Portland Works by Tom Bloom and A Wicked Tiny History of Playing & Tarot Cards by Amy Bellezza The Union of Maine Visual Artists is presenting a Dual Exhibit opening at the gallery, this October 2 through to October 29, 2022.  With an Opening Reception Friday, October 7 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, during First Friday Art Walk, at the UMVA Gallery, 516 Congress Street;  located in the Portland Media Center’s offices.  This exhibit presents two photographers;  Tom Bloom and Amy Bellezza. Portland Works, by Tom Bloom, is an exhibit of portraits of residents of Portland, celebrating the nobility of hard work.  All of the personalities in the show work at jobs which most of us pass by without noticing but which are essential to the special character of Portland.  Each portrait is shot in Tom Bloom’s studio in Portland, often directly from work. Tom Bloom is a professional photographer and actor, New York, Boston, Portland.  His photogra...

A small group of UMVA members is creating a chapter of the UMVA specific to the Midcoast area.  After offering local artists the opportunity to indicate their needs, it was found that everyone seeks new exhibition outlets!  So, we are forming this new chapter to create more opportunities for Midcoast UMVA members to show their works.  A “friends and members” exhibition at the Camden Public Library is set for January 2023.  Another is in the works at Waterfall Arts! Submission dates/details will be sent shortly.  We invite your input for naming the first exhibition(s).  One thought, “re·sur·gence: Midcoast UMVA” noun: resurgence; plural noun: resurgences 1. an increase or revival after a period of little activity   As you may know, the Midcoast had a vibrant UMVA chapter (2003-2008) offering group exhibition opportunities in the Midcoast and beyond. That chapter held regular, monthly meetings with guest speakers. UMVA Midcoast meetings B...

  The Monotype Guild of New England (MGNE) is proud to announce the opening of PRESSTO ! , an invitational exhibit of Maine members of MGNE and the Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) on September 1st  at the UMVA Portland Gallery, 516 Congress St., inside the Portland Media Center.   An artists’ reception is planned for First Friday, September 2nd  from 5 to 8 pm.  The exhibit continues each day the Portland Media Center is open (generally 10 am to 5 pm) along with Friday evenings from 4- 8, plus Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm until September 30th.  All work is for sale and can be purchased by contacting the individual artists.  The work exhibited are all one-of-a-kind unique prints in a variety of media.   The impetus for this exhibit arose when Covid-19 closures cancelled live shows and other education activities sponsored by the Monotype Guild of New England. As a small part of a newly organized and r...

The Union of Maine Visual Artists is presenting its semi-annual Members Exhibit opening at the gallery, this June 1, 2022.  It is an Open Theme exhibit that showcases current Members’ talents and expressions through photography, mixed-media, collage, sculpture and painting.  This exhibit presents such artists as - Diane Dahlke, Gail Wartell and Amy Bellezza. Diane Dahlke presents us with her contemporary piece  Dress Up , an oil on panel and asks the question “As I worked on this painting, I thought about who might have worn the dress.” Gail Wartell shows us that in her acrylic piece  Sand Beach, MDI , her view is at once representational, impressionist, and expressionist, always seeking to capture the freshness, light, and magic of coastal Maine. And, Amy Bellezza exhibits her photograph titled,  Untitled , that dwells on the artist movement that revolved around the Veil of Isis as an allegorical representation of the philosophy of revealing nature’s secre...

Experiments in Watercolor: Diversity in Luminosity Seven Maine artists will exhibit the diversity of watercolor painting at the Union of Maine Visual Artists Portland Chapter Gallery in the Portland Media Center, 516 Congress St, from the First Friday Art Walk, May 6 to Saturday, May 28, 2022. The First Friday Opening hours are from 5:00-8:00pm. Exhibit organizer Greg Mason Burns, and artists Alan Crichton, Rabee Kiwan, Ed Nadeau, Arthur Nichols, Liz Prescott, Jack Silverio investigate the many luminous qualities of the watercolor medium. The artists will be at the First Friday, May 6 opening and invite the public to visit, look, and talk. The exhibit showcases seven different methods of creating watercolor works, from the realist to the abstract or imaginative, from small to large, from the conceptual to the concrete, and from thickly painted to thin, transparent washes. Each artist brings a unique approach to watercolors, and the goal of the exhibit is to showcase this luminous...

The Union of Maine Visual Artists is pleased to host the upcoming exhibition: “Unmonetized”, at its Portland Chapter Gallery in the Portland Media Center, 516 Congress Street, Portland Maine, April 1-29, 2022. The exhibition features installations, new artwork, and video by artists Ruthanne Harrison, Kristen Lanzer, Dave Pettingill, and Barbra Whitten. The gallery artists are present each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1pm – 4pm during April, (with the exception of April 17). The opening reception is Friday, April 1 from 5-8pm during the Portland First Friday Art Walk. The exhibition is free to the public and the Portland Media Center facility and gallery is ADA accessible.  Artworks in UMVA exhibitions are generally for sale through the artist(s) and a portion of each sale benefits the UMVA.

  Reflections: A Solo Art Show of work by Brooke Lambert runs from March 2, 2022 - March 30, 2022 at Union of Maine Visual Artists Gallery at 516 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101. Join us for an opening reception during Portland's First Friday, March 4th from 5-8 PM. Open Hours: Monday - Thursday: 10 AM - 5 PM, First Friday: 5-8 PM, Other Fridays, Saturday, & Sunday: 1 PM - 4 PM. Reflections is a solo show of abstract original prints and paintings inspired by the coast of Maine by artist Brooke Lambert. Lambert uses materials to create patterns and tangles that represent areas in tidepools or on the ocean floor, symbolizing the darker times we all must get through. She then paints the prints with luminous colors that pour through the cracks and crevices, shining a light that represents hope. Brooke's work can be seen:   www.brookelambertartist.com