There’s a lot of humility in being an artist you look at what’s been submitted to the show and you try to be fair about the work and about your own that wasn’t accepted.”īut now – back to the art in this show … “Lost Claws” is a fascinating piece – the Portland landmark depicted complete with human figures, lobstering folk and tools all composed of wood, paper, composite plastic, paint, etc. “An artist has to eat humble pie once in a while. “I think a lot of people don’t want to judge, they don’t want to run into someone whose work wasn’t chosen,” Benoit said. “(Decisions) should be based on thematics, something that really depicts the work ethic, workmanship, quality and uniqueness of the work.” As such, he talked about the importance of maintaining objectivity, of not letting personal likes and dislikes influence the decision-making process of who’s in and who’s not. This was Benoit’s first experience as a juror of a show. Greenier invited artists – friends and casual acquaintances whose work she’s loved for years. “I love meeting the artists and seeing art work and I am so impressed with the artists juried into this show,” she said outside the gallery during the speeches portion of the opening reception program. We span the state – including someone from Jonesport who sent her work in.” “About 110 entries it was a difficult process but we’re pleased with the variety. “We got quite a wide variety – an overwhelming response – limited space,” Coates added. It’s a wonderful reflection of the theme.” I felt all of the work was very interesting, hearing of the theme. It was a real privilege to be part of this. This was my first time at the other end of the stick. A minimum of three people is the fairest way to do it. Said Benoit about his decision, “Most galleries have a judge, not a juror or jury, and it’s not really the fairest way to decide who is going into a show. Boothbay Harbor artist Andre Benoit was asked to be juror for the show, but he chose to ask artists Mark Coates, chairman of the exhibition committee and curator of the show, and artist Sarah Greenier to jury the show with him. It’s a fascinating show that I intend to go back and see early next month. While Perry’s work is, in my humble opinion, the most hard-hitting, gritty, in your face work (photography is like that) focused on shipbuilders, her fellow artists depict other Maine vocations – lobstering, fishing, worm digging, farming – sheep, flowers, vegetables, potatoes restaurant/bartending, shipbuilding, the rebuilding of Boothbay Harbor’s 1,000-foot footbridge, pleasure boat trip companies, ice harvesting, and more. There are 75 artists in this show – 16 invited, 59 juried in, exceptional artists all working in oils, watercolor, pastels, assemblage, photography, acrylics, wood, charcoal and more. “Working Maine,” the current show at MAG, was the brainchild of former president Wendy Ross two years ago. Perry has a triptych photograph entitled, “Lunch Break at South Gate BIW” that is even more compelling: the expressions on the faces of the workers as they are moving fast through the doors to get outside in the light, cigarette lighters at the ready if only it was quitting time … His is a hard job – hard on the body and spirit being crammed into small spaces welding and grinding, but he looks young and strong. Kaleb is looking straight into the camera. Kaleb is taking a final draw on his cigarette, barely more than a stub. The first image directly in front of you as you enter Maine Art Gallery is the color photograph of Kaleb, a Bath Iron Works shipfitter taken by Bath photographer/artist Heather Perry.
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