A Matter of Perception 2006: Exhibition by Artists with Disabilities” Opens at UMaine
Contact: Kim Sawtelle, 581-1092; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies once again is hosting the annual traveling art exhibit by artists with disabilities, titled “A Matter of Perception 2006: Exhibition by Artists with Disabilities.”
An opening reception is scheduled Friday, Sept. 15, from 4-6 p.m. in the lobby of Hauck Auditorium, where the work is being exhibited Sept. 15 through Nov. 16.
The artwork includes paintings, drawings, photographs and mixed-media pieces created by artists from across Maine. Throughout the year, selections from “A Matter of Perception 2006” have been on view at venues from Kennebunk to Belfast.
For the first time in its 10-year history, the exhibition, curated and sponsored by VSA arts of Maine with support from the Maine Arts Commission and other sponsors, will be on view simultaneously at the following five Bangor-area locations from September through December: UMaine, Bangor Public Library, Eastern Maine Medical Center cafeteria, Boyd Place retirement community in Bangor and the Robert E. White Gallery at Husson College. This allows VSA arts of Maine to exhibit work by almost all 180 artists from across the state of Maine participating in this year’s exhibition. The exhibit has been at UMaine for the last three years.
“This work tests our perceptions about what it means to have a disability and our artistic expectations associated with that,” said VSA arts of Maine Executive Director Kippy Rudy. “The power of this exhibition is that it reminds us that we share the same hopes and fears, regardless of our perceived differences. Every year, this exhibition reveals the strength and diversity of art-making that is happening across the state. It is a reflection of the whole spectrum of art-making in our communities.”
A Matter of Perception began with a call for art sent to more than 1,100 artists, galleries, museums, agencies and disability service providers, seeking works for the 2006 exhibition. All of the works submitted are included in a part of “A Matter of Perception 2006.”
“We received a wonderful range of work this year, and each piece is a window into each artist’s work and life. There is truly something for everyone at each exhibit location,” says Margo Dittmer, exhibition and outreach coordinator at VSA arts of Maine, and curator of the show.
Kim Sawtelle, publications specialist with the UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, says the center looks forward to hosting the exhibit again.
“It’s a way for the center to engage the community on a different level than we do typically,” she says. “This is a nice way to highlight the arts and humanities element at the University of Maine and provide a convenient venue for people to see this artwork.”
The exhibit additionally provides an opportunity for talented artists with disabilities to introduce their work to the art world, says Sawtelle, who serves on an ad-hoc disabilities committee of the Maine Arts Commission. It can open new doors for amateur artists who may not know how to submit their work to a juried exhibit, she adds.
Following is the list of venues and exhibition dates in the Bangor area: Sept. 15-Nov. 16, University of Maine; Oct. 3-30, Bangor Public Library lecture hall, artists’ panel discussion and reception Thursday, Oct. 5, 6:30-8 p.m.; Oct. 3-30, Eastern Maine Medical Center Cafeteria; Oct. 3- January 2007, Boyd Place, Bangor; Oct. 25-Dec. 4, Robert E. White Gallery, Husson College.
VSA arts of Maine is a non-profit organization providing arts, educational and cultural opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in Maine. It is a member of the international network of VSA arts, an affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Funding for “A Matter of Perception 2006” is provided by The Davis Family Foundation, the Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund and the Maine Arts Commission. Additional support has been provided by Time Warner Cable of New England.
The UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service, is a partnership of people that brings together the resources of the community and the university to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.
For more information about the center, please contact Alan Parks, coordinator of dissemination and technology, at (207) 581-1236 or (207) 581-1084 v/tty or visit the CCIDS website at www.ccids.umaine.edu. For more information about the exhibitions or VSA arts of Maine, please contact VSA arts of Maine at (207) 761-3861 v/tty.