Maine Farmland Trust Gallery’s 200 Years of Farming: A Bicentennial Celebration will be on display virtually through Oct. 2. A virtual opening reception, with artists talk and special guests, will be held via Zoom from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. RSVP via mainefarmlandtrust.org.
According to a news release from Karen Giles, gallery coordinator with the Belfast-based gallery, the history of farming in Maine is rich, bountiful, creative and diverse, as is the talent and variety of its artists. In celebration of Maine’s Bicentennial, Maine Farmland Trust’s virtual gallery exhibit focuses on the history, practices, and triumphs of farming in Maine over the last 200-plus years — from early homesteading to dairy, potatoes, blueberries, the local food movement, and present day changes and challenges.
This show encompasses 53 works from 18 artists in a wide range of media to depict the rich history of farming in Maine, including oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings, charcoal, ink, and pastel drawings, 3-D wooden assemblage, ceramic vegetables, full-color photography, plus black and white photographs and glass plate photographic prints on loan from the Penobscot Marine Museum. The gallery is partnering with the Penobscot Marine Museum to exhibit seven glass plate photographic prints on loan from the Eastern Collection, of oxen, draft horse teams and scenes of the harvests of corn and potatoes.
Also on display are six black-and-white photographs from the museum’s new collection by the late Kosti Ruohomaa, formerly of Rockland, courtesy of Black Star Publishing Company, depicting crisp, clear images of hard working farmers in their daily lives.
Belfast’s Lynn Karlin’s full-color photographs of artfully arranged vegetables add vibrant color to the exhibit.
“Grace Helping Dad,” Deborah Flood of Belfast, oil on linen panel, 12 by 16 inch. Photo courtesy of Maine Farmland Trust Gallery
Deborah Flood of Belfast and Kevin Mizner of Pittston use illustrative and luminous compositions in their oil paintings to tell the stories of farm families working their draft horses on the land and at the fair. Textures and rich color are part of the appeal of the depictions of barnyard animals, tractors, and the bounty of harvested vegetables in the paintings of Joan Losee of Camden, Erica Qualey of Walpole, and DiTa Ondek of Rockland.
Sharon Yates of Lubec and Frances Hynes of Bayside, New York, a seasonal resident with ties to the gallery, share their interpretations of iconic Maine cows in colorful oils and pastels, while Kirstin Engman of Liberty adds Belted Galloway cows, vegetables, bees, and Common Ground Fair scenes in her layered style of painting patterns and textured backgrounds.
Carol L. Douglas of Rockport, Leslie Anderson of Sedgwick and Peter Walls of Stockton Springs depict colorful, sweeping, seasonal landscapes and scenes of farms, and blueberry fields in pastels, oils, and watercolors.
“Scythe, Modus Operandi,” Therese L. Provenzano of Wallagrass, charcoal on paper, 26 by 40 inch. Photo courtesy of Maine Farmland Trust Gallery
Thérèse L. Provenzano of Wallagrass, with charcoal, and Leslie Moore of Belfast, with sepia ink, crafted dramatic drawings of old farm scythes and a horse-drawn sulky plow.
André Benoit Jr. of Boothbay Harbor is showing a large assemblage of a gardener picking flowers, made from repurposed wooden pieces and objects, and Anne Alexander of Windham has contributed three of her ceramic vegetables.
“Crackle Zucchini,” Anne Alexander of Windham, Raku fired ceramic, 3 by 3 by 10 inch. Photo courtesy of Maine Farmland Trust Gallery
View the full virtual show by visiting the Maine Farmland Trust Gallery webpage to access the links to each work in the 200 Years of Farming exhibit at mainefarmlandtrust.org.
This exhibit is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Bicentennial Commission.
Maine Farmland Trust Gallery is located at 97 Main St., in Belfast. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the gallery is not open to the public. All gallery exhibits will be virtual until further notice.
For more information, visit mainefarmlandtrustgallery.org.
Maine Farmland Trust is a statewide nonprofit that works to protect farmland, support farmers and advance the future for farming. For more information about the trust, visit MaineFarmlandTrust.org.
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