Gorham art gallery houses new exhibit

“Pulped Under Pressure” is the current exhibit being showcased within USM’s art gallery on the Gorham campus, as well as Glickman Library in Portland. At the heart of this exhibit is traditional hand papermak ing. The concept of this exhibit is the importance of contemporary issues “steeped in history and craft.”

According to the art gallery’s website, the exhibit has been described as, “enticed through touch, these works encourage a contemplative slowing down even as they urge acknowledgment of some of the most pressing is sues facing civilization today.” The issues expressed include environmental crises and global marginaliza tion. The artists that participated in this exhibit include Jillian Bruschera, Julia Goodman, Reni Gower, Trisha Oralie Martin, Melissa Potter, Marilynn Propp, and Maggie Puckett.

At USM, art is an accredited program that provides students with a unique opportunity to hone their craft and express themselves across several mediums. With our very own art gallery on the Gorham campus, students have a fully immersive opportunity to experience different perspectives. The art gallery has exhibits containing student work, each different in their own way. However, it also contains exhibits from other parts of the country.

“It is an exhibition of artists who use paper as their primary medium, often creating, molding, printing, and collating it as an integral part of their conceptual process,” says Kat Zagaria Buckley, the director of Art Exhibitions and Outreach. The artists use recycled materials, such as egg-cartons, ripped jeans, and bedsheets. The artists created the exhibit through using methods such as printmaking, letterpress, papercut - ting, and installing the pieces together. All of the art in the exhibit was made between 2013 to 2015.

All of the artists for “Pulped Under Pressure” were brought together by curator and artist Reni Gower. Once this show leaves USM, it will move to Georgia Institute of Technology’s Mueseum of Papermaking to be showcased there. The exhibition is running on both the Portland and Gorham campuses from September 20 to December 9. The exhibit can be viewed when the library and gallery are open. The art gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM-4:30 PM and the Glickman Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.

The artists in this exhibition are dedicated to their craft and wish to spread awareness about pressing issues that the world faces today. They achieve this through their work with recycled materials and hand papermaking, resulting in influential pieces. Before the exhibit closes on December 9, everyone should stop by either the art gallery or Glickman Library and look at this unique exhibit.