There are a wealth of gallery shows and pop-up exhibitions hosted by New York galleries such as Alexandre Gallery’s “Emily Nelligan: Cranberry Island” in Rockport, and Karma’s annual summer pop-up at artist Ann Craven’s deconsecrated church in Thomaston (information on the show was not ready for press time, but dates will be July 19-Sept. 6).
Emily Nelligan, “30 OCT 99 (2),” 1999 charcoal on paper. (Image courtesy of the artist)
alexandregallery.com, 203- 219-6615
Occupying the former Maine Coast Artists (CMCA) building at 162 Russell Ave., “Emily Nelligan: Cranberry Island” (July 2-Aug. 16) will feature the work of Cooper Union-trained artist Emily Nelligan (1924-2018), who spent decades depicting a single subject in charcoal: Cranberry Island, where she and her husband, artist Marvin Bileck, spent part of each year. Nelligan pushed the limits of the medium to express depth, emotional resonance and atmospheric contrast. Also, the pop-up will continuously screen the documentary “Lois Dodd: Framing the Ephemeral,” which was produced for the inaugural European retrospective at the Kunstmuseum De Haag.
caldbeck.com, 207-594-5935
Fresco artist Barbara Sullivan will have a solo show in the main gallery (July 1-31) and, later this summer, Jared del Deo, in his Caldbeck debut, will take over the adjacent barn gallery (Aug. 1-30)
carverhillgallery.com, 207-975-6563
It’s all about painting this summer, with two group shows. One (June 18-July 12) — featuring works by Holly Osborne, Kristen Diederich and Susan Meirath — is primarily focused on landscapes (some quite fantastical). The other (Aug. 20-Sept. 13) showcases artists Michael McGrath, Alex Griffin and Megan Magill, and presents worlds that feel enigmatically mythical and quasi mystical.
coreydanielsgallery.com, 207-646-5301
For “Unsettled” (June 20-July 18) artists Emily Jane Hass and John Winship have solo shows that comment on the fractious nature of our current world and the transience of time.
courthousegallery.com, 207-667-6611
This summer marks the gallery’s 20th anniversary. Two solo shows (both July 15-Aug. 10) headline the season: nonagenarian Brooklin-based artist William Irvine and the recently deceased Ragna Bruno, a Spanish-born painter with German and Swedish heritage who had lived in Hancock, Maine since the 1970s.
William Irvine, “Evening Harbor,” oil on canvas. (Image courtesy of Courthouse Gallery)
covestreetarts.com, 207-808-8911
Three shows opening the same night (July 16) will present an established artist, Peak’s Island-based David Row, and an emerging Portland-based newcomer, Ellen Weitkamp, while Steven Bartlett will present his wooden sculptures. Row’s show closes Sept. 7, the other two Sept. 12.
David Row, “Rubidium,” oil on canvas. (Image courtesy of the artist)
creativeportland.com, 207-370-4784
“Resistance” (through April 2027) is the organization’s 9th annual show and brings together 18 Greater Portland area artists whose work — sometimes polemical; sometimes understated — embodies forms of resistance.
dowlingwalsh.com, 207-596-0084
“Lauren Fensterstock: Each and Every” (May 27-June 27) will make the gallery sparkle with Fensterstock’s cosmic, crystal-covered lotus forms and others inspired from Buddhist offerings.
elizabethmossgalleries.com, 207-804-0459
At the Portland gallery, “The Wonder of the Light” (June 5-Aug. 15) will feature the diverse paintings of Anne Neely, which always begin with a paint “pour.” In Falmouth, Alison Hildreth will have a solo show. Though no information was available by press time, we can be fairly certain she will be continuing her singular explorations into the human condition and the way it affects the planet.
Anne Neely, “Quiet Chaos.” (Image courtesy of Moss Galleries)
Anne Neely “Best Clouds.” (Image courtesy of Moss Galleries)
notch8art.com, 207-358-9433
“From the Frozen Soil” is a second solo exhibition of Ryan Adams’s work at the gallery. In this show, however, Adams promises to channel a more personal approach to his own “experience and perspectives of a born-and-raised Black Mainer … being raised in one of the whitest states in the country.”
parsonagegallery.org
In “Ellipsis,” Steve Novick draws on found elements, cartoons, minimalism, folk art and surrealism to prompt “meditations on consumption, temporality, language and nature.” The “Annual Summer Invitational,” featuring Aviva Rahmani, Caitlin Perrigo, Nathan Allard, Becky Moon and others, runs concurrently (both June 28-Aug. 30).
space538.org, 207-828-5600
For “Durant Block” (through Dec. 31) painter and muralist Carla Weeks takes over the main venue with a mural drawing on SPACE’s (the formerly titled Durant Block) architecture and functional histories. There are also shows focusing on prints by artists from Just Seeds (an artist coop committed to social, environmental and political engagement) and Pickwick Independent Press (July 3-Aug. 15), and artist, MECA educator and nuclear peace activist Midori Morrow (July 3-Aug. 23).
sidlehouse.com, 512-771-1149
Three shows open simultaneously at this barn gallery on June 25. “Life Forms: Change” and “Marjorie Moore Presents: The Show Must Go On!” (both through Aug. 8) respectively feature sculpture by Bronwen O’Wril, Verónica Pérez, Celeste Roberge and Erin Woodbrey, and Moore’s mixed media works based on a vintage painting/drawing book of circus subjects, as well as a video of a performance piece done in the 1990s at the Fryeburg Fair. “Alex Bruehl: Mended” (through Oct. 31) presents her stitched “Sutures” series photos.
trianglegallery8elm.com, 207-593-8300
“Right the Boat” (June 24-July 25) is an exhibition where artists explore this iconic form in poetic, political and other contexts. Artists: Paul Bowen, Roger Kizik, Heather Wilcoxen, Christoper Volpe, Susan Metzger, Jessica Straus, Antoinette Winters, and Kingsley Parker.
Heather Wilcoxon, “RESQUE,” 2023, oil on wood panel. (Image courtesy of Triangle Gallery)
workingloose.com, 207-812-0619
“Littoral Zone: Margins of Life” (July 27-Sept. 12) is a show about how artists perceive the light of their environment. It includes Maine-based artists (Jarid del Deo, Sam Finkelstein, Lauren Luloff, Will Sears, et al) as well as others further afield.
Jorge S. Arango has written about art, design and architecture for over 35 years. He lives in Portland and can be reached at [email protected]. This column is free to access through support by The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation.
Emily Nelligan, “16 Oct 99 (2),” 1999 charcoal on paper. (Image courtesy of the artist)
