Stories of Our Foremothers Exhibit at Curtis Library  October 1-31, 2021, at the Morrell Meeting Room Virtual Exhibit Space

 Curtis Memorial Library is hosting a virtual exhibit of new work by Robin Brooks entitled “Stories of Our Foremothers” during the month of October. Robin Brooks is a Topsham artist who has been working on a multi-year interdisciplinary project to explore Foremothers stories in collage, painting, poetry, and storytelling.” While known for her landscape-inspired work, Robin has long been interested in exploring a more interior and human perspective.

 These paintings, collages, and prints are meditations on my Foremothers. My Foremothers collages often operate on the level of dreams. By repeating and juxtaposing symbolic elements, I am creating alternate dream-like worlds. As with poetry, the symbols and metaphors in these collages are evocative. As visual poetry, they ask for your interpretation.  You notice a seahorse swimming across the sky. A woman wearing a hat sits pondering something. A feather, repeating, floats downward.  A butterfly’s emergent wing appears.

 “My goal in The Foremothers Project is to engage my audience in recognizing the role of the past in creating the present moment. Using a variety of media and processes, I wish to engage the viewer on multiple levels, from conscious awareness to the unconscious level of dream and memory. With so much at stake, from human rights and democracy to our very survival on the planet, let us gather inspiration and strength from those who have come before us.”

 Robin is inviting members of the community to participate in the Stories of Our Foremothers Project. You can do so by sharing a story of a foremother who inspired you. Share your story at her website at www.robinbrooksart.com, by email  robinellenb@gmail.com or at the Curtis Memorial Library during the month of October.

Stories of Our Foremothers is funded, in part, through a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.