University of New England

Eco-art project co-produced by Owen Grumbling on view at Portland Gallery

"Finally we see one thing: a twig, a single form, darkness against light, growth within nourishment, being surrounded by everything.  And this moment is all that matters." - Owen Grumbling, from "Aimless Wanderings: Meditations at the Laudholm Farm"

The June Fitzpatrick Gallery in Portland is displaying a portfolio co-created by Owen Grumbling, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University of New England Department of Environmental Studies.

The work, "Aimless Wanderings: Meditations at the Laudholm Farm," combines his text with 10 photographs by Mark Emerson of Windhorse Studios in Wells.  The project, subject of a feature article in the Maine Sunday Telegram on Sept. 3, 2006, is exhibited in the gallery's Portfolio Room.

The eco-art project celebrates Laudholm Farm in Wells, Maine, as well as the artists' personal reflections on a specific place. In the early 1980s, when there was talk of selling Laudholm Farm for development, Grumbling worked in the preservation effort. As the Wells Estuarine Reserve at Laudholm Farm was created, he chaired a committee on facilities and trails. He also chaired the Wells Conservation Commission.

Grumbling, who earned his Ph.D. in British and Romantic Literature from the University of New Hampshire, has published numerous articles on nature and environmental writing, including The Literature of Nature: The British and American Traditions, a critical/historical anthology of poetry, fiction, and essays with co-author Robert J. Begiebing.

The June Fitzpatrick Gallery is at 112 High Street, Portland, Maine, 207-772-1961. To view some of the photos visit the Windhorse Studios website at
http://www.windhorsestudio.com/Maitri%20Pub.%20Portfolios.html

(Press release posted July 17, 2007)