DAMARISCOTTA — River Arts plans to hold an opening reception from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, for its first show of the year, “Passages,” at 26 Elm St.

Jorge Arango, art writer and reviewer, served as juror in selecting 83 works of 72 artists from 178 submissions. The show runs until Feb. 18.

Artists from all over Maine presented their interpretations of the theme; Arango provided his thoughts about his selections.

“Everything, when you come down to it, is a passage — with any luck, anyway, since in the best sense passing from one stage to another stage indicates progress and maturation. The kinds of passages in the show range from the natural (paths through the woods, through seasons, of water running to the sea) and aging and death, to more abstract ideas such as the movement of color across a surface or the sense of moving from surface to depth in the way paint is applied and layered,” Arango said in a news release from the gallery.

“There is humor and energy in some passages, wistful melancholy and sadness in others. And the diversity of media spans a kind of material journey,” he added. “Taken as a whole, the show hopefully illustrates the temporality of everything. Which is why, of course, we should really value the now, for it is gone in the next second.”

In conjunction with “Passages” is a River Room show, “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Paint,” featuring works by Holly Anderson Baumm, Alice de Mauriac, Laurel Dodge and Judy Nixon.

Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call the gallery at 207-563-6868 or visit riverartsme.org.

Check out other upcoming area events!