‘Mothers Nature’ at MOTHERS Art Gallery

MOTHERS Art Gallery kicks off its 2023 season with a show of three painters featuring the New England landscapes of Kathleen Sutherland of Portland, Vera Rahn of New Canaan, Connecticut and Dutav of Woodstock, New York — all mothers of MOTHERS Art Gallery.

The opening was held on June 10, and the exhibition runs through July 7.

As its name proclaims, MOTHERS Art Gallery is, first and foremost, a celebration of mothers. Whitney Vosburgh co-owns the gallery with his wife, Heather Merriam. The renowned landscapes of their mothers — Vera Rahn whose painting is on the cover of the 2023 Cultural Adventures magazine and Kathleen Sutherland — takes center stage for the month of June. The meaning behind the gallery’s name goes far deeper, one layer at a time.

Vosburgh and Merriam didn’t originally set out to open a fine art and antique gallery in the heart of Downeast Maine, but after purchasing the property — not far from Merriam’s childhood summer home in Jonesport — the possibility became apparent. Not only did they purchase the 1841 house with an attached ell and barn, but all its contents that included many paintings by Dutav, a beloved aunt of the previous antique dealer owners.

Kathleen Sutherland paints landscapes and waterscapes of Maine and Egypt — and the many places in between. She was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt where her father was Dean of the American University of Cairo. He later became the President of Ricker College in Houlton, ME, and then retired to Jonesport in the 1960s. 

Kathleen Sutherland has exhibited at the Pastel Society of Maine in Bath, Harpswell, and Brunswick, the Plein Aire Painters of Damariscotta, and in other group shows in Bremen, Yarmouth, and Topsham. She teaches oil painting at Senior College.

Vera Rahn, a third generation artist, grew up in a family of professional artists in The Hague, Holland. She studied art in Paris, sumi painting in Tokyo, portrait painting in London, landscape painting in Nova Scotia, Santa Fe, the south of France and at the Silvermine School of Art. Vera is represented by five galleries, and her landscapes and still lifes are in private collections in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Dutav, born Augusta Blessman Pirrung, emigrated with her family from Germany to America. She studied at the Art Students’ League and Silvermine School of Art. Dutav painted and taught painting in the Woodstock area throughout her life, particularly at the Woodstock School of Art where she often exhibited her work. Less attracted to abstract expressionism than her fellow Woodstock artists Milton Avery and Philip Guston, Dutav used color to affirm nature’s own forms and radiance.

While Columbia Falls — a small village just shy of 500 residents located just off of Route 1 — isn’t what many would envision as an artistic hotspot, Vosburgh and Merriam have increasingly become aware of the high number of talented artists, craftspeople, and writers in the area.

Creativity knows no geographic bounds, and so the compelling art and antiques on display at MOTHERS is made by artists and artisans who are both local and from around the world. “Instead of just showcasing what Maine art is best known for — lobsters, lighthouses and local landscapes — wonderful as they are, we wanted to add to that. We want to bring the best of the whole world to Downeast Maine, and the best of Downeast Maine to the world.”

MOTHERS opened in May 2022, taking advantage of the barn’s two natural exhibit spaces. Vosburgh explained “We aim to celebrate Mother Nature, the mothers of creation, all mothers, everywhere.” The response from locals and visitors alike has been enthusiastic, encouraging Vosburgh and Merriam to expand what MOTHERS offers in the area.

Find MOTHERS Gallery at 19 Church Hill Circle, Columbia Falls, just off Route 1 between the Ruggles House and Wild Blueberry Land, or online at www.mothersartgallery.com and on Instagram @mothersartgallery. Open May through October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and by appointment: 510-504-1109.