| Objects of Wonder: Four Centuries of Still Life from the Norton Museum of Art February 4, 2010 - June 6, 2010 Still-life works embrace a moment in time and create a memory that combines real life and its representation in art. Objects of Wonder: Four Centuries of Still Life from the Norton Museum of Art is a selection of more than 50 paintings, sculptures, and photographs from the 17th through the 20th centuries that focuses on the depiction of inanimate objects. Featured artists include Marsden Hartley, Henri Matisse, Robert Mapplethorpe, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Yinka Shonibare. This exhibition presents important works that illustrate both aspects of the genre—objects as stand-alone imagery and those serving as one element of a larger composition. The out-of-the-ordinary assortment of works come together to form such themes as table settings, flowers, fruits and vegetables, fish, and works in three dimensions. Along with the Norton Museum of Art’s selections, the exhibition includes numerous examples of still life from the Portland Museum of Art’s collection as well as from private lenders. In addition, embedded within the exhibition is an interactive cabinet of curiosities—a cabinet, which not only displays unique decorative art objects from the Museum’s collection, but also allows visitors to create and sketch their own still-life arrangements. |  Daniel Seghers, A Garland of Pink Roses…, oil on canvas, 17 x 20 1/2 inches, Norton Museum of Art. Gift of Valerie Delacorte in memory of George T. Delacorte, Publisher and Philanthropist |
| Modernism and Masquerade: Max Beckmann (1884–1950) March 13, 2010 - May 23, 2010 This exhibition features the graphic work of Max Beckmann (1884–1950), providing important focus on the German artist whose powerful approach to the human condition continues to move and inspire viewers. Featuring approximately 40 prints from the Museum’s permanent collection and from private collections, the exhibition explores Beckmann’s portrait work as well as his treatment of scenes of both gaiety-the circus and theatre-and alienation. View Image Gallery |  Max Beckmann (1884–1950), Woman with Candle, 1920, woodcut. Collection of David and Eva Bradford. |
| Youth Art Month Exhibition February 27, 2010 - April 4, 2010 This year the Portland Museum of Art is proud to celebrate 16 years of hosting the Maine Art Education Association’s annual Youth Art Month exhibition. This exhibition displays more than 100 works of art by students from around the state, in recognition of the value and importance art education plays in Maine schools. It is a treat each year to exhibit the work of these talented students—mark your calendars and make a special trip to the Museum to get an exciting glimpse of the future of the art world. |  Emily Shrader, Two Zebras, Acrylic, Skowhegan Area Middle School, Grade 8, Teacher: Frank Chin |
| Division and Discovery: Recent Work by Frederick Lynch February 27, 2010 - July 11, 2010 As an abstract painter, Maine artist Frederick Lynch (born 1935) uses a system of repeated geometries and mathematical divisions to explore a multitude of visual possibilities. His paintings evoke the type of order and chaos found in patterns of nature—branching, veining of leaves, and molecular systems. This exhibition of 25 recent works by Lynch will pair his large painted canvases with smaller sections of each of his paintings. |  Frederick Lynch, Segment Collective 4, 2009, oil on pine, 50 x 40 inches. Lent by the artist. |