artistic treasures collected over the years

Maine Collects: Exhibition opening at the Farnsworth

Thu, 04/16/2015 - 10:30am

    ROCKLAND — On Saturday, June 27, the Farnsworth Art Museum will open an exhibition of works from some of the most important private collections in Maine. The show, entitled Maine Collects, will be on display in the museum's Morehouse wing through March 6, 2016.

    Maine Collects celebrates the artistic treasures collected over the years by those who live in Maine or have strong ties to the state.

    For more than two centuries, artists have come to Maine to live and work, often inspired by the state's natural beauty. Over the same time, however, and especially from the mid-nineteenth century on, increasing numbers of Maine's residents have collected these works, as well as works not just by other artists but also from other cultures.

    Maine Collects offers an opportunity to see things from private collections throughout the state, otherwise rarely, if ever, on public view. The exhibition promises to feature paintings by Samuel Waldo and William Jewett; N.C. Wyeth, Robert Henri, Leon Kroll, John Marin, Will Barnet, Neil Welliver, Alex Katz, Ed Ruscha, and Jamie Wyeth;

    Drawings and watercolors by John Singer Sargent, Carrere and Hastings, Everett Shinn, Rockwell Kent, Andrew Wyeth, Milton Avery, Stuart Davis, and Ellsworth Kelly; photographs by Walker Evans, Paul Caponigro, Eliot Porter, Todd Webb, Annie Leibovitz, and Joyce Tenneson;

     Sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Leonard Baskin, Celeste Roberge, Brian White, and Jenny Holzer; prints by Andy Warhol, Alice Neel, Robert Indiana, Donald Sultan, and Alison Saar; as well as outstanding examples of furniture, both American and Chinese, American folk art, and American, French, and Swiss posters.

    The exhibition's Lead Sponsor is Camden National Bank. "An exhibition of this magnitude simply can't be mounted without major support," said Farnsworth Director Christopher J. Brownawell in a news release. "We're delighted to have Camden National Bank, our local major financial institution, as Lead Exhibition Sponsor for this terrific show."

    Greg Dufour, president and chief executive officer of Camden National Bank, said in the release: "Camden National believes in supporting our local communities and the wonderful cultural and creative work happening here in Maine. We are proud to join the Farnsworth Art Museum in celebrating the upcoming Maine Collects exhibition and helping to make these unique works and collections available for public viewing."

    The exhibition is being organized by Farnsworth Chief Curator Michael K. Komanecky, with Associate Curator Jane Bianco and Registrar Angela Waldron.

    The opening will be celebrated at a members' preview and reception which will take place on Friday, June 26, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Lead Exhibition Sponsor for Maine Collects is Camden National Bank. Exhibition sponsors for Maine Collects include Allen Insurance and Financial, Caldbeck Gallery, The Grasshopper Shop of Rockland, Anne and John Surovek, and Thomaston Place Auction.

    Community Partners include Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, Café Miranda, Gemini Marine Products and Custom Canvas, Hampton Inn & Suites and Monhegan Boat Line.

    Primary Media Sponsor for this exhibition is Maine Home + Design.

    Started on the corner of Elm and Chestnut Streets in Camden in 1875, Camden National Bank has grown into a full-service community bank with a network of 44 banking offices throughout Maine plus a commercial lending office in Manchester, New Hampshire. Camden National is proud to be headquartered in mid-coast Maine and believes in creating strong connections to the community through volunteerism, sponsorships, and donations that strengthen and invigorate the towns we serve. Learn more at www.CamdenNational.com. Member FDIC.

    The Farnsworth Art Museum celebrates Maine's ongoing role in American art. It offers a collection of works from many of America's artists, with 20,000 square feet of gallery space and more than 15,000 works in the collection.

    The Farnsworth has one of the largest public collections of works by sculptor Louise Nevelson, while its Wyeth Center features works of N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, according to the release. The National Register-listed Farnsworth Homestead; the Olson House, a National Historic Landmark; and Julia's Gallery for Young Artists complete the museum complex.

    Visit www.farnsworthmuseum.org for more information on current exhibitions, programs and events.