University of New England

Art Gallery at UNE hosts poetry program as part of the exhibition "On Island: Women Artists of Monhegan"

PORTLAND - A special educational program titled "On Island: Poetry of Monhegan" will be held at the Art Gallery at the University of New England on Thursday, Sept.  6, 2007 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., followed by a reception.

The program is in conjunction with the gallery's exhibition "On Island: Women Artists of Monhegan," on display through Sept. 23, 2007 on UNE's Westbrook College Campus, 716 Stevens Ave. in Portland.

Poetry of Monhegan
This program, sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council, features poetry readings from women of Monhegan Island, many of whom meet regularly to read and critique each others work.

Poets include Jan Bailey, a Pushcart Prize nominee and South Carolina Poetry Fellow; Kate Cheney Chappell, a painter, printmaker, book artist and poet who is co-curator and one of the artists in "On Island"; Judy Grey, who holds a master's degree in writing from John Hopkins University; Iris Miller, whose work has appeared in The South Carolina Review and Nimrod International; Joanne Scott, whose books of poetry include Stepping Stone, Legacy and Mill Creek; Judith Weber, a literacy specialist; and Frances Downing Vaughn, who was named First Poet Laureate at the Harvard Institute for Learning where she leads study groups. All were part of Island Voices, a book of poetry published by Stone Island Press in conjunction with the collaborative show of artists and poets, "Island Visions/ Island Voices" held in 2001.

"On Island"
"On Island: Women Artists of Monhegan" features works by 35 women artists who capture the essence of Monhegan Island and its role in the history of American fine art. There is a powerful sense of place, from dramatic, swift changes in light, color and nuance, to giant cliffs, swirling tide pools, and rocks that come in all sizes and hues, as well as island life and people. 

These artists represent as diverse a mix as you can imagine on a small island, less than a mile wide and 2 miles long. Ranging in age from young to venerable, their art covers the most recent 50 years on an island that has attracted artists since the 1850s. Some are part of the traditional year-round fishing community and meet through the long winters for weekly life drawing, often with islanders as models. Others are regular summer residents from New York or beyond who have formed an association to show work and exchange ideas. Both groups maintain the open studio tradition of the island.

The exhibition includes work from Ruth Boynton, Lynne Drexler, Jacqueline Hudson, Jan McCartin, Sue Rosenthal, Jo Levy, Sylvia Alberts, Dyan Berk, Nancy Thompson Brown (N.T. Brown), Kate Cheney Chappell, Yolanda Fusco, Elena Jahn, Frances Kornbluth, Lucia Miller, Sylvia Murdock, Frankie Odom, Joan Rappaport, Elaine Reed, Joanne Scott, Arline Simon, Beth Van Houten, Alice Boynton, Corlis Carroll, Donna Cundy, Susan Gilbert, Joan Harlow, Alison Hill, Norma Kaplis, Maiken Kunces, Nita Minewski, Victoria Nelson, Helen Prince, Daphne Pulsifer, Carol Raybin and Florence Taylor Martin.

"On Island" is an exploration of the sense and sensibility of a place through a woman's eye and a diversity of styles, subjects, and media. Whether established or emerging, celebrated or as yet unknown, each of these artists demonstrates the importance of creativity's sources in producing art that matters.

(Press release posted Aug. 20, 2007)