FARMINGTON – Gold LEAF Institute, the senior college at the University of Maine at Farmington, will present an all-new exhibit, “The Art Among Us2”, at the UMF Emery Community Arts Center Flex Gallery from June 17 to July 29. An opening reception will be held Friday, June 17 from 5-7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Gold LEAF’S “The Art Among Us” exhibit theme was first realized in the summer of 2018 with great success, setting an Emery record for the most visitors to a summer exhibit over the length of its run.
The 2022 display has been in the planning since last fall, after a brief hiatus due to Covid. The current exhibit features a wide variety of work by 29 local artists in acrylics, fiber, prints, sketches, photos, wood, glass, and more.
Artists participating in the current show include: Ann Arbor, Reid Byers, Frank Chin, Anna D’Epiro Cushing, Suzanne DeBiase, Patricia Duane-Chin, Michael Field, Liz Hunt, Betty Jespersen, Jo Josephson, Eileen Kreutz, Kathy Kerr, John Lovejoy, Susan McPherran, Rebecca Morin, Meredith Mustard, Janet O’Neil, Janet Plouffe, Phil Poirier, Lise Ragan, Doug Rawlings, Katherine Richards, Ray Stillman, Mark Stofan, Joe Terranova, Lyn Terranova, Marilyn Waugh, Heidi Wilde, and Maggy Wykoff.
For Ann Bartges, the director of the Emery Community Arts Center, this exhibition stands out as a special opportunity to showcase the deep creative energy in Franklin County.
“One of my favorite things about living in Farmington is being part of this huge community of artists. Bringing this artwork to Emery gives the larger public an opportunity to celebrate the dedicated creative practices of our local artists,” said Bartges.
“Working with Ann and the Emery staff has been so smooth,” said Eileen Kreutz, chair of the small but mighty committee of six who pulled this exhibit together. “We know this opening reception, and the summer’s run of the exhibit, will be exciting. It is gratifying to showcase the artists hidden up in these hills.”
Many of the artists will be in attendance at the opening reception. Weather permitting, refreshments will be offered on the plaza outdoors.
The Emery Arts Center gallery is located on Academy Street (between Main Street and High Street) in downtown Farmington. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please check Emery’s website for holiday closures at https://wpsites.maine.edu/emerycommunityartscenter/.
The Emery Community Arts Center is an innovative, experimental venue for the arts in Western Maine. It features an exciting 2,500-square-foot, 109-seat multipurpose performance space with dynamic vertical foldaway doors that open onto an outdoor performance area and a 1,600-square-foot Flex-Space gallery for traditional exhibits, new media and performance art. A dramatic interior corridor offers additional exhibition space and connects the center with the UMF Alumni Theater.
For more information contact Ann Bartges, director of UMF Emery Community Arts Center at [email protected] or 207-778-7461.
