Back from Maine aand Holly

Well, I'm back from almost a month in Maine. While there, I went to the Portland Art Museum to see their wonderful show THE CALL OF THE COAST (Art Colonies of New England). It is an exhibit which explores four of the art communities from the the early 20th century, Cos Cob, Old Lyme, Ogunquit, and Monhegan. There are eighty paintings, including works by Childe Hassan, Marin, Bellows, Twachtman, Rockwell Kent, Robert Henri, and many more. If you happen to be near there, you'll see a visually stunning look at an era when artists came together in New England and created an amazing body of art.
The museum itself is a modern gem. It specializes in East Coast American artists. It's worth visiting even without this outstanding exhibit.

Now that I'm back, it's time to look at what's happening at the Gallery. The month of August will feature a show of works by Holly Hess. This will be a multimedia exhibit, with sculptures, oil paintings, silk painting, drawings. I had an interesting conversation with Holly on Friday. Her background in art is very unusual. Her father worked in a Federal Prison and she actually lived on the grounds. She received much of early training from a famous painter and counterfieter who was an inmate. She never actually met him. Her father was the intermediary. He would show the gentleman her work, he would critique it and suggest texts that she should study. Now that's really different. There will be a reception on August 9th. More details to come