Featured Artist | The Francis Portland Maine

FEATURED ARTISTS AT THE FRANCIS

Bringing Portland’s Best to You

Portland has such a vibrant art community, and we’ve chosen to showcase some of the local talent here in Maine, through a rotating gallery in common spaces at The Francis. Each exhibit will either feature an artist or subject from Maine. This month we are featuring work from Maine local organization The Art Department.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Collect, Dissect, Assemble

This show is a series of collages created by the artists at The Art Department using repurposed materials found in the studio. As part of a collaborative process, each artist sorted through their collection of materials, got rid of items they did not want to use such as discarded paper, drafts and sketches, and put them into one big pile with others’ discarded materials. Using oil pastel and watercolor, each artist redecorated the papers, then cut them into small pieces from which the collages were made. Each collage is unique to the artist who made it, yet includes elements of others’ artwork, making them a representation of collaboration and artistic influence.

The Art Department, established in 2011, is Portland’s pre- eminent studio for Outsider Artists. Our mission is to provide opportunities for intellectually unique artists to make connections in the Portland art community and explore artistic careers. T.A.D. provides art supplies, studio space, and professional instruction, as part of our mission to support all artists to reach their creative potential. Through public access to our contemporary gallery & retail space and our partnerships with a variety of community businesses & non-profits we strengthen community connections and foster conversations about the importance of including neurodiverse artists in the Portland Arts Scene.

https://www.instagram.com/theartdepartment_maine/

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Past Artists

Carla Weeks

Carla Weeks is a British-born painter and muralist based in Midcoast Maine. Informed by her personal interactions with both the natural landscape and built environment, she utilizes abstraction to navigate through the physical and emotional experience of place....

Isabelle O’Donnell

Isabelle Maschal O’Donnell is a textile artist who lives and works in Midcoast, Maine. She received her BFA from Maine College of Art & Design, and has exhibited at venues including Able Baker Contemporary, BUOY Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Art at...