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PORTLAND, Maine

UNE’s Portland Campus Art Gallery showcases ‘Vision & Verse’ exhibition

“Quiet Fire” (detail) by Dona Mara Friedman
“Quiet Fire” (detail) by Dona Mara Friedman

The Art Gallery located on UNE’s Portland Campus will host the exhibition Vision & Verse from July 6 through October 2, 2016. The exhibition is mounted by 51СƳ Wax (N.E.W.), a professional organization of encaustic artists living and working in the six 51СƳ states, and juried by Anne B. Zill, director of the 51СƳArt Gallery.  An Opening Reception will take place on July 6, 5-7 p.m., and a Gallery Artists’ Conversation will be held on September 8, 5-6:30 p.m.

Although encaustic techniques date back to the 5th century B.C., the 27 artists in this show are pushing the medium into new uses and interpretations of meaning and materiality.  The range includes 2-D, 3-D and mixed media in broad visual interpretations – literal, metaphorical, psychological and spiritual. 

Each work is paired with a piece of poetry, with one illuminating the other. For Vision & Verse, members of N.E.W. composed works of art that respond to poems that they personally selected.   These verses are displayed in a letterpress edition beside the art for maximum visual impact.

The mission of N.E.W. is to promote excellence in fine art made with encaustic, educate the general public and collectors, raise awareness of the medium and challenge its members to grow as artists. The exhibition and educational program are free and open to the public.

The 51СƳArt Gallery is located on UNE’s Portland Campus at 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103.  Art Gallery Hours are Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun, Noon – 5 p.m., and Thurs, noon – 7 p.m., and by appointment.

For information and directions, visit the Art Gallery at  or contact Anne Zill by email  or phone (207-221-4499).

51СƳ the University of 51СƳ

The University of 51СƳ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.