As we open the 2018 season in Blue Hill we pay tribute to one of Cape Ann’s most accomplished painters. Paul Strisik, who painted light and color in all its manifestations, would have been 100 years old this year. Whether painting his village of Rockport just after an autumn rain, or a sparkling Downeast harbor in full summer, there is a luminosity in Strisik’s skies that glimmers off the earth, glosses the surface of the water and reveals his excitement and emotional involvement in his subject.
Strisik was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1918, another age. He studied at the Art Students League in New York with Frank Vincent Dumond. By the mid-20th century he had moved to Rockport, Ma., where he maintained his studio and gallery until his death in 1998. He was a dedicated plein air painter, finding even the briefest outdoor studies carried him back to the subject true to the feeling, the light and the mood of the place.
Paul Strisik became a nationally acclaimed painter, and member of the most prestigious organizations in America including the National Academy of Design. His concepts and technical skills are presented in, “The Art of Landscape Painting” 1980, published by Watson-Guptill and “Capturing Light in Oils”, a Northlight Publication was released in 1995. His work is also celebrated in “The Life and Art of Paul Strisik, N.A.” by Judith A. Curtis, 2001. He passed away in Rockport, MA on July 22, 1998. His work may be seen at the Blue Hill Bay Gallery throughout the month of June. For more info contact the gallery at 207-374-5773 or visit bluehillbaygallery.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 […]