The University of New England Art Gallery on the Portland Campus is pleased to present "The Lives of the Jewelers." An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held Friday, July 1, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
From the forms of the region's plants and animals to global social and cultural histories, inspirations abound for Maine jewelers, who use metals and other precious materials to embody their creative responses to their physical and cognitive environments.
In "The Lives of the Jewelers" - open through Oct. 9 - Maine metal artists display their work in the form of both jewelry and extended applications of their chosen materials, alongside imagery and text describing the sources that inspire them.
Like Vasari's 1550 text "The Lives of the Artists," which illuminated the practices of Renaissance visionaries, this exhibition will provide a window into the motivations and intellectual preoccupations of individual contemporary Maine jewelers, who bring their visions of beauty so directly into daily life.
Curated by Maria Wolff and UNE Gallery and Exhibitions Director Hilary Irons, the exhibit features work by Ebenezer Akakpo, Aminata Conteh, Shelby Goldsmith, Michael Good, Tim McCreight, Naomi Grace McNeill, J. E. Paterak, Kyle Patnaude, Christine Peters, Sharon Portelance, and Maria Wolff
The UNE Art Gallery is located 716 Stevens Ave. in Portland and is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, please contact Hilary Irons at [email protected] or (207) 221-4449
