‘Quarries: Muse and Material’ opening at the Monson Arts Gallery
MONSON — In conjunction with the installation of five sculptures along the town’s main street, the Monson Arts Gallery is hosting “Quarries: Muse and Material.” Curated by Carl Little, the exhibition features 40 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and drawings, related to quarries. The exhibition runs June 27 to Nov 2 with a reception on Friday, Aug. 8 from 5-7 p.m.
The work in the show highlights the quarry as muse and as a source of stone for sculpture. “There’s something about quarries that attracts artists,” says Little, pointing to the many images of the subject in the show, but “quarries are also a go-to supplier for sculptors.”
A range of Maine quarries are represented, including those in Monson, Addison, Sullivan, Limerock, Stonington, Tenants Harbor and Dix and Hurricane islands.
Sculptors include Obadiah Buell, Miles Chapin, Sam Finkelstein, Mark Herrington, Kazumi Hoshino, Isabel Maritato, Jesse Salisbury and Tim Shay. Featured painters are Alan Bray, Sarah Lightfoot Brundage, Eleanor Conover, Lois Dodd, Joellyn Duesberry (1944-2016), Sarah Faragher, Nancy Glassman, Jill Hoy, Nina Jerome, Emily Muir (1904-2003), Tessa Greene O’Brien, Colin Page, Carol Sloane, John Wissemann (1925-2022) and Nancy Wissemann-Widrig. Mixed media work by Celeste Roberge and Mark Seif, plus some vintage photographs of quarries, including one by Berenice Abbott (1898-1981), round out the show.
Little curated “The Art of Monson” bicentennial show in 2022. He is the author of numerous art books and writes for a range of publications, including Hyperallergic, Art New England and Maine Arts Journal. In 2021 the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his art writing.
The Monson Arts Gallery celebrates the creative heritage of Maine by hosting a wide variety of exhibitions featuring artists, past and present. Located at 8 Greenville Road, the gallery is open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m. and by appointment. For further information, visit www.monsonarts.org or call 207-997-2070.