Sunday, June 26, 2011

Art day in Maine

When I was in High School my best friend's father took us to see the Andrew Wyeth exhibit in Greenville SC and I never forgot that day. Wyeth became my favorite artist that day, and it hasn't changed.
We made our way south after a week of camping in Acadia park, and our first stop was the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Wyeth Center in Rockland Maine. The current Wyeth exhibit was a collection on loan from the Marunuma Art Park in Asaka, Japan. These works have rarely been seen in the United States. They are works from Christina's World and the Olson House and are worth the trip to Maine just to see them. I was spellbound. They also have works by NC Wyeth and Jamie, incredible as well. In the main museum were other works by Wyeth, dating back to the 1940's and I almost stopped breathing in there.


The buildings and gardens are also beautiful, Gerry shot some great photos here, I did not, too busy looking around, these were the only shots I got.....
Across the street was a tiny gallery called the Craft Gallery but it was full of exquisite pottery from Diana Thomas, Laurel MacDuffie and several other potters I forgot to get the names of. The gallery had some pit fired vases and some raku vases that were incredible, but Diana and Laurel's works were my favorites. This was the only art fix I got, the ocean was just too much competition for the art galleries and shops......

8 comments:

Anna M. Branner said...

Fantastic! How long has the Wyeth museum been there? It's been 10 years since I was in Rockland Maine....but if I had only known....

I know what you mean about the ocean. It brings creativity out of me like CRAZY. I've always said that if I were to write a book, it would be while I was visiting the ocean....

carter gillies said...

I'm so envious! Looks like it was a great trip!

Say, just a heads up, but I couldn't get the link for Diana Thomas' site to work. I like her box in the craft gallery and would love to see her other pots.

Tracey Broome said...

Anna, Wesley felt the same way, she filled a notebook while we were there. Carter, I will go back and fix the link, blogger was giving me some trouble this morning...

Linda Starr said...

I love Andrew Wyeth, one of my favorite paints of his is the dog lying on the bed near the window and all his other window paintings. I remember on Antiques Roadshow someone once discovered a painting of his under another one, needless to say it went to auction and sold for tons. One of these days I hope to get up to Maine. Water of any kind is so mesmerizing and relaxing.

Tracey Broome said...

Linda, you and Gary should definitely get to Maine, go late in June when all of the flowers are blooming, you would love all of the lupine!

Anonymous said...

damn tracey, i got a bit out of the loop here. i didn't realize you were going to acadia. i went there about 20 years ago and i still remember it as one of the best vacations i ever had. i'm so envious. we spent many a day biking on the carriage paths and having popovers and tea at the jordan house ( i think that's what it was called). what a beautiful place, great to see you had such a good time and got to visit hollis on the way.

Tracey Broome said...

hey Jim, yep, Acadia, amazing. Probably one of our best vacations ever too. We didn't do any of the things people told us to do like the popovers and the lobster pounds, but somehow managed to have a really great time! We went off the beaten path a bit :)

Michèle Hastings said...

Rockland! my daughters dad grew up in the Rockland area and his family is still there. i spent 25 years back and forth between NH and Mid-Coastal Me.

Laurel McDuffie makes great pots, as well as her husband David Orser. Jeff and I know Laurel and David through the League of NH Craftsmen & NH Potters Guild. They live close to the NH border. My favorite dinner plates were made by David