The University of Maine Museum of Art is pleased to present three new exhibitions beginning July 18: Katherine Bradford, Stella Johnson: Al Sol, and Nicole Duennebier.

KATHERINE BRADFORD

Katherine Bradford exhibits a new series of paintings that depict stylized

ocean liners floating amidst a sea of gestural paint strokes. Bradford uses

bold, saturated reds, blues and oranges in her compositions that evoke a

childlike fascinationwith subject matter and the qualities of paint. The vivid colors and simplistic rendering of the ships express a light-hearted whimsical quality,

while also conveying feelings of isolation and fortitude. Bradford is represented by Edward Thorp Gallery in New York City and Aucocisco Galleries in Portland, ME. The artist maintains studios in Brooklyn, NY and Brunswick, ME.

STELLA JOHNSON

Stella Johnson presents a stunning suite of black and white photographs that

capture the daily lives of individuals living in remote communities in

Mexico, Cameroon and Nicaragua. Johnson conveys in vivid detail and with

great compassion the cultures of these people that have, over the years, welcomed her into their homes and lives. The photographer often employs dramatic shadows and camera angles that add a sense of mystery to the varied events seen through her lens. Above all, the photographs portray the simple joys and challenges of people who, despite

economic barriers, are living each day with great dignity. Johnson, an accomplished photographer who resides in Massachusetts, is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and has worked on documentary projects in Africa, Mexico and Central America.

NICOLE DUENNEBIER

Nicole Duennebier's delicately rendered paintings push the boundaries of

traditional concepts of the still-life. In the artist's compositions organic

forms appear to be "growing out of darkness." Some of the subjects are

clearly depictions of botanicals and insects, while others are imaginative, strange hybrids. Using acrylic on panel, Duennebier paints a mysterious world where drama unfolds in an arena of darkness. The artist received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maine College of Art and is represented by Aucocisco Galleries in Portland, ME.

Free admission until the end of 2008 thanks to Machias Savings Bank.