Opening Reception: Maine Women Pioneers III - Worldview

The Exhibition

Maine Women Pioneers III is co-curated by Anne B. Zill, Gael May McKibben, and Andres A. Verzosa. This exhibition is the third on this subject in the history of this Art Gallery and will strive for a national impact in the definition of the leading Maine women art pioneers of our age.

Worldview is the third of four exhibitions honoring 50 living Maine Women Pioneers. Worldview focuses upon the work of artists who are connected to their world, who create and are inspired by ethics, emotions and existential, holistic themes, as activists, healers and visionaries. Featured artists include: Judith Allen-Efstathiou, Kate Cheney Chappell, Marlene Ekola Gerberick, Judy Ellis Glickman, Barbara Goodbody, Rebecca Goodale, Natasha Mayers, Arla Patch, Abby Shahn, Alice Spencer and Melita Westerlund.

The three other segments are:

• Vanguard (Oct. 12 - Dec. 16, 2012), the first of the four exhibitions, featured avant-garde, experimental and innovative works by nine Maine artists who offer insights into the future using mixed media, conceptual installation, performance and video elements.  The artists featured were:  Susan Bickford, Diana Cherbuliez, Amy Stacey Curtis, Alicia Eggert, Lauren Fensterstock, Lihua Lei, Julie Poitras Santos, Carrie Scanga, and Ling-Wen Tsai.
   
• Homage (Jan. 2 - March 3, 2013), the second of four exhibitions, highlighted veteran artists who are powerful examples of career and lifelong original creative accomplishment, ahead of the curve without resting on their laurels. Some of the artists are well known and others who are less so deserve our attention, admiration and respect. Artists include: Lois Dodd, Maggie Foskett, Susan Groce, Beverly Hallam, Allison Hildreth, Frances Hodsdon, Lissa Hunter, Dahlov Ipcar, Yvonne Jacquette, Frances Kornbluth, Rose Marasco, Marylin Quint-Rose, Katarina Weslien.
   
• Dirigo (May 22 - July 21, 2013) will present artists embodying Maine’s motto, I lead, whose works exhibit iconoclastic individualism and breaks with preconceived norms and traditions, expanding their mediums into pioneering terrains.

A series of educational programs are being designed to utilize some of Maine’s enormously talented art professionals – gallerists, educators, entrepreneurs, media experts and writers. 

The Quimby Family Foundation has generously provided the Maine Women Pioneers III with a lead grant almost a year ago so we began to go forward as though MWP III would actually happen.  We are also enormously grateful to Donald Sussman and others for their support.