Red Dot Welcomes 3 New Artists

Deer Isle’s Red Dot Gallery is welcoming 3 new artist members for the 2010 season: Katy Allgeyer recognized for her fine art mixed media paintings using nautical charts and maps embedded into her canvases, Leslie Anderson known for her fine art landscapes as the “Paint Your View” lady, and GiGi Sarsfield of Handmade Papers that are used in artist’s books, lampshades, and other fine crafts. A reception to introduce the artists will be held June 18th at Red Dot Gallery in Deer Isle from 4-7PM during the Deer Isle Third Fridays Gallery Hop. You’re invited to come meet the artists and see the work of all 10 artist members.

May 31-June 4th: Haystack Invites Public to View Tibetan Scholar Creating Sand Painting

 

An example of Tibetan monks creating sacred sand mandala painting.

 

Monday-Friday, from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-3:30 p.m.

DEER ISLE — From May 31 to June 6, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts will host a Community-Based Artist Residency with the Venerable Losang Samten, Tibetan scholar and a former Buddhist monk, who was invited to create one of his singular ‘wheel of life’ sand mandalas in the gallery at Haystack’s Center for Community Programs. Losang Samten is the spiritual director of Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia; Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center of Middletown, Connecticut; and Chenrezig Himalayan Cultural Center of El Paso, Texas. He travels extensively, sharing his knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and his skill in the Tibetan ritual arts, while incorporating the qualities of practicing loving kindness, patience, and understanding. This residency complements last fall’s residency with environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck, who worked with high school students and community members to create a mandala 10 feet in diameter using bottle caps and lids. 

Community members, students from the Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary and High Schools, Haystack faculty and students, and visitors will be able to observe and talk with Losang Samten as he works, Monday-Friday, from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-3:30 p.m. On Friday, June 4, Losang Samten will give a public presentation in Gateway Auditorium, which is located at the entrance to Haystack’s campus, at 8:00 p.m. In addition, a ritual dismantling ceremony of the sand mandala will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 6 at Haystack’s Center for Community Programs. All of these events are free and open to the public. 

Losang Samten’s residency is supported by grants from the Hancock County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, the Quimby Family Foundation, and from Haystack’s Program Endowment.

Blue Hill Inn Open House

The Blue Hill Inn had its seasonal Open House party last night from 5-7PM. The 260 year old inn was jam-packed with well-wishers despite the inclement weather. Upon arrival, guests discarded slickers and brollies for name tag stickers that made it easy to mix, mingle, and make new friends as well as greet old chums. There were easily a hundred attendees with only an inch or two of wiggle room between guests at the height of the party. This was the social event of the week if not the season. 

Hostess Sarah Pebworth was radiant in a tres glam black & white zebra print dress and knee high boots. The innkeeper kept her guests supplied with wine and a wonderful array of hors d’oeuvres freshly made in the Blue Hill Inn’s kitchen. 

The real star of the Open House was the inn itself. This gorgeous 1840 building is as inviting as ever. The rooms we saw made us want to spend the night in this historic home. High-stepping poster beds looked mighty comfy. And in the morning there is a gourmet breakfast awaiting your pleasure in the inn’s restaurant. We left the party in full swing dreaming of a return visit for a romantic weekend sometime soon.

April 2010 @ Pearson Legacy Gallery

Pearson Legacy Gallery
13 Dow Road
Deer Isle
207.348.6848  (or 348.2525)

You can depend on Pearson Legacy Gallery for interesting multi-artist exhibitions throughout the year. Well-presented, thought-provoking, and witty are all words that come to mind after viewing one of these group shows. Here is the current schedule.

April 8 thru May 2nd
PEOPLE: The Artist’s Interpretation 
An exhibition of portraits of people–real or imagined–absolutely detailed people or totally abstract as interpreted by more than 40 artists. Featuring the amazing “Self Portrait Machine” created by artist Ed Bagley and designed to have people participate in the art process while interacting with the machine to create a unique self portrait without possessing any formal artistic skills. 
Opening Reception: April 8, 5-7PM
Exhibition Hours: Thursdays-Sundays, 10AM-4PM

April 15th, 7PM
ARTIST’S FORUM:
Culture & the Artist: How Place Affects How Art is Made 
All artists are influenced by their surroundings, the culture they live in, and their life experiences. Subject matter, materials, and symbolic meaning are all related to “place”. Fredericka Marshall explores this topic at the Artist’s Forum in this richly illustrated lecture that will look at artists and their environments and the resulting creations.  
$5 Suggested Donation

April 20, 7PM
LITERARY ARTS NIGHT @ THE LEGACY
The second in a monthly series of readings by noted authors from Maine and beyond reading their written words from books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. There may also be programs when a panel of authors will discuss current issues involved in the problems and joys of being published. This month features short story writers Diane Berlew, Deborah Wedgwood Marshall, and Susan Barrett Merrill.
$5 Suggested Donation

 WEEKEND WORKSHOPS @ THE LEGACY
April 17  9AM-4PM
Split Stone Pendants: Sarah Doremus
Bring your favorite beach stone to the workshop and you will create a splendid pendant with sterling silver components. You will learn the basic lapidary and metal fabrication techniques necessary for finishing a project. Materials list sent with confirmation. Limited enrollment and */pre-registration required/*. 
$75 

April 24,  10AM-2PM
Free Form Peyote Stitch Beadwork: Tess Daniels
The workshop serves as a refresher course in basic peyote stitch but with new explorations into free form weaving. Pre-registration required. Materials list sent with confirmation. Limited enrollment and */pre-registration required/*. $45
 

 

A Day in DC

Every once in awhile we like to get off-island and see what’s happening in the art world. Our museums in Washington, DC are a national treasure that we often forget to take advantage of (all of the museums associated with the Smithsonian Institute are free admission to the public!). We saw two spectacular exhibitions this weekend.

“The Sacred Made Real” will remain at the National Gallery of Art through May. A tight exhibition of painted wooden religious sculptures–most from the 17th century–that usually reside in Spain’s cathedrals and religious paintings by great Spanish artists, especially Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán, who were greatly influenced by the sculptures. 

Unlike other European depictions of Christ and the various saints, the Spaniards’ life-size sculptures go for the gusto: bruising, blood, agony are all palpable and make the viewer–then and now–squirm in awe. The museum says the artists created these pieces “to shock the senses and stir the soul.” And they do, regardless of religious belief. Photos cannot do the show justice as the display itself in an all black walled high ceiling smallish-for-a-museum room heighten the dramatic effect. This award winning show was put together in London and shown their first. After DC, it will not travel anywhere else and the pieces will go back to their various locations throughout Spain. 

The second must-see exhibition at the National Gallery is in the east tower. A rare look at Mark Rothko’s black paintings that were conceived for the Rothko Chapel at the Menil Collection in Houston.  A recording of Morton Feldman’sRothko Chapel (1971) plays hauntingly in the vaulted space as one contemplates the void and beyond within the deep black planes of Rothko’s masterpieces. 

The Rothko paintings provide a sombre counterpoint to the cherry blossoms on the mall. If one wants to see other more colorful Rothko work, there are many vivid color field paintings scattered throughout the DC art museums.

The show that interested me the most was the “Georgia O’Keefe: Abstraction” show on view through May 9th at the Phillips Collection. A private museum (it does not fall under the free admission category) with an amazing collection, the Phillips gives us a very unique look at O’Keefe’s early abstract work.

Music Pink and Blue No. 2

 

Most of the work in the exhibition was completed long before the artist relocated to her beloved Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe. O’Keefe explored unusual cropping of the images she painted that were closer to photography than painting and she influenced generations of young painters that followed with this and with the grand scale color field paintings she produced in the 1960′s.

One of the standout paintings from the extensive exhibition was a painting in muted greys and whites that incorporated a clam shell the artist found on a trip to Maine. This one shell inspired an entire series of paintings that explore not only the abstraction of form but the neutral color palette as well. It also reminded me that how Maine has inspired–and continues to inspire–so many artists past and present.

If you cannot get down to DC to see this show, order the hardcover book with full color illustrations of the exhibition and much more information about what this one woman contributed to the modern abstract art movement.

RED (again) at Isalos

Friday, February 12th – another packed opening at Isalos Gallery in Stonington for their second RED show in honor (or celebration, or NOT) of Valentine’s Day. Lots of wonderful paintings, some cool jewelry by J Fred Woell, and many, many RED outfits!   Some of the other artists in this show include Sarah Doremus, John Wilkinson, Patricia Wheeler, Sherry Streeter, Carolyn Caldwell, Bruce Bulger, Farrell Rupert, and Barbara Brady – to name a few.

The best of show (outfit) goes to Meghan Dewey-Wood for her clever use of playing cards and a slinky red dress. Michael and Rebecca Daugherty postponed a trip south to open this show, so check it out before it’s too late.

Pearson Legacy Gallery opening

Thursday, February 11th – another packed house at Pearson Legacy Gallery in Deer Isle!  Carolyn Hecker does it again with a show titled “Reflections.”  Over 40 artists in the show – shoulder to shoulder crowd.  My favorite painting will remain a secret…  Gallery hours are Thurs – Sun 12-5.