ROCKLAND — Join Archipelago, the Island Institute’s store and gallery, for “Seeking Havens: Shared Perspectives on Coastal Maine” opening in the gallery on Friday, July 5 through August 31. The gallery shares works of Holly Berry and Wendy Newcomb for the summer season. Seeking Havens is yet another intentional collaboration between Newcomb and Berry, who have been friends and collaborators throughout their careers. Work in the exhibition celebrates a love for Maine’s coastal and forested landscapes.

Berry’s work as a printmaker has been recognized with an Individual Arts Fellowship in Printmaking by the Maine Arts Commission and is a member of the Boston Printmakers. Her prints have been exhibited in invitational, juried and group shows throughout the country and included in the Maine-Aomori Print Exchange with Japan. Her bold and dynamic prints share her keen attention to the details in the forms of natural objects in the landscapes she inhabits and thrives in.

“Ideas for my images are inspired by my attraction to the graphic elements of my immediate surrounding here in Maine,” said Berry, in an Archipelago news release. “Everywhere I see strong lines, bold shapes, saturated colors, textures and patterns. I love the act of carving a block of wood or linoleum. It is decisive and immediate act and, I find, a meditative process. Using knives and gouges to realize a design appeals to my love of making things with my hands and my appreciation for craftsmanship. For me, it is the perfect way to interpret, express my love for and celebrate the beautiful world in which we live.”

Newcomb is a representational painter whose primary mediums include oil, gouache and acrylic. Approaching her work with a deep connection to Maine’s landscape, her paintings depict rich colors and dynamic light at the intersections of land, sea, and sky, according to the news release. She has shown her work throughout Maine in numerous juried shows at University of Southern Maine Gorham, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston, University of New England, Boothbay Botanical Gardens and other gallery invitational shows.

"My paintings represent a visual journal of my life in Maine, reflecting my love of Nature and my participation in it,” said Newcomb. “The subjects I choose to paint are usually found in the inland and coastal landscapes near where I live, in both Sebago and my summer home on Vinalhaven . A recurring theme in my work is how light falls on objects and water, creating different patterns and reflections within the composition's context. I prefer late afternoon light for its golden hues and long shadows or early morning as the sun just begins to reach the earth in its early ascent. My intent is to give the viewer a sense of “place” – of being there with me; participating in the experience of Nature.”

Newcomb’s paintings in this exhibition share this love of Maine’s coast including familiar Vinalhaven vistas.

Join Archipelago in the gallery Friday, July 5, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., to meet the artists and share food, drink, and conversations.

Located at 386 Main Street in downtown Rockland, Archipelago features artists who work with natural, coastal, and working waterfront themes inspired by living and creating art in Maine. Both the store and gallery are currently open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please check the website for current hours.

To learn more about the artists and work featured in the gallery, visit the Archipelago page on Facebook or the Gallery page of the website. For general questions regarding Archipelago or the gallery show, contact Archipelago Director Lisa Mossel at (207) 596-0701.

ABOUT ARCHIPELAGO

Located on Main Street in downtown Rockland, Maine, Archipelago supports and showcases Maine artists and makers whose work reflects and promotes the beauty and endurance of Maine’s islands and coast. Since opening in 2000, it has helped advance the careers of more than 1,900 Maine artists and returned $5.4 million in sales revenue. For more information, visit http://www.thearchipelago.net.

ABOUT THE ISLAND INSTITUTE

The Island Institute is a 40-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Rockland, Maine, that works to sustain Maine’s island and coastal communities and is committed to a just, resilient, and vibrant future for the coast of Maine. For more information, visit http://www.islandinstitute.org.