Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Portland's ART Underground... IT'S ALIVE!!!!

Here it is 3 months into the new year, the new LePage administration has become the destroyer of faith in government and the censor of art.  Sounds like everything is spiraling downward...

NOT SO!
ART IS ALIVE in the Port City Metroplex...
THE PORTLAND ART UNDERGROUND IS BLOSSOMING! 

HOW DO I KNOW THIS?
I have seen the art, I have felt the vibes and they are ALL GOOD.
Blossoming outside the downtown is the NEWEST, FRESHEST ARTS ALTERNATIVE VENUE AROUND.  IT'S CALLED THE BASE CAMP GALLERY! It's a huge space in the old Nappi Beer distribution building on Presumpscot street. The brain child of Artists Tess O'Brien & Will Sears, BASECAMP is an alternative to the traditional gallery experience, here 20 artists (See below for artist listing)  have come together for a ONE NIGHT SPLASH of ART, MUSIC, FOOD & DRINK.
One of a series American History Retold by Will Sears

Here's a quick taste of what's happening : Bowdoin  Grad Sam Gilbert is one of the artists and has created a work with true sole... sorry for the pun , but the piece is actually created from shoe soles and has over 75 of them stitched together in a Nautilus/Snail meets Yin-Yang like flow that is warm and appealing in so many different ways.  Event co-organizer and artist Will Sears has several pieces that are large format,  images reminiscent of  the collage mosaic normally seen in encostic work, but here at the base camp in a no wax jumbo format that is fun and captivating simultaneously.  Will's art provides a more STREET ALT feel that is quite refreshing to the lighthouse and landscape art seen in so many downtown venues.
 

The W's

WHAT: NEW WORKS FROM PORTLAND'S UNDERGROUND
              20 of the hottest new artists you never knew before tonight...
WHERE: THE BASE CAMP , 193 Presumpscott Street
                 The PATRIOT METALS "COORS" BUILDING
WHEN: THURSDAY ONE NIGHT ONLY *
              6:30- 9:30 then after dance party w  DJ KYLE DOWNS
WHY : BECAUSE YOUR GOOD MIND NEEDS GOOD ART,
                   Add a little live music, food and drink and this could become
                   an artistically religious experience...

*NOTE: Following the opening night, the show may be viewed by appointment.  To schedule a visit please call The BASECAMP (207) 253-9633.

THE BASE CAMP ARTISTS ARE:
Alex Bettigole, John Clark, Katherine Clear, Ben Dehaan, Sam Gilbert, Kate Knowles, Jeremy Lea, Abby Manock, Colin Matthews, Micah Murray, Tess Obrien, Torin Porter, Cassandra Rodrigues, Carnia Sandoval, Will Sears, Suz Snell, Griffin Sherry, Carol Tanner, Gareth Warren, Jackman Wood

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine



The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine

90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/



90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/