Ellsworth Courthouse Gallery is currently showing new work by Jeffery Becton through August 13, including several of his large-format digital montages. In addition, Becton’s over-sized montages are currently traveling in a national exhibition hosted by Bates College Museum of Art. The tour began at a solo exhibition at Bates in November 2015, and has since traveled to the University of Tennessee, the Vero Beach Museum of Art in Florida, and will open in Virginia at Lynchburg College on August 29.
“What I especially enjoy about Becton’s touch is that he doesn’t try to hide his Photoshop tracks (layers, cutout marks, filters – particularly Photoshop’s “watercolor” filter – etc.) just as many painters don’t try to hide their brushwork. . . . This is an important facet of Becton’s work: It is not simple conceptualism driven by one-dimensional wit. Becton follows his ideas with depth. . . . While the show includes a few (quite beautiful) black and white images, they underscore Becton’s broad palette. Moreover, with this exhibition, Becton makes the case that he is arguably the best colorist in Maine in any medium.” — Daniel Kany, Maine Sunday Telegram, 2016
“As in the work of surrealists like René Magritte (who, by the way, championed photomontage way before Adobe made it cool), things may not be what they seem in Becton’s work, but they still possess an unsettling, ambiguous familiarity. Erosion is a theme of both Becton’s art and his process: nature eroding the manmade, the digital eroding the physical—each one as implacable as the waves of the Atlantic lapping at Deer Isle’s shores.” — Grace-Yvette Gemmell, Down East, 2015
Inspired by the tidal reaches and atmospheric weather near his Deer Isle home and the summer homes on the Blue Hill Peninsula, Becton creates provocative photo-based digital montages, often playing with the borders between dream and reality, interior and exterior, abstraction and representation. His montages frequently contain architectural elements and objects from these vintage New England houses, many of which are part of his personal history.
Becton’s work has been in numerous solo, group, and juried exhibitions, featured in national and international publications, and is included in many private and museum collections, including Bates College of Art, Farnsworth Museum of Art, and Portland Museum of Art, among others. Becton’s work is also highlighted in “Jeffery Becton: The Farthest House” (Marshall Wilkes), a recent monograph by Carl Little. Signed copies of the book are available at Courthouse Gallery.
Courthouse Gallery is located at 6 Court Street in Ellsworth. Hours: Monday–Saturday 10am–5:30pm; Sunday 12–4pm. For more information on upcoming shows call 207-667-6611, or visit www.courthousegallery.com
The Deer Isle Artists Association announces the opening of its show titled “Colorful Composing,” on view from July14–26. The vibrant works in this show convey the emotive power and beauty of color through the mediums of painting, printmaking, ceramics, photography, and woodwork. Featured artists in this show are Marianne Alweis, Sarah Baskin, Betsy Braunhut, Katherine […]
Local Color Gallery is pleased to welcome guest artist Sally Stanton from July 21 through August 23. She will talk about her work at the July Art Walk reception on Friday, July 24th, 4-7 pm. Stanton will speak at 5:30. Stanton says that her abstract figurative work is a departure from the non-representational paintings she […]
As Sylvan Gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary season, it is pleased to present Exploring Light: New Paintings by Paul Batch on view July 18 through August 15. This new collection celebrates Batch’s enduring fascination with light and atmosphere across the Maine landscape, expressed through his distinctive blend of observation, memory, and painterly interpretation. Visitors will […]
‘Imagining an Archipelago’ features six newly commissioned works and includes contributions by more than 40 artists connected to Cuba, Guam, the Philippines and Puerto Rico Waterville, Maine — Contemporary art brings together histories separated by oceans and generations in “Imagining an Archipelago: Art from Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Their Diasporas.” The exhibition, […]
Courthouse Gallery Fine Art in Ellsworth presents an opening reception Wednesday July 22, from 5 to 7, for “William Irvine: Heading Home,” and “Ragna Bruno: Boundless.” William Irvine: Heading Home At ninety-five William Irvine continues to surprise viewers with something new like the tender embrace of Lovers by the Sea (30 x 40 inches), The Rough Sea (30 […]
Fridays, June 5 – September 25 | 9 AM–1 PM Waterfall Arts has kicked off the 14th season of its Summer Art Market, a beloved community tradition showcasing a rotating cast of talented Maine artists and makers every Friday throughout the summer. The market takes place from 9 AM–1 PM on the lawn at […]
Now in its 49th season, the Guild Fine Craft Show – produced by Shop Maine Craft – returns to College of the Atlantic with a dynamic indoor/outdoor event in downtown Bar Harbor, August 7 – 9. The show features a juried selection of fine handcrafted work by Guild level members of the Maine Crafts Association, […]
Shaw Contemporary Jewelry in Northeast Harbor is hosting its famous Every-other-Thursday night opening with four exceptional artists, from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 16. It is an opportunity to meet all four artists Dell Fox is a student of ancient cultures, She is inspired by Greek and Roman jewelry and the attendant ancient techniques. Her […]
The Ogunquit Art Association will hold its 72nd Annual Art Auction on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Barn Gallery, continuing a tradition that stretches back for many decades and remains the largest annual art auction in Ogunquit. Collectors and art enthusiasts from across the Eastern Seaboard travel to Ogunquit each summer for this event, where […]
Receive news and information about Maine artists and events delivered right to your inbox.