The University of Maine’s Lord Hall Gallery opened its new exhibition “Overture” on Friday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. “Overture” is the 2021 Senior Capstone Exhibition featuring the artwork of ten artists from UMaine’s Department of Art. The grand opening featured a table of snacks and refreshments for the public as well as a cash bar.
Multiple mediums of art were on display, including oil paintings, acrylic paintings, prints, sculptures and more. The gallery displays each artists’ best works throughout their time as students in their art programs. Each artist has five to seven pieces of artwork on display.
One artist, Delaney Burns, had her woodcut print pieces on display. Burns is a fifth-year studio art and marketing student at UMaine. One notable piece by Burns is a 30 by 40-inch piece called “Bristlecone 4.” She expressed great gratitude about what it took to get her pieces to where they are now, as well as to see how her fellow artists have developed.
“All my work has been leading up to this moment, so being able to show my best work is really awesome,” Burns said. “I’ve been working alongside these people for five years, so it’s fun to see everyone’s growth as artist’s throughout this span of time.”
Burns hopes that viewers will be able to bridge their appreciation of both art and nature, especially with her piece “Bristlecone 4.”
“I hope that viewers just get a sense of awe, for my big tree piece especially, and they remember how important nature is and to really consider their connection with it,” Burns said. “The oldest bristlecone is almost 5,000 years old and I want to convey the strength and resilience of the species.
Another artist featured in “Overture” is Sabrina Sudol, a fourth-year studio art and music student at UMaine. This exhibition is one Sudol has anticipated for years.
“It is a project I have been looking forward to ever since my freshman year, and I am excited to see how it all comes together,” Sudol said. “Our senior exhibition, ‘Overture’ is a collection of senior student works, all made within the last couple of years, ranging from large paintings to wire sculpture. Exploring individual narratives within overarching ones through the use of different mediums, the show addresses our experiences within COVID-19 times and our relationships with nature, which is ultimately why the exhibition is entitled ‘Overture.’”
Not only has Sudol been waiting for this exhibition, but it has also helped prepare her for her future with a career in art.
“Throughout our capstone class we have been learning about how to be a professional artist and different career paths we can take,” Sudol said. “Building gallery-specific resumes, collecting letters of recommendation, reading two different textbooks, interviewing artists and visiting their studios as well as planning and hanging our senior exhibition. Curating our senior show has offered us a great deal of experience, and is going to help us immensely with our future in the art world.”
Caitlin Eleanor was also featured in the exhibition. Eleanor is a fourth-year studio art student at UMaine who also studies animal and veterinary sciences. Eleanor is excited for the public to see her works as it is her first official art exhibition, highlighting the beginning of her art career.
“I am excited for the senior capstone exhibition because it means that I can share the artwork I have made over the course of being at UMaine and see all of my classmates’ artwork,” Eleanor said. “I hope other students will be inspired by all the art in the exhibition. There is a variety of art and everyone has a different style, so I think there is something for everyone to enjoy in the show.”
“Overture” will be on display to the public until Jan. 28, 2022. The Lord Hall Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the “Overture” exhibition, visit umaine.edu/art/lord-hall-gallery-page.
