Capitol Reception for Maine Artists

There are many reasons to come to the Capitol Complex this Thursday, Jan.24, between 11:00 am and 1:30pm. Republican Senator Tom Saviello, from District 18, will be hosting an artist reception to celebrate the Arts in the Capitol program. Artists John Orcutt and Hugh Verrier will be on hand to discuss their techniques, styles and inspiration. Free refreshments will be provided for attendees.

These artists have come together to offer a show depicting traditional views of Maine through quite different mediums. Colorful landscape photography by John and Cynthia Orcutt accompany painted bas-reliefs of birds by Hugh Verrier to bring an unprecedented array of vibrancy to those who visit and work in the Capitol.

John and Cynthia Orcutt are fine art nature photographers and avid outdoor enthusiasts. Following a distinguished career as a landscape architect team, they have pursued their interest in creating an awareness of the necessity for active preservation of fragile places. Through their photographic images, they express the inherent beauty of areas endangered by easy public access and frequent visitation.

Hugh Verrier was born and raised on the rocky coast of Maine. He worked for many years as a tugboat captain, commercial fisherman and small business owner. This association with the sea has inspired his artistic work and he now owns and operates his own gallery and studio on the shore of Flagstaff Lake in Eustis. Here he exhibits his unique watercolor sculptures that are formed from very heavy French paper into lovely birds and fish; these sculptures are then brought alive with watercolor.

This is your chance to view exceptional artwork on display in the State Capitol, to meet these amazing artists and learn from them, and to find out more about the Arts in the Capitol program, and other programs offered by the Maine Arts Commission. For more information, you can call John Orcutt at 207/939-6518

Artwork of Jacobus Baas Exhibited in Maine’s State Capitol

Hay There, oil on linen 24x30

The artwork of Jacobus Baas is now on display in Maine’s Capitol Complex as part of the Maine Arts Commission's Arts in the Capitol program.

The exhibit has been generously loaned by the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, and will remain on display until the end of September. The work is viewable by the public throughout the week at the Maine State House from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and at the Blaine House from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Those wishing to visit the Blaine House are advised to call ahead.
Goose River Farm, oil on linen 24x30

Born in the Netherlands in 1945, Baas spent his early years in Rotterdam, surrounded by rich landscapes and cloud-laden skies made famous by the Dutch Masters throughout history. He arrived in the U.S. in his early teens with a deeply ingrained interest in art.

Baas initially channeled his creativity towards jewelry design. His unique and original works captured a following that resulted in over 35 years of success as a goldsmith at his business in Laguna Beach. This success has afforded Baas the freedom to pursue his first love, painting.

“Painting has become my full time passion; there is no time to make jewelry. The act of applying paint to a canvas has always been intriguing to me,” said Baas. “To transform a two dimensional surface and give it a feeling of space with carefully arranged brushstrokes, using the right colors and values is pure magic. Every time I paint on location, with each brushstroke I experience that magic again, and hopefully the viewer will experience it as well in the finished painting.”

Baas has been exhibiting his artwork for over 30 years and is currently represented by galleries in Maine, California, Hawaii, Washington and Texas. His work will be at the State House, Blaine House and offices of the Maine Arts Commission until the end of September.

All Arts in the Capitol events and free and open to the public; however, exhibitions are self-guided and may only be viewed within prescribed times: Maine Arts Commission Office 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; Maine State House 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; and the Blaine House - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Please call ahead at 207/287-2121). For more information on this and all programs available through the Maine Arts Commission, visit MaineArts.com.

The Artwork of Colin Page Exhibited in Maine’s State Capitol

The Maine Arts Commission is proud to announce that the artwork of Colin Page is now on display in Maine’s Capitol complex as part of the agency’s Arts in the Capitol program. The exhibit, titled Colin Page: Recent Paintings, has been generously loaned by the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, and will remain on display until the end of September.

Colin Page paints the poetry he sees in life around him. A disciplined and hard worker, Page paints outside every day, weather permitting, in order to capture the light and atmosphere of his chosen scenes. Landscapes are his mainstay, however, within that genre, he also focuses on somewhat unexpected subjects such as abandoned, rusting gears; gasoline pumps; bait barrels, and telephone poles and wires. These scenes, like his more traditional subjects depicting the land and sea, are rich in color, mood, and nuance. For instance, Tractor (2009), shown above, is a lyrical painting depicting an old tractor resting in fields evoking the calm of the end of the day. The painting achieves an overall sense of tranquility and suggests that it is dusk because the red used to paint the tractor quietly mingles (rather than contrasts as it would if it were high noon) with the greens of the field and forest.

Perhaps the most remarkable characteristics about Page’s paintings are his elegant brushstrokes that evidence not only skill but an astounding ability to sensitively record what he observes. Secret Rock (2009) depicts the interior of a forest darkened by a canopy of tall trees. Bright green moss on top of a rock cave almost glows in the otherwise dark browns of the rocks and trees. It is easy to imagine the pungent smell of the damp earth in the cool air. As one moves closer to investigate the mysterious place, the painting’s realism disperses into a series of expertly rendered brush strokes thereby forever protecting the site’s secret.

Colin Page was raised in Baltimore, MD and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He transferred to Cooper Union with a concentration on painting. Upon graduation he lived in New York City for three years where he was an active member in the art world. In search of a more diverse landscape, Page moved to Maine where he also found more time to devote to his art. One of Page’s paintings, held in the corporate collection of L. L. Bean, was chosen as the cover of the summer 2010 L.L. Bean catalog.

The Stream, Colin Page

Arts in the Capitol - Paintings by Megan Chase

Untitled, 2009, oil on canvas, Collection of Ed and Betsy Cohen, courtesy of Megan Chase

Resonant Places: Paintings by Megan Chase, Curated by George Kinghorn for the University of Maine museum of Art, is currently on display in Augusta's Capitol complex.

Megan Chase, a painter based in Belfast, exhibits a series of expressionistic landscapes in which color is paramount. The artist states that, “color builds the images and space and is implicit in the development of meaning.” Inspiration for Chase’s paintings is derived from travel and from witnessing the play of light, color and pattern during her daily work on the family farm.
Event, 2009, oil on muslin mounted on board, courtesy of Megan Chase

This self-guided exhibit is viewable from May 7 to June 30 and can be viewed at the following locations and times: Maine Arts Commission Office 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; Maine Statehouse 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; and the Blaine House 2:00 until 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Please call ahead at 207/287-2121).

Maine Art Professors Exhibit work in Maine’s Capitol Complex

Lois Dodd, Cow Parsnip, 1996, Oil on canvas, Image Courtesy of Alexandre Gallery, New York

Two art exhibitions are now on display in Maine’s Capitol complex as part of the Maine Arts Commission’s Arts in the Capitol program.

One exhibit features a significant painting by renowned artist Lois Dodd that has been generously loaned by the Colby College Museum of Art. The artwork by the long-time summer resident of Cushing, Maine, will be on view in the Capitol’s Appropriations Room through the end of the year.

The more extensive exhibit, titled Creative Research, features work by art professors from the University of Maine in Orono. This show is now on display throughout Maine's Capitol complex, where it will remain until February 28.


Train Couple by Michael Grillo

The full press release can be found on MaineArts.com.

Art Exhibit Brings Maine’s Fairs and Festivals to Augusta

Finally, summer has arrived in Maine and the fair and festival season is now in full swing across the state. What better time than now for the Maine Arts Commission to bring a taste of these thrills and excitement to Maine’s capitol complex in Augusta.

Featuring 60 photographs that depict Mainers playing and having fun at state fairs and festivals, this exhibition, that opened this month and remains until December, features work by some of Maine’s most talented photographers. It highlights 26 popular annual statewide events that bring Maine communities together through all seasons of the year. These include state fairs in Bangor, Skowhegan, Fryeburg, and the midway at Old Orchard Beach; an ice fishing festival on Sebago Lake, dog sled races in Fort Kent, and July 4 celebrations in Eastport and Castine.

Read the full story at MaineArts.com.

Images:

(Left)Liv Kristin Robinson
Old Orchard Beach: Summer #1, 2006
Digital photograph, archival pigment inkjet print, 18” x 23 ½”

Leslie Bowman (Above) Pie Eating Contest (Lubec), 2001
Digital print, 11” x 14”

Dee Peppe (Above) Tickets, Union Fair, Maine, 1995/2003
Silver gelatin print, 20” x 24”

This show has been made possible by the generous loan of artwork by the Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

Ancient Native American Artwork Highlighted in Maine’s Capital

As part of the Maine Arts Commission's Arts in the Capitol series, artwork created to raise awareness of ancient Passamaquoddy rock carvings, possibly dating back as far as 10,000 years, is now on display throughout Maine’s Capitol complex.

The Equinox Project, that features works from 22 women artists, native and non-native, and over 30 Passamaquoddy children from Pleasant Point and Indian Township schools, is touring the state to increase awareness of Passamaquoddy culture.

In October of 2006, one of the most sacred and well-documented sites of ancient petroglyphs on the eastern seaboard of the United States was returned to its original peoples, the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The site is known as “Picture Rocks” and lies on the Machias Bay in Downeast Maine. The rock carvings and peckings date as far back as 3,000 to 5,000 years and its most ancient peckings may be as old as 10,000 years. Believed to be made by Shamans, the petroglyphs are positioned in a way that makes them most visible at the fall or spring equinox.

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Arts in the Capitol 2009 season begins

The 2009 Arts in the Capitol program is off to a successful start with the Dennis Pinette "Expansion of Logic" exhibition. On loan from the CMCA, the show has been well received by the State legislators and the press. We assume the public appreciates it as well, but we do not have accurate feedback structures to gauge that.

Dark Sky, Burning Forest #1, Dennis Pinette - Oil on canvas 2008

Here are a few of our favorite press clippings so far.

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/301662-3/Entertainment/Expansion_of_Logic_A_new_season_of_art_exhibitions_begins_in_Maines_Capitol_complex/
http://waldo.villagesoup.com/AandE/story.cfm?storyID=144672

In addition to the Dennis Pinette exhibition we are exhibiting a beautiful painting by Samuel Gelber in the Appropriations Room. The piece is titled "Summer" and is one in a series of the four piece "Four Seasons" collection.
If you are interested in the Arts in the Capitol program visit the Maine Arts Commission site.
http://mainearts.maine.gov/public/capitol/index.shtml