The Mid-Coast Salon, a monthly discussion group of about two dozen artists with diverse disciplines and styles present: Art Matters , an exhibit at the UMVA Gallery at 516 Congress Street, Portland, Maine for July 2021. For more than 30,000 years, humankind has used visual imagery to narrate, to translate, and give clear interpretation to the worlds within and around us, with artists often at the forefront of awareness. This exhibit represents what the artists of the Salon interpret to mean as Art Matters . The show will open with the Portland-area First Friday ArtWalk on July 2, 2021 from 5pm to 8pm. Salon members will sit at the gallery thereafter on Fridays and Saturdays from 1-4pm. Guests may also visit when the Portland Media Center is open. Click here for more info on our website . African Zebras by Russell Kahn

Empty Spaces: A New Normal The Union of Maine Visual Artists with the Portland Media Center and I are pleased to host the upcoming exhibition: “Empty Spaces: A New Normal”, with fifteen photographic artworks by myself, Natalie E. Brown, and a collaborative multimedia work section by selected members of the Portland Community. This includes the work of Jasper Gaffney, Josh Heriot, Sam Murphy, and Libby Scutt. This collection addresses the impact of the pandemic on both tourism and everyday life in the world; to illustrate the eerie silence all around us; but, also the beauty of that stillness and an overtake of nature in an otherwise turbulent time. The collection will go live at UMVA Gallery@PMC on March 1st and will be on display through the 27th, 2021. The collection can be visited in person with pre existing appointments and for the duration of the month online from the Portland Media Center , The Union of Maine Visual Artists , and my own website. Call ahead to book in person vi

Visible Discourse from Maine's Western Foothills: Arcadipone, Best, Millonzi and Schneider UMVA GALLERY AT PORTLAND MEDIA CENTER Visible Discourse from Maine’s Western Foothills Artists Diana Arcadipone, Don Best, Nikki Millonzi and Judith Schneider Opens First Friday, September 6th, 5-8pm...open Fri, Sat and Sun, 1-4 pm through 9/28.  Visible Discourse is an exhibition that celebrates Maine’s natural and diverse environment; the wildlife, woodlands, lakes and ocean that draw visitors to Maine from around the globe. This exhibition is a collaborative installation by four artists living in Oxford County: Diana Arcadipone, Don Best, Nikki Millonzi and Judith Schneider. Four distinct voices visually explore their surroundings and collectively celebrate the beauty of Maine. These artists share works inspired by the magic and collective energies of the Oxford Hills, an area with a rich visual and performing arts culture. One well known artist claims the local art spri

UMVA members Roland Salazar Rose and John Ripton worked on this fine book project with a grant from the Maine Arts Commission.  Solar Flares & Salazar directs pubic attention to the existential threat now posed to our environment, and asks everyone to be responsible stewards on "Spaceship Earth." You can read the rest of the article by clicking HERE.  

There's a great show on now at the UMVA Gallery at the Portland Media Center.... But some UMVA members are also showing in other places...  Like Ann Tracy over at the Wellness Connection through the end of this month. and then... in August, Julia Durgee will be showing at our gallery at the Portland Media Center “From Illustrations to Paintcations,” featuring NYC-based comic drawings and Maine-based oil paintings. Show Details: ·        August Weekends 2019.   Show Opening: Friday, 8/2, 5 – 8pm ·        @ Portland Media Center - Gallery - 516 Congress Street - Portland, ME ·        “Do-gooder” celebrations: live portrait paintings of good Mainers in gallery window   Artist Bio: With formidable, illustration skills, Julia Durgee paints the activity, buzz, and beauty of Maine. She grew up drawing and painting cartoons, fashion designs, murals, and portraits in Albany, New York. This early work led to her apparel design degree from Cornell Uni