The Boat Show Elizabeth Reed
“The Boat Show,” oil on linen by Elizabeth Reed at the Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset. Photo by Jonathan Lavan.

 

 

The annual members’ show opening at the Maine Art Galley (MAG) is always a fun occasion. It’s usually the last exhibit of the year, and many of the artist-members and their friends gather to see each other’s work and celebrate the gallery’s season.

One of the comments heard around the room on August 28 was that the exhibit was exceptionally well-arranged. “The pieces talk to each other,” one observer said, and the spacing between them gives them “air to breathe.” The exhibition committee consisted of Mark Coates, Jonathan Lavan, Chris Duncan and Michael Olszewski.

One new member in the show, Cheryl McAlister of Friendship, said she was not aware of the gallery’s illustrious history until someone showed her pictures and information on the lobby wall. Dahlov Ipcar, William Zorach, Louise Nevelson, Joseph Fiore, Alex Katz and Lois Dodd were some of the Maine luminaries who showed at MAG in its early days. McAlister’s pastel, “Storm Clouds Over Friendship,” attracted a number of viewers to remark how surprised they were it was a pastel because it was very precise and looked almost like a photograph. 

Another work that garnered much attention, “Autumn Splendor in Maine,” is a photograph by Darylann Leonard that is mounted on canvas and has the appearance of a painting. 

The exhibition work also encompasses painting, assemblage, sculpture, textiles and drawings. It will be up until October 18 and hours are Thursday through Sunday 11 to 4. The gallery thanks season sponsor Sherri Dunbar of Tim Dunham Realty and capital sponsor Islebrook Villages at Wiscasset.

There’s still room in a couple of classes in September and October: Jude Valentine will lead workshops for beginner to intermediate adult artists. “Working Angles: Landscape Perspective” on Sept. 8 offers remedies for problems such as  buildings and structures that don’t look quite right. “Capturing the Light: Layering Color” on Oct. 6 is a mixed water media workshop. Visit maineartgallerywiscasset.org for sign up deadlines and details.