DAMARISCOTTA—Walking through River Arts Gallery in downtown Damariscotta (36 Elm Street), it’s evident there are a lot of artists from Midcoast Maine represented in their latest juried show, “Wild Things.”

“Wild Things,” an exhibition with 70 selected artists was designed to encourage individual interpretation of the theme, bringing in works that focused on the natural world with an exciting display of expressive landscapes or untamed creatures.  

“This ensured a stimulating and often surprising array of submissions,” said Alice de Mauriac, President.  “It also allowed for creative exploration by abstract artists who submitted works with dramatic, emotional significance.”

PBP: What surprises you or delights you when you host a certain theme and you get to see what artists’ interpretations of that theme turn out to be?

Many of our artists are regularly submitting work throughout the year and it is always exciting when someone steps out on a limb and produces something that shows an evolution of their creative process.  A standout in this show was Karen Nadeau, one of our volunteers, who has been doing experimental poured paintings for a number of months.  Her entry into this show clearly shows that she has completely grasped her materials and all of her hard work has paid off in a beautiful painting.

PBP: Is there a particular artwork that absolutely nailed the theme?

Doreen Nardone is another artist whose work in this show pushed her boundaries and as the title ‘Outliers’ expresses, she created a work that is unusual for her.  It is a remarkable virtuoso handling of vibrant paint.
However, I could honestly state that many of the artists pushed their boundaries and the result is a show of high creative energy and exciting exploration. 

PBP: Why do you think so many artists who applied for this theme happened to reside in the Midcoast area?

Our membership is around 300 and all of our juried shows bring in a number of non-members from all over the state as well.  Midcoast is always well represented.

The show closes on June 11 and the next show, open to all members of River Arts opens June 18, 2022. For more information visit: https://riverartsme.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com