The Museum of Art in Portland, Maine is a treasure. It is always worth a visit when I'm in the area so I rarely check what is showing before going. Imagine my surprise and delight a couple of weeks ago when I walked in and found the main gallery hung with one of the best photography exhibitions I've ever seen.
The show, titled presence, highlights 150 photographs by 70 artists, drawn entirely from the collection of Judy Glickman Lauder. Presence includes iconic photographs by many of my favorite photographers including Berenice Abbott, Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Gordon Parks, Elliott Erwitt, Arno Minkkinen, Edward Weston, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastiao Salgaro, and Dorothea Lange.
One photograph was especially meaningful -- this original print by Elliott Erwitt. Besides making me smile every time I see it, this photo was a key inspiration for my "Nighttime Adventures of Elliott the Mouse" series. Elliott the Mouse, of course, was named in honor of the legendary Mr. Erwitt.
Presence closes on January 15th. If you're in the area, please consider stopping by for a wonderful exhibition.
Here is a link to the web page:
While in Maine, I also spent several hours on the little beach that hosts my "Set in Sand" series. Here are four of my new favorites.
