By Kay Tobler Liss
Students and parents flocked to the Maine Art Gallery for the opening of The Wiscasset Schools K-12 Spring Art show on April 14.
“Kids were so excited to see their work displayed in a real gallery,” said Liz Proffetty, teacher of the lower grades.
Indeed, the excitement of the young budding artists, smiling and pointing to their work, made the opening especially vibrant to MAG board members and other adults present.
“Not only is the artwork fun and refreshing,” commented one adult visitor, “but there’s also some really good work here.”
Almost every possible art medium is represented in the show, including watercolors, tempera, pencil, photography, collage, weavings, printmaking, ceramics and metal sculpture. And there were many themes students explored in their work: nature landscapes, self-portraits, direct observation and something intriguing called mindfulness exercises, involving the student playing with what can be created using a continuous line on paper.
Sixth-grader Evelyn Herrick exhibited a colored-pencil drawing of a girl sitting with legs folded, her head turned to the side. Not an easy pose to draw for an artist of any age, she did it with considerable skill. It’s not surprising that, when asked, she said, “I want to be an illustrator someday.”
Third grader Giemella Absalud displayed a fascinating mixed-media collage that named the elements of art, such as color, line, values and space, and gave examples of each on the paper surface. She said art is her favorite subject.
Her brother, Giemelking, a second grader, created a large ink and watercolor work, “Vase with Cherry Blossoms,” that graced the center of the gallery.
Grace Greene, a 12th grade student, exhibited a charming ceramic bowl with an octopus on top.
Many visitors commented on the enchanting work “Rabbit, Rabbit,” of kindergartener Emberly McArdle.
When it came to picking out what to exhibit, 6-12th grade art teacher Shalimar Chasse said the students themselves decided, for the most part. The teachers mounted the work and helped hang it.
The works mentioned here are only a few of the many wonderful works to see. The exhibit closed on April 30.
Learn more about the gallery at www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org.
Dear Friend of Annex Arts, This past summer, as an experiment, we packed the Water Street studios and apartments with visiting artists all summer long. The results were magnificent, and the effects wide ranging. We felt the impact on the artists and our community immediately, and we want to make this our approach going […]
Beginning in January, the Deer Isle Artists Association will resume its Art Matters program that abruptly ended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Art Matters 6 will include three programs in the new year, which will be held on the first Sunday afternoons of January, February and March. Presentations by various DIAA Gallery artists […]
Centre Street Arts Gallery will host a “Ring in 2025” reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 24 and will welcome its newest artist, Kat Logan, who is new to the gallery but not new to the art and music world. Logan has received a Grammy nomination and is an accomplished painter who offers drawing […]
Cynthia Winings Gallery wishes everyone a happy winter solstice and a celebration of the timeless rhythms of nature. The annual winter solstice mandala was created again in 2024 in the gallery’s Sculpture Garden. “I had planned to light a fire in the center of my winter circle, even before knowing snow would arrive the night […]
The Ogunquit Museum of American Art announces that the exhibition “Networks of Modernism: 1898-1968” will travel to the University of New Hampshire’s Art Gallery where it will be on view Jan. 14 through March 16. The exhibition brings together more than 50 works from OMAA’s collection to tell a story of the artistic networks that […]
The year was packed with fine exhibitions, artist talks and workshops, all presented by the artists of the Ogunquit Art Association. Deidre O’Flaherty, president OAC/Barn Gallery, writes: “We began with the Student Show in May. The Open Regional Juried Show was selected by Andres Verzosa and Bob Keyes — a lively tag-team of judges. We […]
Amy Bellezza will show her work in a solo exhibition at the USM Glickman Family Library (5th Floor Gallery) from Jan. 14 to March 21. “Protecting the Farm: On Vegetarianism” will be on view from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sundays. The conceptual […]
Wunderkammer, an online exhibition of artworks at the Cynthia Winings Gallery Presenting, Wunderkammer, a virtual ‘cabinet of curiosities’. Although the physical gallery is temporarily closed, I invite you to step into this virtual Wunderkammer—a curated cabinet of curiosities brimming with treasures. Discover artworks that could be the perfect addition to your collection or a meaningful gift this holiday […]
The Center for Maine Contemporary Art will offer a half-day workshop led by Ellis-Beauregard Foundation director Donna McNeil. The session, designed for artists seeking funding opportunities, will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the grant application process, from researching potential funding sources to drafting compelling proposals. The workshop will be held from noon to […]
Receive news and information about Maine artists and events delivered right to your inbox.