This month’s First Friday Art Walk in Portland features a knockout exhibition of collage work by 10 Maine artists. “Collage x 10” is a celebration of the medium through the eyes of our state’s most masterful artists.
David Driskell, Noriko Sakanishi, Stew Henderson, Charlie Hewitt, Daniel Anselmi, Dan Mills, Abbie Read, Shannon Rankin, Gabriella d’Italia, and Karen MacDonald share their takes on collage. Not only are all these artists supremely talented, they also have very different styles. From bold and colorful to subdued and monochromatic, expressive to contemplative, there will be great variety in this show.
The opening reception will be held from 5-7 PM at Portland Public Library’s Lewis Gallery. Sponsored by Rockland’s Center for Maine Contemporary Art, “Collage x 10” was co-curated by Suzette McAvoy, CMCA executive director, and Bruce Brown, CMCA curator emeritus.
While at the library for “Collage x 10,” be sure to stick around for the Portland Ballet’s performance in the library’s atrium. At 6:30 PM, head out to Monument Square to view the performance, a selection from the classical ballet “La Bayadere” from the PBC’s upcoming March show “Bolero to Bayadere.” They will also perform a few pieces from “Boy Meets Girl,” a show inspired by the Great American Songbook.
Even though it will likely be freezing outside, watching ballet dancers perform in atmospherically lit windows at night will be a romantic experience. The ballet’s appearance at First Friday demonstrates something that I’ve always appreciated: art doesn’t have to be static. It’s movement, energy, poetry, anything that typifies human creativity.