January Exhibit to Raise Awareness of the Beauty of the Natural World
Waterfall Arts in collaboration with Dark Sky Maine and the Union of Maine Visual Artists presents Dark Skies, a juried art exhibit opening 17 January and continuing to 28 February at Waterfall Arts, 256 High St., Belfast, Maine. An artists’ reception is set for Saturday 18 January, 1–3 p.m. Over thirty artists and invited artists participated in this exhibit, which will also include guest speakers, films, and activities to help promote dark skies and protect our natural environment. This is the second collaborative exhibition that UMVA has partnered with Waterfall Arts.
Kathryn Corbett, Thunder Hole Dark Horse and Rho, metal print, 16 x 20 in.
This dynamic show of paintings, photographs, and other artworks celebrating and encouraging the appreciation of the night sky was juried by Nancy Hathaway, President/Co-founder of Dark Sky Maine, and UMVA members Liv Kristin Robinson (photographer); Emily Sabino (painter), and Arlene Jurewicz Leighton (photographer). Participating and guest artists include Katherine Bradford, Linden Frederick, Emily Nelligan (deceased) John Meader\Frances Hynes, Jane Dahmen, Lesia Sochor, Jeff Epstein, Alan Fishman, and Jim Nickelson.
Kelly Desrosiers, Moonlit Stream, mixed media on wood panel, 12 x 24 in.
The jury said when they made their final selection, they focused on work they felt best honored the dark skies in Maine and the natural world and creatures that so depend on them for their survival (such as pollinators, night frogs, birds, etc). The work they selected best captured this essential quality.
UMVA Dark Skies exhibit promotional visual.
Lesia Sochor, Full Moon Frolic, watercolor on paper, 37 x 29 in.
In addition to the work of over 30 artists, the Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) will offer special insights from one of the co-founders of Dark Sky Maine, Nancy Hathaway, at the artists’ reception, Saturday, 18 January from 1-3 pm at Waterfall Arts. This will include information about Defending the Dark, a short video available at www.darkskymaine.com. On 25 January 25, from 1:30 to 3:30, UMVA/Midcoast in conjunction with the Belfast Public Library, 106 High St, presents the film Wilfred Buck, a hybrid documentary following the life of Wilfred Buck, a charismatic and irreverent Cree elder who overcame a harrowing history by reclaiming ancestral star knowledge and ceremony.