jan Owen communicates through the art of calligraphy with brush marks, woven shapes and written words to create patterns and textures as strong design elements in her books, panels and scrolls. Quilter Daphne Taylor is a draftswoman who draws with thread. She explores the potential of fabric, needle and thread to create her “quilt drawings” with the eye of a painter, limiting herself to the bare essentials of color, line and design. Clay artist Sharon Townshend’s work is based on nature, finding inspiration in woods, fields, trees and plants. Working in clay is a continuum of these encounters. Her sought after Raku veggies are offered at CRAFT.
The show will continue until mid November to coincide with the Biennial at CMCA. CRAFT is located in the courtyard at 12 Elm Street in Rockland. Blind Albert will play live music outside in the courtyard, which will be comfortably heated and lit, from 5 to 7:30 pm during the October 7th First Friday Art Walk. FMI call 207 594 0167 and visit www.craftonelm.com
Dominique Ostuni’s solo exhibition, “Would an Angel Apologize for Spilling Champagne,” is on view through Oct. 3 at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland. A centerpiece of the exhibition is “Excess Comes Naturally,” an elaborate mirror standing more than 8 feet tall. The work begins with an ordinary functional object, then overwhelms that function with porcelain, […]
Waterfall Arts will invite the public inside more than 40 artist studios during the Lincoln Street Center Fall Open Studios from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 17 at 24 Lincoln St. in Rockland. During the free event, artists will open their studios and welcome visitors into their creative spaces. Guests can explore Rockland’s historic former […]
“Made in Maine,” the Maine Art Gallery’s annual member show, features more than 100 works of art across two floors of the historic Old Academy building in Wiscasset. The exhibition is on view through Oct. 18. Sara Stites of Thomaston, a new member, is showing at the gallery for the first time. Her oil painting […]
High Peaks Artisan Guild in Kingfield features Western Maine watercolor artist Karen Jordan Paul throughout September. Paul draws inspiration from wildlife found throughout Maine, particularly wild birds and fish. The guild celebrated Paul as its featured artist of the month during the Sept. 4 Kingfield Art Walk. High Peaks Artisan Guild is at 245 Main […]
Turtle Gallery in Deer Isle presents “Material Storytelling,” a three-artist exhibition featuring new work by Sheep Jones, Michele Ratté Delphin and Barbara Sullivan, through Oct. 11. The three artists use distinct materials and techniques to explore narrative, light and the quiet poetry of everyday objects. Jones brings her signature combination of oil and cold wax […]
Photographer Melonie Bennett will discuss her exhibition and debut monograph, “Holy Cow!,” from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts in Portland. The event will include an interview, reading and book signing. Photographer and writer Robert Diamante, a friend and fellow photographer, will interview Bennett. “Holy Cow!” presents an […]
Centre Street Arts Gallery in downtown Bath will open its fall show during the Bath Art Walk from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18. The gallery represents 20 local artists and will feature new work in its fall exhibition. Visitors can meet the artists, explore the show and enjoy refreshments during the reception. Centre Street […]
Maine artist Daryne Rockett will present “Restoring Liberty,” an exhibition of monotypes and mixed-media work, from Oct. 2 to Nov. 24 at the McDade Gallery at Bangor Public Library. The exhibition brings together two interconnected bodies of work examining freedom, democracy, justice and hope. In a series of layered monotypes, the Statue of Liberty appears […]
Maine Craft Weekend, an annual statewide celebration of craft, community and creativity, will return Oct. 3 and 4. The free, self-guided tour invites visitors to discover the people, places and stories behind Maine’s craft communities. Hundreds of participating artists and locations will host open studios, workshops, pop-up markets, exhibitions, fairs, artist talks, special events and […]