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Maine Wood(s) Opening Reception
May 4, 2017, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Come meet the artists and curators of our new summer exhibition, Maine Wood(s). Refreshments will be provided.
Maine Wood(s) seeks to combine the representation of forests and of wood used as an artistic material. The exhibition considers forests as a landscape, a habitat, a source of livelihood, and a tourist destination, with works depicting the wooded Maine landscape, its fauna and flora, its inhabitants and visitors, along with their activities, while the title also alludes to the use of wood as an artistic material.
Displayed in a non-traditional museum with a strong focus on natural history, works in a variety of media and styles from contemporary Maine artists will be featured, giving visitors a fresh perspective on how local artists view and portray nature in their home state. The exhibit comprises regional forest landscape paintings, fresco, or sculptures by 20 artists, including Matt Russ, Barbara Sullivan, Mike Branca, John Woolsey, Nancy Barron and John Bryan.
The work takes different approaches to exploring Maine's forest beauty and its resources. For example Portland-based artists Alison Hildreth and Michel Droge, both with roots in Maine, interact with their surroundings in very different ways.
Hildreth, emphasizing attention to detail and precision, is "interested in what we do not see, such as roots, fungi, mycelium." Enthralled with the interactions between species that are not readily visible, Hildreth's work is inspired by "systems that can expand to thousands of acres and are a network that can communicate and provide essential nutrients to their hosts, including trees and other plant life."
While Droge also explores the connection between flora and fauna, her emphasis is on the emotions she draws from the woods. "As I walk the Maine woods, I embrace the beauty of nature's songs, its natural lullaby, and the meditative refuge I find in the company of trees," she explains.
The exhibition will run through October 15, 2017. Throughout the summer there will be workshops with featured artists and visitors of all ages are encouraged to attend. The L.C. Bates Museum welcomes visitors to explore its summer exhibition Maine Wood(s) as well as the many objects on display from the Museum's permanent collections.