Celebrating Maine’s Bicentennial in 2020 at the Museum of Art

On March 15, 2020, Maine will mark the bicentennial of statehood with an official ceremony in Augusta, the state capital. Other events are scheduled throughout the state during the next year. In conjunction with this anniversary, the Museum of Art will open a series of exhibitions beginning in December that explore different aspects of the state’s history. We look forward to welcoming you to the Museum to see these exhibitions.

Rufus Porter’s Curious World: Art and Invention in America, 1815 to 1860
December 12, 2019 to May 31, 2020

This exhibition adds significantly to an understanding of Rufus Porter’s life as an artist, author, publisher, and inventor and of a period in American history when art, science, and technology were often closely aligned. This polymath, born in Massachusetts in 1792 and raised in Maine, was a pioneering artist whose paintings—whether in miniature or on the walls of New England domestic interiors—influenced a school of followers. He was also an author who wrote the first practical manual for artists in the United States and who founded Scientific American, the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. In addition, he was an inventor who received numerous patents during his lifetime and who did extensive research into designing a machine for flying—half a century before the Wilbur and Orville Wright. Porter’s work was conducted during an era when the boundaries between disciplines were less rigid. He moved across subjects seemingly effortlessly, applying his varied skills to a host of challenges. Rufus Porter’s Curious World provides an exciting opportunity to rediscover a remarkable individual and to think anew about the culture of creativity and innovation.

Maine’s Lithographic Landscapes: Town & City Views, 1820-1870
December 12, 2019 to May 31, 2020

Curated by Maine State Historian Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. H’08, this exhibition explores the history of Maine town and city views published during the first fifty years of statehood. During this period, major lithographs were published of communities such as Saco-Biddeford, Portland, Lewiston, Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Rockland, Belfast, Bucksport, and Castine. These prints—together with several related paintings—tell us much about the economic and social development of the new state. They provide insights into how these growing centers of commerce and industry viewed themselves and wished to be viewed by others. Many renowned artists, including James Emery and Fitz Henry Lane, participated in the creation of these remarkable views.

Fast Fashion / Slow Art
January 30 to August 2, 2020

Featuring the work of nine contemporary artists, the exhibition aims to catalyze broad-ranging conversations about issues regarding the global production and distribution of textiles. In so doing, it will shed light on Maine’s historic textile industry, while testifying to the state’s contemporary commitment to responsible environmental policies. The exhibition will examine pressing questions, including: What are the merits of the local and hand-made versus the rapid mass production of garments, or “fast fashion”? How does technology affect labor conditions? Can design and technology offer sustainable solutions to the environmental effects of fast fashion? What is art’s role in raising consumer consciousness?

At First Light: Two Centuries of Artists in Maine
June 26 to November 15, 2020

As the culmination of the 200th anniversary of statehood, the Museum of Art will bring together some of the most outstanding artistic treasures created in Maine over the last two centuries. All artistic mediums will be represented, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, new media art, and various craft traditions. While many works will come from the Museum’s collection, the exhibition will also include important works from other institutions, artists, and private collectors in Maine and beyond. The exhibition will honor the extraordinary diversity that characterizes the arts in Maine.

At First Light will be accompanied by a companion book to be published by Rizzoli. Co-directors Anne Collins Goodyear and Frank H. Goodyear—together with Michael Komanecky, the chief curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum—have authored the book, and Stuart Kestenbaum, the poet laureate of Maine, has contributed a foreword. This publication highlights twenty-six artists from the past two centuries and focuses especially on the places in Maine where they are known to have lived and worked. Rizzoli has commissioned photographer Walter Smalling to create a new photographic record of the homes, studios, and favored locations of these artists. The publication will include photographs by Smalling alongside notable art works created by these artists.

 

Frank Goodyear
Co-Director, Bowdoin College Museum of Art