(PNAN-ME) – If you were Jim Kempner of Jim Kempner Fine Art in New York, or David Row, a painter based in New York and Maine, or even Joanna Marsh, who is the James Dicke Curator of Contemporary Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., chances you would have not been doing what they did, which was, they all united in a judging one weekend in September, viewing more than 3,600 works of art to be considered and chosen for the 2011 Portland Museum of Art Biennial exhibition, scheduled to open April 7 and remaining on view through June 5.
Of the 902 applicants, 66 works by 47 artists were given the okay, and those lucky ones are: MAINE: Friendship: Jeremy Barnard. North Berwick: Kim Bernard. Sargentville: *Mary Aro (2009, 2007, 2001, 1998) Lyman: Natasha Bowdoin. South Portland: *Colleen Kinsella (2005), Philip Brou, Richard Veit. Portland: Rachel Katz, Alicia Eggert, David Caras, Thomas Connolly, Clint Fulkerson, Lesley MacVane, Robert Monroe and Gavin Rouille. Blue Hill: Avy Claire. Auburn: William Cox. South Freeport: Jon Edwards. Stockton Springs: Sarah Faragher. Bristol: *Kathleen Galligan (2001). York: Marissa Girard. Berwick: Carly Glovinski. Kennebunk: *Alisha Gould (2005) and Mark Ketzler. Sorrento: James Groleau. Cumberland Center: John Kelley. Brooksville: Selena Kimball. Freeport: *Sarah Knock. Vinalhaven: Lauren O’Neal. Arundel: Heath Paley. Searsport: Rebecca Rivers. Belfast: *Liv Kristin Robinson (1998). Windham: *Michael Shaughnessy (1998). Farmington: Andrew Thompson. Brooklin: *Robert Shillady (2007, 2005). Greenville: Suzannah Sinclair. Gorhman: August Ventimiglia. Brunswick: *Mark Wethli 2003). Deer Isle: Ellen Wieske. Cape Elizabeth: Deborah Wing-Sproul. NEW YORK, Brooklyn: Don Voisine. RHODE ISLAND, Providence: Tyson Jacques. PENNSYLVANIA, Coatsville: Michael Kahn. CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles: Siri Kaur. NEW HAMPSHIRE, Durham: Michael Penney; Portsmouth: Carol Aronson-Shore. MASSACHUSETTS, South Easton: Beverly Rippel.
The Biennial exhibitions create a visual record of Maine’s evolving contemporary art scene and testify to the profound influence that the landscape, traditions, and people of Maine continue to have on living artists. Most of the artists are full-time Maine residents and a number of them are part-time or have spent significant time exhibiting, making work, and studying in Maine. Of the chosen, only nine have participated in previous Biennial exhibitions and is denoted with an asterisk. Their work is created in media ranging from painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography to sculpture, installation, and video.
