“Meeting While walking Under the Sea,” seaweed collage by Celeste Roberge.

 

A trio of exhibitions opens Aug. 1 at Old York’s George Marshall Store Gallery and runs through Sept. 6.

While many venues have not been able to reopen due to COVID-19, the gallery has in place approved protocols and a reservation system to control the number of visitors in the gallery at any one time.

The exhibitions give the viewer a multitude of mediums to explore: photography, painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media. 

“Seaweed Sensations” brings together the work of three, well-established Maine artists who investigate the tangle of meanings in seaweed. Seaweed washed ashore after a storm or clinging to a rock in a tidal pool may be taken for granted as common along the Maine coast. As explored by Celeste Roberge, Marjorie Moore and Ron Leax, seaweed is complex and can be a harbinger of changes currently taking place or those yet to come. The works of art emphasize the elegance and fragility of the many different types of seaweed.

The show includes a video and other materials from the Maine Seaweed Council.

“Calling the Birds Home,” by Cheryle St. Onge.

With “Calling the Birds Home,” Cheryl St. Onge portrays the constant love between herself and her mother. Cheryle uses an 8×10 view camera or the camera in her phone to take poignant photographs of her mother who has vascular dementia. On good days, laughter comes easily to her mother. Other days, she does not recognize her reflection. The photographs are narrating this journey that they are both on. St. Onge lives in Exeter, New Hampshire, and is a past recipient of the New Hampshire Charitable Artist Advancement Grant.

“Dove and Blue Bird,” by Amy Brnger.

Portsmouth-based artist Amy Brnger paints to record the region where she lives. With “Tour of Seasons,” her curiosity and interest are evident in her paintings, be it a bouquet of local flowers or the parking lot of an industrial park. Her quick, decisive brush strokes capture the ever-changing organic forms that captivate her. Everyday scenes that one may regularly walk by are seen with a new eye, reminding us that beauty is everywhere and an appreciated antidote during these challenging times.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, but closed weekdays from noon until 1 p.m. Reservations to visit the gallery can be made on the gallery website or by calling curator Mary Harding at 207-752-0205. The gallery is at 140 Lindsay Road, York.