UMVA Washed Away angle
Photos of the reception by Dave Wade.

The Union of Maine Visual Artists’ latest juried exhibition, “Washed Away,” addresses one of the most pressing issues facing coastal Maine communities through the lens of artistic interpretation. Running through June 21 at Portland Public Library, the show combines artistic vision with scientific understanding in ways that illuminate both the aesthetic and practical dimensions of climate change.

UMVA Carl Little by Erin Little
Carl Little. Photo courtesy of Erin Little.

The exhibition’s June 6 gallery talk by Carl Little, recipient of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award in art writing by the Rabkin Foundation, promises to reveal the curatorial thinking behind the show’s selection process. Little’s discussion, scheduled for 5:30 p.m., offers rare insight into how exhibitions addressing contemporary issues balance aesthetic merit with thematic relevance.

The following week’s presentation by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, “Coastal Flooding: Understanding Local Impacts through Science and Art” (June 12, 5:30 p.m.), creates an unusual dialogue between artistic and scientific perspectives on shared concerns. This programming approach reflects growing recognition that complex environmental issues benefit from multiple modes of understanding.

The exhibition’s sponsorship by Green Clean Maine signals community support for art that engages with environmental concerns, while the UMVA’s 50-year history of promoting Maine’s visual arts provides institutional credibility for addressing challenging subjects.

All events are free and open to the public.

The UMVA, founded in 1975, is a nonprofit organization that promotes and advocates for the visual arts, artists and all arts supporters. Learn more at www.theumva.org.