Archipelago Fine Arts gallery opens a new show on Friday, Nov. 1, with a public reception 5-8 p.m. at 386 Main Street in Rockland. The third annual CRAFTS of the Land and Sea show features recent work by Janice Armstrong, Jeff Barrett, Andrea Schmidt Cough, Stephanie Crossman, Patricia Flynn, Susan Garry, Angus MacPhail, Jim Miller and Marla Stelk and will be on display in the gallery until March 21.
Vinalhaven’s Stephanie Crossman creates intricate sculptures inspired by the natural world around her, using traditional fish-netting techniques. Hanging in custom-designed shadow boxes, her creations blend art and craft into delicate reflections of the flowers, plants, insects, birds and sea creatures found near her island home.
Crossman displayed her work in April at the Smithsonian Institute’s annual Crafts Show, perhaps the most prestigious juried show and sale of fine American craft in the country, and she was featured in the April issue of The Working Waterfront newspaper.
Andrea Schmidt Cough of Damariscotta also finds inspiration in the textures and forms found in nature. Some of the pieces in her “Earth Bones” series of glazed-clay spherical shapes resemble stones, while others convey movement or natural design elements through relief carving, clay additions or underglazes. About her focus on spheres, Cough said, “Concentrating on one basic form has allowed me to focus on exploring technical and conceptual possibilities. There is strength and softness in these sphere-like forms that I find appealing and interesting to explore both visually and symbolically.”
Current gallery hours for Archipelago Fine Arts are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, please contact Lisa Mossel Vietze, manager of Archipelago, at 596-0701 or email her at lvietze@islandinstitute.org.