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Double Your Art in August at UMVA Gallery

 A double solo show fills the UMVA Gallery inside the Portland Media Center, 516 Congress St., Portland, Maine from August 1 through August 26, 2023. An artists’ reception for this special show featuring photographer Tom Bloom and painter Jen Perry is set for First Friday, August 4th from 5 to 8 pm.  The event is free and open to the public. Bloom shows dance and theatre photography and Perry shows abstract painting.



Bloom’s photography represents three decades of work with a score of theaters and dance companies in New England and New York City, among them, Boston Ballet, American Repertory, Trinity Repertory, Celebration Mime, the Berkshire Festival, many others. This exhibit displays selections from that photography career. As an actor he has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally in 17 states. He has appeared in many movies and TV serials over his career.  Bloom now lives in Portland, Maine and more of his work can be seen at www.tombloom.com.

“Having your 'head in the clouds' is not always perceived in a positive way”, says Perry.  “The usual connotation is that one is out of touch with reality. The world can sometimes feel like a dark, heavy place and I’ve found that I tend to dwell in the darkness longer than I would like. My clouds are a way for me to temporarily escape the void.”

Perry is an abstract artist based in South Portland, who moved to Maine in 2021.  Her new home has given her new imagery and inspiration for her work.  She describes her paintings as not being created to fit into an interior decoration scheme, but as colorful, fun and exciting! More work can be found at www.JenIsPainting.com.

The Union of Maine Visual Artists is a nonprofit organization, created in 1975 that promotes and advocates for the visual arts, artists, and all arts supporters.  UMVA publishes the Maine Arts Journal, an on-line quarterly publication (https://maineartsjournal.com/); the New England Emmy Award-nominated film series Maine Masters, 19 compelling profiles of some of Maine’s most distinguished and often less recognized artists; and the UMVA Portland Gallery, at the Portland Media Center, 516 Congress St., which features new shows every month by a wide variety of local artists and invited guests.  An artists’ reception is generally held on the First Friday of every month. 

The 19th episode of Maine Masters premiered in 2021 and featured artist Natasha Mayers.  TRUTH TELLERS: Robert Shetterly’s Odyssey to Defend Our Democratic Ideals, is now in distribution following a year's Impact Tour where a highlight was the screening at the National Portrait Gallery.  A new Midcoast Chapter has been formed to better serve artists in the Midcoast region and it has produced three shows this past year at the Camden Public Library, Waterfall Arts in Belfast and at the Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta.

                                                            

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