Gascoine Gallery summer show ‘Naiad Flow’
By Jemma Gascoine
MONSON — One of the most remarkable things about living on a river in Piscataquis County is how sensual it is. The sound of the river changes immensely throughout the seasons. In the winter it freezes to a trickle and in the spring and autumn it can roar, which is exhilarating.
The rivers here in Maine always smell divinely fresh and intoxicating. In the summer, if the verdant greens which line the river banks don’t give you pause then the mesmerizing bubble of flowing water will. Of course “flow” or the “flow state” is what artists yearn for to aid with their imagination and their creative output. So, the next time you have a challenging article to write or craft project to finish for a deadline, consider visiting a river for some inspiration!
The planning for this river-themed fine art show began last year. Celebrating rivers seems like a good fit for the Gascoine Gallery in Monson as it is the last town before the Appalachian Trail’s 100-Mile Wilderness, which culminates at Katahdin. For the people of Piscataquis County, rivers used to be essential for harvesting resources from and for navigation purposes. These days, many enjoy them for recreation and for observing the birds and wildlife that they foster. It’s fascinating to witness artists’ very different interpretations of the rivers that they connect to and are spellbound by.
And what a lineup of artwork the Gascoine Gallery has — 21 artists dedicated to very different media as their creative forms of expression. Six photographers, three watercolorists, three sculptors, three poets, two fiber artists, two book artists, a painter and a wood-worker. Obviously, we have decorative arts included such as Rebecca Hillman’s clay water-rat sculpture and Rebecca Goodale’s conjoined block prints of frogs, as well as her collaboration with Carrie Scanga for their cloth-bound accordion book of naiads swimming.
I am astounded that “Naiad Flow” is the eighth annual exhibition that we have hosted at the Gascoine Gallery. Artists who explore very different media were invited to hone in and celebrate this ‘slippery’ subject, one which is ever-present in the natural world around us here in Piscataquis County, Maine. The artists include: Samaa Abdurraqib, Katia Ancona, Gretchen Berg, Alan Bray, Alexandra Conover, Milton Christianson, Mary Edna Fraser, Nancy Glassman, Helen Glazer, Rebecca Goodale, Paula Laverty, Matt Landis, Megan Karson, Roger Merchant, Jill Osgood, Carrie Scanga, Barbara Sullivan, Avis Kennedy Stirling, Candace Thomas, Todd Watts and Marjory Wentworth.
The Gascoine Gallery is located on the second floor at 16 Greenville Road, above Monson Pottery. We are open Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment only. We do hope you enjoy the show.