Horseshoeing, exclusive limited edition print by Maine Farmland Trust Gallery, signed by Dahlov Ipcar (17×24, $95)

Maine Farmland Trust Gallery in Belfast reopens with a special public artists reception for Dahlov Ipcar, from 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, May 3. MFT Gallery is honored to welcome Maine’s award-winning and legendary artist Dahlov Ipcar as this year’s first exhibitor. From May 3 through June 4, the Gallery will be exhibiting “Celebrating the Farm,” a private collection of Ipcar’s illustrations and lithographs which drew their inspiration from the artist’s farm life in Maine.

The work of Maine artist Dahlov Ipcar is loved by people all around the country. With a career spanning seven decades, there’s a lot to treasure. Her hundreds of paintings range from realistic depictions of people working the land to bold and fanciful displays of animals in real or imagined habitats. These paintings have been shown in the Museum of Modern Art, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Dahlov Ipcar as a young woman on the farm, 1945

In a recent interview with MFT Gallery coordinator Anna Albado, Dahlov, said “All kids should be raised on a farm.” Dahlov’s parents, famed artists William and Marquerite Zorach, bought their family farm in the early twenties when Dahlov was five. She has lived there since, farming and raising a family with husband Adolph, and making art. To read Anna’s exclusive interview with Dahlov Ipcar about her life as a farming artist, please visit mainefarmlandtrustgallery.com

Now, at the age of 95, Dahlov Ipcar is the most recent recipient of the Farnsworth Art Museum’s Maine in America award. The award, currently in its seventh year, is granted by the Farnsworth Art Museum’s Presidents Council to honor an individual or group who has made an outstanding contribution to Maine’s role in American art.

Asked by Anna Albado if it is actually Adolph shoeing the horse, Dahlov said “Well, it’s not Adolph because I never was very good at portraits, but I just made up imaginary people. But it’s pretty much the horse! That was Kitty, before we got Black Betty, the giant horse. I was pleased how I got in all the details of the tool box, the shoes with the little clip on the front, and so on. Animals come so easily to me. My father used to say: “You draw a horse like you write your name!” Well…. I put it in practice!

Dahlov Ipcar with her cat, 2013 (photo by Maine Farmland Trust)

Maine Farmland Trust Gallery has been expanded to include a second floor dedicated to a dozen represented artists, while the first floor will continue to exhibit guest artists and group shows. For more information, please visit mainefarmlandtrustgallery.org

“On the Golden Road 2,” by Philip Barter

Gleason Fine Art in Portland opens two new shows at its Portland gallery, “Philip Barter: New Work” and “Clarence K. Chatterton (1880-1973): An Artist’s Artist” with an opening reception from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, May 3. From the beginning, Sullivan artist Philip Barter’s brilliantly colored, modernist-influenced paintings and wood reliefs stood out from the myriad landscapes more traditional artists were creating. Arts writer Carl Little says of Philip, “The appeal of Barter’s stylized renderings of trees, clouds, and rivers is powerful. His ability to extract the essence of the landscape provokes marvel. His palette, often not for the faint of hue, underscores his lively vision.” The two shows run through June 29.  For more information call 699-5599.

“Arrangement in Orange” by Linda Packard

The Gallery at Blue Heron in Bangor invites the public to an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday May 3, for a new show entitled “Different Hours.”  ”Different Hours” speaks to the idea that the hours in a day lead us to various places real, or imagined, created, or observed. This show invites us to consider how different hours affect artists’ perception, expression and works. Featured artists include; Helene Bosse, Pam Dunphy, Matthew Foster, Rita Haunert, Nina Jerome, John LeBlanc, Linda Packard, Rebecca Rivers, Kristborg Whitney, and Diana Young. For more information call 992-2115 or find them on Facebook @ The Gallery at Blue Heron.

“Black Finery” by Gabriella D’Italia

Please join Åarhus Gallery in Belfast for an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday May 3, for a show entitled “Sublime Monotony” which runs through June 2. That which at first seems extinguished, wearisome, routine, repetitive, becomes singularly new, becomes beauty, becomes the flame. In a paradoxical world, our world, neither is either, without each other… and together they reveal a divine truth: The Sublime Monotony. The show will feature the works of Marcie Jan Bronstein, Gabriella D’Italia, Clint Fulkerson, J. T. Gibson, Stew Henderson, Kevin Johnson, Mark Kelly, Marc Leavitt, Karen MacDonald, Richard Mann, Wesley Reddick, Willy Reddick and Kate Russo. For more information visit aarhusgallery.com/  where a slideshow of the current works is available.

“Schoodic Point”  by David Shepard

The Wine Cellar Gallery at John Edwards in Ellsworth invites the public to a wine tasting/artist reception for David Shepard, 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 3. David Shepard lives just twenty minutes from Acadia National Park and the sea. In addition to the Maine coast and Penobscot Bay where he keeps his boat, he has also sailed to the Azores, Bermuda and the Bahamas.. Whether the sea is stormy or calm, it seems to talk and to inspire him. David Shepard’s seascapes are on display through June 30. For more information visit johnedwardsmarket.com

A past winner by Roberta Goschke

Galerie Dufour in Belfast invites the public to an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Saturday, May 4, for “Primavera: The Maine Fine Art Figure Exhibition.”  The show features modern interpretations of the nude, the classic genre in art, by Maine artists.  Fine art nude drawings, photographs, paintings, and mixed media will be featured in what promises to be a memorable exhibit. Award winning Maine artists David Estey and Charles Laurier Dufour juried the entries and were impressed with the sheer variety of interpretations. Primavera will be exhibited through the month of May.  For more information call 338 – 6448 or email GalerieDufour@gmail.com.

“Duck With Bud “ by Susan Amons

Landing Gallery in Rockland reopens with an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday May 3, with two new exhibits.  The “2013 Invitational” exhibits work by 30 artists with over 100 new works in a show that runs through June 9. Exhibiting artists are Naomi Aho, Susan Amons, Robert Birbeck, Bruce Busko, Irma Cerese, Megan Cafferata, Lewis Cisle, Gifford Ewing, Sarah Faragher, Kristin Fitzpatrick, Diana Godfrey, Michael Kahn, Brian Krebs, Dorothy Simpson Krause, Monique Lazard, Nancy Linkin, Janet Ledoux, David Riley Peterson, Isabelle Pelissier, Roberta Baumann, Rebecca Rivers, Ellen Roberts, Björn Runquist, Ken Sahr and Suzanne Siegel. “Bits to Its: 3D Printed Sculpture” also opens on May 3 and continues through June 16.  The Maine FabLab Juried Sculpture Exhibit has juried entries from around the world. The Best from Maine award went to Mary Baldwin Collins of Rockport, for her piece, American Icon #1. For more information visit landingart.com

”Sexual Selection #1” by Bear Kirkpatrick

The George Marshall Store Gallery in York opens their exhibition season with two inspiring shows. This is the eleventh year running that the river front gallery begins its schedule with “Momentum” an exhibition presenting the work of the grantee and finalists of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Piscataqua Region Artist Advancement Grant. Concurrently, works by Don Lent, spanning five decades, are exhibited in the dock level gallery. “Momentum XI” features 2012 grantee photographer Bear Kirkpatrick from Portsmouth and finalists Lauren Gillette from York and Rose Umerlik from Portsmouth. Three photographs from his “Sexual Selections” series are included. The artist describes this series as a way “to create visuals out of the combination of Darwin’s ridiculed theory of sexual selection (female choice drives morphology), the 18th and 19th century naturalists like Catesby and Audubon, and a modern sense of gloom.” For more information visit georgemarshallstoregallery.org.

Calling all artists! An exhibition opportunity awaits you. Shaw Gallery in Northeast Harbor will be hosting the thirteenth annual Mount Desert Open. This is a painting, fine craft and sculpture exposition for local residents to show their work in a gallery setting.   There are only two criteria to gain acceptance in this year’s exhibit.  First, you must have work that you are proud of and willing to share with your community, and second, you must have an MDI address. There is no jury process, but your work must be matted, framed, or presented in a professional manner. All interested persons are encouraged to contact the gallery.

The show will have a festive opening reception on Thursday May 23, and run through June 10th.  Any resident of MDI, or anyone having an MDI address is welcomed to exhibit. Please contact Shaw Gallery at 276-5000, or at info@shawjewelry.com

“Running Backwards Smiling” by Jackie Boudreau Kinsey

Carver Hill Gallery in Rockland will host the 2013 season grand re-opening reception on First Friday, 5-8 p.m. May 3. The opening will introduce Jackie Boudreau Kinsey and feature new works by gallery artists Diane Bowie Zaitlin and Megan Hinton. Carver Hill has an incredible line up this year with five new artists and brand new work from our gallery collective. For more information visit carverhillgallery.com

“Little River” by Andrea Peters

Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery in Rockland invites the public to two receptions for “In Pursuit of Coastal Light”, a spring show of work by Gary Hoyle of Swan’s Island and Andrea Peters of East Boothbay. The first reception is 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 3 during the season’s first Arts in Rockland (AIR) art walk. A second reception will be on Friday, May 24, also from 5 p.m.  The show runs through May 31st. Gary Hoyle’s nearly 40-year career has spanned the breadth of museum exhibit work from research to exhibit fabrications. Andrea Peters’ interest in the natural world finds its muse just outside the front door – and the back door – of her cottage between Glen Cove and the working harbor of Little River. Her oil landscapes on gessoed birch panels also reflect the changing seasons – from the blues and violets of winter scenes to the riotous summer hues of hydrangea, lupine and yarrow under impossibly blue skies. Please visit  thearchipelago.net

“Overcast Pemaquid” by Colin Page

Greenhut Galleries in Portland is showing “Colin Page: Spatial Perception,” with an opening reception 5- 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2. Colin Page was raised in Baltimore, MD and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He transferred to Cooper Union with a concentration in painting. Upon graduation, he lived in New York City for three years where he was an active member in the art community. In search of a more diverse landscape, Page moved to Maine where he has devoted his time to making art and teaching. “Colin Page: Spatial Perception,” runs through June 1. For more information visit greenhutgalleries.com

Schooner Gallery of Milbridge will host its 2nd Annual “44º North” Downeast Open Art Showcase celebrating Maine artists who are residents and live within 44 nautical miles of Milbridge (50.6 miles).  Artists of any age and training are invited to submit their artwork inspired by this 44º North environment we live in.  This exciting late-Spring Art Event will be held at the Schooner Gallery, 59 Main Street, Milbridge. Show dates will be May 25 through June 22, with an opening reception 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25.  Drop off dates, in-person at the gallery, for artworks in all media are Monday and Tuesday, May 20th and 21st, from 9:30am to 4:30pm. For more information and show specifics please call Schooner Gallery at 546-3179 or 546-7989.

“After the Rain” by Jean Kigel

“The Floral Muse: Watercolors and Asian Brush Paintings by Jean Kigel” will be on exhibit at Tidemark Gallery in Waldoboro from May 8 – June 1, with an opening reception 5-7 p.m.  Saturday, May 11, that is free and open to the public. For Jean Kigel, both an artist and a perennial gardener, flowers are her favorite muse. This show features a variety of field and still-life florals – some small, some oversize. She draws her inspiration largely from the shapes and shades of flowers she has inherited and from those of local plant sales. For more information visit tidemarkgallery.com.

“Trees” by Mary Barnes

Åarhus Gallery in Belfast invites the public to an opening reception Friday April 5th, 5-8pm for a show entitled “Forest for the Trees” which runs April 4th through the 28th.

With National Arbor Day and Earth Day happening in April, and the new Åarhus partner Tom O’Donovan having his annual tree show at Harbor Square Gallery in Rockland also this April, we at Åarhus have decided to branch out and have a tree show of our own entitled, ‘Forest For the Trees’. You are all familiar with this (partial) idiom, as meaning the inability to see the big picture due to over-attention to details. This show may forgo exemplifying any lessons learned from that wise old saying, and instead just have a good time with the tree as subject matter for art making. So if you have a firm handle on the big picture or if you want to bring a magnifying glass and focus in on the details, shake a limb over to Åarhus and leaf your troubles behind.

Featured artists include; Michael Alpert, Mary Barnes, Kenny Cole, Susan Cooney, Al Crichton, Kris Engman, Jerri Finch, Alan Fishman, Dave Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Mark Kelly, Richard Mann, Ed Moffitt, Thomas O’Donovan, Ben Potter, Wesley Reddick, Willy Reddick and Carol Sloane.

Aarhus Gallery, 50 Main St, Belfast, operating under winter hours, is open February-May, Thursday-Sunday 11 am-5:30 pm. For more information call 338-0001 or  www.aarhusgallery.com  where a slideshow of the current works is available.

“14, 86 lbs” by Noah David Bau. The “I-95 Triennial” will feature a wall with four large photographs by Noah David Bau, who captured images of orphaned and neglected boys in a Bangkok training camp located in the city’s “most notorious slum.” “The boys are subjected to grueling workouts in oppressive heat; their bodies endure brutal punishment; and they are trained to be ferocious and merciless.”-Noah David Bau.

The University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor’s second “I-95 Triennial: From Connecticut to Maine” exhibition opens to the public April 5 and offers a unique glimpse into the diversity of contemporary creative practice by artists from five New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The exhibition features works in an array of media, from sculpture and painting to photography and mixed media. One hundred and fourteen artists submitted works for consideration and, as a result of a highly competitive jury process, 34 artists were invited to participate. The jurors for the I-95 Triennial 2013 were Timothy McDowell, Professor of Art and former Chair of the Art Department, Connecticut College and George Kinghorn, Director and Curator of the University of Maine Museum of Art.

The Triennial showcases a wide range of approaches to materials and styles including representational, abstraction and conceptual works. Color photography is well represented by several artists including Christopher Chadbourne and Noah David Bau, each of whom works in a fine art documentary style. Both offer in-depth investigations of subjects ranging from the colorful world of state fairs to young boys in brutal boxing camps in Bangkok, Thailand. Also featured are artists working in the traditional medium of gelatin silver print including Maine-based Ilya Askinazi and Claire Seidl. Sculptural works by J.T. Gibson, Walter Kopec, Paul Oberst, Christine Owen and Edward Mackenzie range from mix-media assemblage incorporating appropriated objects to beautifully crafted bronze and wood forms. The landscape serves as inspiration for paintings by Nina Jerome and Linda Packard. Each artist employs gestural paint passages and bold colors to depict birds-eye views of urban settings and the serenity of ponds filled with lilies and other vibrant flora.

Contemporary abstraction is reflected in Daniel Anselmi’s multi-layered collages, Marc Leavitt’s pulsating colorful painted surfaces and Kathryn Frund’s canvases which display an array of marks, drips and stains. The 90-plus works of art by these New England-based artists attest to the multitude of approaches to art-making and the pluralistic nature prevalent in contemporary art.

I-95 Triennial 2013 Participating Artists: Daniel Anselmi, Ryan Arthurs, Ilya Askinazi, Noah David Bau, Roberta Baumann, Lindsey Beal, Charles Benner, Renate Caraballo, Christopher Chadbourne, Kenny Cole, David Estey, Joshua Ferry, Kathie Florsheim, Kathryn Frund, J.T. Gibson, Rachel Hellmann, Terry Hire, Kay Howell, Jana Ireijo, Nina Jerome, Alexis Kochka, Walter Kopec, Marc Leavitt, Edward Mackenzie, Robert Moran, Paul Oberst, Christine Owen, Linda Packard, Gerri Rachins, Ken Sahr, Roxanne Faber Savage, Claire Seidl, Cheryl St. Onge and Barbara Sullivan.
“Encounter” by David Estey, “A Stair in waiting” by Walter Kopec, “DMV” by Roberta Baumann, “Untitled” by Daniel Anselmi.

“I-95 Triennial 2013” runs through June 8. The University of Maine Museum of Art, located in the heart of downtown Bangor, has a permanent collection of over 3,800 objects with an emphasis on modern and contemporary works of art. The Museum of Art offers a diverse schedule of changing contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year. Admission to the Museum of Art is free in 2013 thanks to the generosity of Penobscot Financial Advisors. For more information visit umma.umaine.edu.

“David Balfour” by N. C. Wyeth

The Farnsworth Art Museum will open a major exhibition Sat. April 27 entitled “Every Picture Tells a Story: N.C. Wyeth Illustrations from the Brandywine River Museum.” The exhibition of approximately thirty paintings will run through Sunday, December 29 at the museum’s Wyeth Center. The exhibition is composed of thirty paintings by N. C. Wyeth that span four decades of his work, from early western pictures through Robert Louis Stevenson classics to later illustrations in experimental styles. For more information please visit  farnsworthmuseum.org/education

“Untitled” by Peggy Clark Lumpkins

The Sohns Gallery in Bangor presents “The Orono Bog Boardwalk Benefit Show” with an Opening Reception 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25. The Orono Bog Walk in the Bangor City Forest is raising money to repair their 4,200-foot boardwalk.  Artist were encouraged to enter up to five artworks in a range of prices that had a forest, bog, carnivorous plant, or an otherwise fitting theme.  “The Orono Bog Boardwalk Benefit Show” is currently open and runs through May 20. For more information, call 947-2205.