The Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) - Midcoast Chapter, in partnership with the Friends of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Rockland, presents “REFUGE”, a dynamic exhibition of artwork inspired by the unique beauty found in and around Maine’s coastal islands.  The exhibit opens with an artists’ reception on September 27th from 5 to 7 pm at the gallery at the Visitor’s Center, 9 Water St., Rockland, ME.  The gallery is open during the Visitor Center’s open hours from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.  The exhibit continues to Dec 13, 2024. 

Contemporary realist painter Jane Dahmen juried this exhibit which features both representational and abstract works. Dahmen, whose landscapes explore the coastal regions of midcoast Maine, has shown in solo and group shows both within the U.S. and abroad. She is represented by The Portland Art Gallery.  Viewers can explore moments of quiet connection as well as up close and far away observations of nature, and dreamy reflections of the unique beauty found in and around Maine’s coastal islands. The variety of media includes pastel, painting, collage, photography, printmaking, porcelain, and mixed media. 

The UMVA is a statewide network, connecting artists, art lovers and patrons, through such programs as: Maine Arts Journal - A free quarterly arts journal featuring UMVA artist artwork, professional tips and advice on deepening your work, and advancing your art career; open and juried exhibits with no entry fee for members; Maine Masters - A film series of notable Maine artists, such as Lois Dodd, and Robert Shetterly; Artists’ Rapid Response Team! (ARRT!) whose members create artistic banners, placards & posters for other organizations about contemporary topics; LumenARRT! projects artistic messages and imaging on buildings about the current zeitgeist.  UMVA was instrumental in passing the “Percent for Art Program”, a Maine law which earmarks 1% of funds for new state buildings to include art, as well as the Artist's Estate Tax Law allowing art work to be used to pay artists’ estate taxes. (www.TheUMVA.org)

 The Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex is comprised of five individual refuges which span the coast of Maine and support an incredible diversity of habitats including coastal islands, forested headlands, estuaries and freshwater wetlands. All totaled, the refuge includes approximately 9,478 acres of diverse coastal Maine habitats including forested and non-forested offshore islands, coastal salt marsh, open field, and upland mature spruce-fir forest. Their mission is conserving the flora and fauna of the islands and coastal regions in Maine. https://mainstreetmaine.org/listing/maine-coastal-islands-national-wildlife-refuge-visitor-center/.