On Sunday, August 26th, join Maine Farmland Trust and their Joseph A. Fiore Art Center for an Open Studio Day at Rolling Acres Farm in Jefferson. Studios are occupied by the August artists-in-residence and will be open from 12-3pm. There will be music on the lawn, performed by Sara Trunzo, free coffee, tea and ice cream. The resident gardener will also be offering hourly garden tours.
Michel Droge is an abstract painter whose work reflects a poetic connection to the land, climate change research and the philosophy of the sublime. Drawing from the land at the Fiore Art Center and the surrounding environment, her process during the residency will involve making her own stick charts to intuitively and emotionally map the land. She will simultaneously be researching the conservation efforts, the history, and the environmental concerns of this specific place. The charts and research will then inform her paintings as she navigates this space and time and develops a deeper connection with the art center.
Estefani Mercedes is an activist artist with deep connections to Maine. She is excavating local Brooksville archives that document a family who escaped political prosecution during the Argentine Dictatorship (1976-1983).Through intervening in historical archives, installation and performance art Merceses hopes to reveal missing violent histories.
Heather Lyon, the performing arts resident, was born on a farm in Maine. Her art practice is site responsive and she is creating new performance work at the Fiore Art Center, by “responding to this unique place where the connections between art and farming can be explored and lived.”
Rachel Alexandrou, whose organic gardening experience spans a decade, is this year’s seasonal resident gardener. She lives on the grounds and grows produce for the residents. She is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in sustainable horticulture at UMaine, Orono, with a minor in studio art.
The Gallery at Rolling Acres will also be open. It is currently showing Nature Observed: The Landscapes of Joseph Fiore, featuring oil paintings and pastel drawings of the late artist and environmentalist. The mission of the Joseph A. Fiore Art Center at Rolling Acres Farm is to actively connect the creative worlds of farming and art making. The Center’s purpose is to continue and evolve the dialogue between human and environment within the context of our current culture and time. The Fiore Art Center is a program of MFT.
After Open Studio Day, MFT will be hosting “Agrarian Acts,” a celebration of agriculture through music. This event, from 3:30-7pm, features Sibylline, Sugarbush, and Sara Trunzo, three all-female bands with deep roots in rural Maine. Tickets include farm pizza and salad and can be purchased here: https://207tix.com/events/agrarian-acts
Located right on Damariscotta Lake at 152 Punk Point Road in Jefferson, the Fiore Art Center is a perfect place for a fun family outing- bring a picnic and enjoy the Center’s grounds for the day.
The final Open Studio Day for the summer with new artists-in-residence will be September 30th.
For more information please visit https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/public-outreach-new/jaf-art-center/
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