The Union of Maine Visual Artists is pleased to host the upcoming exhibition: “Unmonetized”, at its Portland Chapter Gallery in the Portland Media Center, 516 Congress Street, Portland Maine, April 1-29, 2022

The exhibition features installations, new artwork, and video by artists Ruthanne Harrison, Kristen Lanzer, Dave Pettingill, and Barbra Whitten. 

Conceived and curated by Ruthanne Harrison, the exhibition addresses the following: For many artists there is an uneasy relationship between making art, assigning a monetary value to it, and promoting and selling it. This show explores some of these questions: Does the potential and/or pressure to sell have influence over what an artist creates? If the monetary factor is taken away, what is the intrinsic value of art? What happens if artists reject the notion of selling art? What becomes of all of the art that is made but never seen because it may not have commercial value to a gallery? Each of the artists offer work that has a sense of the ephemeral, the conceptual, and has no monetary value as an object.

The Union of Maine Visual Artists is a collective of artist volunteers. We represent artists statewide in all fields of endeavor and welcome those who support contemporary artists in Maine. The UMVA is dedicated to upholding the dignity of artists while creating positive social change through the arts. By collaborating with other cultural and political organizations, we raise awareness for significant issues while promoting an inclusive arts community in Maine.

The UMVA Gallery presents monthly member group, thematic and solo exhibitions and is open during regular operating hours of the Portland Media Center (https://www.portlandmedia.org/)

The gallery artists are present each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1pm – 4pm during April,
(with the exception of April 17). 

The opening reception is Friday, April 1 from 5-8pm during the Portland First Friday Art Walk. The exhibition is free to the public and the Portland Media Center facility and gallery is ADA accessible. Artworks in UMVA exhibitions are generally for sale through the artist(s) and a portion of each sale benefits the UMVA.

For further information about UMVA and Membership visit www.theUMVA.org. 

For further information on the artists visit: 

https://www.ruthanneharrison.com/

https://krislanzer.com/

https://davepettengill.com/