ART with a story at Mars Hall Gallery

Running 8/9/2017 – 10/9/2017 –  Mars Hall Gallery opens “The Bigger Picture”, a show featuring ART with a story. Two photographers, two painters and a friendship spanning two continents are the stories to be shared.

In the fall of 2016 artist Nancy Baker began her almost 400 mile trek in the village of Alcoutim, Portugal. She hiked the Via Algarviana and Rota Vincentina trails raising money for the Herring Gut Learning Center in Port Clyde. Along the way she met many people, some now good friends, who generously opened their doors to her. The journal, sketches and prose done on her trek are the inspiration for her “Covered Ground” series and book. Baker has opened doors to her inspiring heartfelt endeavor.

A chance meeting in the Maine woods between two pinhole photographers would begin a visual dialogue spanning almost 2,000 miles and 13 months. In 2013 Amy Rocket-Todd of Okalahoma and Antonia Small of Port Clyde began documenting their visionary journey. The end result was a show at the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma and a book titled “Baker’s Dozen: A Pinhole Dialogue”. The show and book are on display as well as Gary Libby and Antonia Small’s book “Caught”.

“Visionary Messages” is the theme of Holly Smith’s creations. “Meditations, like dreams, can drift from one reality to another, and subconscious messages, if allowed, can imerge. One can accept this information as mere fantasy or pure imagination.” Smith’s paintings are a reflection of a dreamlike collective consciousness that uses meditation as a tool to discover incredible insights.

While vacationing in Venezuela Dr. Al Wills and his wife Hannah Boulton , of Boston and Hupper Island, met artist Manuel Rincon. They would form a life long friendship and Rincon would become one of the Hupper’s 5ive in 1996. Rincon’s playful imagery of his early childhood subtly depict the depth of human relationships. The story behind the late Rincon’s paintings in this show will be shared along with the story of a very special friendship.

The Main Gallery features the second phase of “14 Miles to the Horizon”. This ever changing exhibit showcases Maine ART along with an expanded selection of fine antiques and collectibles. On display are paintings by Leo Brooks, Jeanette Steele Esposito, Linda Funk, Kris Johnson, Roger Kirby, Brian Kliewer, Sharon Larkin, Nat Lewis, Maurice Michel Lode, Greg Mort, Elaine Niemi, Cam Noel, C.W. Oakes, David Paffhausen, Elaine Reed, Jimmy Reed, Mimo Gordon Riley, Carl Sublett, William Thon, Ron Weaver and Eleanor Zuccola. Also on exhibit is mixed media assemblage by Bill Cook, whimsical driftwood fish by Claire Perry and a variety of quality crafts including decoupage by Davene Fahy, hand carved decoys by Stephan Hill and mixed media stained glass, mosaics and pottery by Dona Bergen. New to the gallery are paintings and wood & stone sculptures by Ian Baird. Metal sculptors Jay Hoagland and Brian Read will have works on display through out the gallery as well as outside in the Sculpture Gardens.

The gallery is open 10-5, Wed. thru Sun. thru Labor Day, Labor Day thru Columbus Day 10-5, Fri. thru Sun. or by appointment. Mars Hall Gallery is located 12.7 miles down the beautiful St. George peninsula in Martinsville. For more information call 207-372-9996 or visit us on the web at www.marshallgallery.net