CAMDEN — Prompted by the response to Rockport artist Carol L. Douglas’ November art show in the Picker Room, the Camden Public Library has asked Douglas to curate a second show of paintings for display this month.

The public can view the new installation, “Fantastic Places & Magical Realms.” The library plans an artist’s reception for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at 55 Main St.

“I wanted to travel as far as possible from a sense of place, to find themes that are common to all of us, no matter where we live. Fantastic Places & Magical Realms is about places and experiences that aren’t necessarily real, but that we can all identify with,” said Douglas, according to a news release from the library.

Douglas got the idea from Northern European Renaissance genre painting. “Genre painting depicts everyday life and ordinary people,” she said. “But they’re never real places or real people, just stories played out in paint. They often tell a folk tale or relate a moral precept. I wanted to do something similar with landscape paintings.”

Boats are an important metaphor in Douglas’ work. “Boats remind me of our human journey through life. They sail through all sorts of weather; they are sleek and beautiful, or stout and utilitarian. They can move effortlessly, or they can founder.”

The library requests that masks be worn inside the building at all times. The library hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information, contact Julia Pierce, programs and events coordinator, at 207-236-3440 or jpierce@librarycamden.org.

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