L/A Arts

💥Come to the reception on Sept 18, 5:30–7pm. Libby will perform at 6pm!

‘Art as Medicine’: Exhibit of imagination opens at University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn campus 'Throughout the making process, it is essential to pause and play,' Michael Libby wrote in his artist statement.

🎨🌱Geiger Elementary Garden Mural Process

From initial concept sketch to implementation, Serafim Yssolo’s design process is solid! Thank you again for your AMAZING WORK & GIFT to our community. This mural is bound to have lasting impact on everyone who passes through these school grounds❤️
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Geiger Elementary Garden Mural is a project in partnership with LA Arts, Geiger Elementary School , St. Mary’s Nutrition Center & Food Corps with support from the City of Lewiston’s Public Art Committee.
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⌛SAM ONCHE on the POWER of VISUAL STORYTELLING
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SAM OCHE: HOMECOMING
SEPTEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 20, 2024
Opening Reception, September 27
5–8PM
LA ARTS, 168 Lisbon St., Lewiston, ME
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"Ever since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to the power of visual storytelling. My work is not about perfection, they are about weaving vibrant narratives and capturing the essence of people in their most poetic and beautiful forms."

- Sam Onche, Artist Statement
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Hollywood Africans, Acrylic on canvas, 2023, 24 x 30, $3,000
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Storytelling is central to Sam Onche’s work. Now based in the Chicago area, his story started in Nigeria, where he grew up in a household that valued family and art. He has fond memories of drawing with siblings and friends, developing a competitive edge that applied to sports. Basketball brought him to the U.S. and led him to Colby College. He pursued oil painting there and continues to use this medium as well as digital drawing to share stories through Black art.

For more info on the ARTIST & UPCOMING EXHIBITION, visit: https://laarts.org/programs/sam-onche-homecoming/





Colby College
..(anybody else catch the Basquiat reference?)...❤️

🎨SAM ONCHE ~ BIO
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SAM OCHE: HOMECOMING
SEPTEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 20, 2024
Opening Reception, September 27
5–8PM
LA ARTS, 168 Lisbon St., Lewiston, ME
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Storytelling is central to Sam Onche’s work. Now based in the Chicago area, his story started in Nigeria, where he grew up in a household that valued family and art. He has fond memories of drawing with siblings and friends, developing a competitive edge that applied to sports. Basketball brought him to the U.S. and led him to Colby College. He pursued oil painting there and continues to use this medium as well as digital drawing to share stories through Black art.

Onche’s vibrant paintings, mostly portraits, employ careful colorful abstraction. Sometimes he uses Ankara fabric in the backgrounds of his portraits, a nod to his heritage and sourced from his sister’s fashion design company. Onche uses color generously and symbolically, painting his rich cultural experiences into each portrait. His process includes a constant playlist of Afrobeat and Hip hop while he paints, along with countless other inspirations he draws from the world around him that contribute to his propensity for storytelling.

He sees art as his way to give back to the community that inspires him. Beyond original paintings, Onche’s work includes illustrations for album covers, books, posters, and prints. HG Literary Agency represents Onche for illustrations and covers. He works in both digital art and traditional oil painting, and appreciates both for the diverse textures they add to his art.

Onche also explores Afrofuturism, a style partly inspired by science fiction movies and comic books. Other themes in his art range from moments of daily living to cultural evolution, with nods to fashion and music. Onche’s vision is to unite all kinds of people to look at his art from a cultural point of view, with hope for a brighter, more equal future. Visual art is Onche’s medium to speak out on Black representation and imagine a better world.

For more info, visit: https://laarts.org/programs/sam-onche-homecoming/





Colby College

💥SAM ONCHE: HOMECOMING Opening in TWO WEEKS!
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SAM ONCHE: HOMECOMING
SEPTEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 20
Opening Reception, September 27
5–8PM
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"Homecoming" is a show that reflects my journey back to Maine, a place I now call home. Home is not just built with bricks and stones; it can also be constructed from connections, memories, and values. It might be a street down the road or a cherished corner of your mind. For me, home is defined by the bonds I've formed and the experiences that have shaped my life.

It’s rare for someone to spend their entire life in the same house where they grew up, especially in today’s interconnected world. At fifteen, I left Nigeria and my family for the US, driven by a desire to explore myself, gain new experiences, and embrace different values and ways of life. My journey led me to Maine, where I spent several years, built a community, and now, I’m back.

In this show, I aim to weave together various narratives that reflect my experiences, the need for movement, the beauty of place, my respect for Maine's artists and community, and themes of empowerment through fashion, culture, and loss. The exhibit features thirteen paintings, each standing alone and telling its own unique story. I encourage viewers to notice the symbolism in the elements and motifs I use, which are integral to my storytelling. My use of saturated colors in distinctive combinations is intended to portray people in their most beautiful light. My passion for fashion and the way people express themselves is also evident in my work. Ultimately, I hope this show empowers viewers, offers healing, and supports their journey of self-discovery.
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Come see the full collection of 13 works , ALL EXCEPT FOR TWO PRODUCED THIS YEAR

& JOIN US in welcoming the artist SAM ONCHE on September 27th during the opening reception!

Image 1: Remembering René, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2024 (detail)

Image 2: Ada Loves Katz, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48, 2024 (detail)

Image 3: Can’t Bite my Swag, Acrylic on canvas, 28 x 22, 2024 (detail)

Image 4: Red Like Roses, Acrylic on canvas, 32 x 48, 2024 (detail)

🎨🌱WELCOME TO GEIGER'S GARDEN

LA ARTS is OVERJOYED to Celebrate the recently completed mural by Serafim Yssolo at Geiger Elementary ❤️

The mural is an ABSOLUTE EXPLOSION of COLOR and JOY in the outdoor learning garden - a space where students are highly engaged in hands-on food and gardening programming, including classes, gardening projects and taste tests! The school's administrators and staff are all committed to expanding the school's outdoor learning spaces, and the response to the expansive mural has been glowing.

The mural was conceived to bring people together and reinforce the importance of beauty and collaboration. It represents the first year of Geiger's partnership with FoodCorps & is all the more meaningful to have been completed by local artist Serafim Yssolo, who met with students and leadership for several idea generating sessions.

Lily Krietzberg, the current FoodCorps service member at Geiger, is the one who dreamed up the idea. Her job is to create programs that are sustainable and long-lasting for the school. A critical part of that is to spark inspiration, emotional investment, and collective pride among the entire school community.
WELL DONE!

What better way to bring people together and spark inspiration than to collaborate on a community mural?!

❤️THE ARTS ARE SO UPLIFTING
We hope you enjoy these few moments from this exciting project!
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Geiger Elementary Garden Mural is a project in partnership with LA Arts, Geiger Elementary School , St. Mary's Nutrition Center & Food Corps with support from the City of Lewiston's Public Art Committee
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Official City of Lewiston, Maine

🎨Michael Libby: Art as Medicine at USM-LAC Atrium Gallery

Spectacular Show - CHECK IT OUT & join the artist on Sept 18
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Michael Libby: Art as Medicine
August 9 – September 27, 2024
Artist Reception
September 18, 5:30 – 7pm
Talk & Performance at 6pm
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Michael Libby, NCC, LCPC-C, CADC, earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the University of Southern Maine in 1992 and his Master of Science degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from USM in 2017. He also earned a post-graduate certificate in Expressive Arts Therapies at Lesley University in Cambridge. A licensed Mental Health Counselor (LCPC-C) and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), Libby believes the answers to the current opioid epidemic and other serious related issues will evolve mostly from a community response.

He says of his art, “The art making process for me is about letting go and not taking it too seriously; it’s a process of unknowing, recollection, and recovery. My time in the studio has taught me to trust disappointments, mistakes, and celebrate failures. These are the elements that make a painting successful - a process of self-discovery that is playful; a serious kind of playfulness that’s interactive facilitating understanding - like the shadows dancing in the beautiful darkness on the walls of Plato’s cave.”

Gerald Walsh, executive director of LA Arts, partner with the Atrium Gallery, noted of Libby’s show, “Libby’s path that led to the practice of art as medicine has been one of wonder and fulfillment - every moment has been deeply reflective and full of integrity. This show represents the culmination of his long and continuous journey: a full circle that loops back to his origins when he paced and painted parking lots to cope with grief, actions and reflections that continue to inform Libby’s art and therapeutic practice. Although Michael didn’t know it at the time, his practice from the start was firmly situated in the paradigm of ‘art as medicine’ as outlined by Shaun McNiff, who would become his mentor at Lesley University nearly 30 years later.”

The Atrium Gallery is open Monday through Friday, from 9am – 4:30pm

Join us for another ART WALK, TOMORROW AUGUST 30th from 5-8pm !!!

Including…👟 🌈🤸‍♀️

★ Live painting by Robert Russell @ LA Arts
★ Basketry by
★ Taiko Drummers across from Dufresne Plaza (5:30-7:30pm)
★ Free wine tasting
★ ._drew_and_his_animals_too
★ at Forage
★ Caricatures by

AND SO MUCH MORE! 💛💥

💥👟ARTWALK LA August 30th EVENT is this FRIDAY!!!

JOIN US for some family-friendly fun with TONS of great activities lined up for you to enjoy!

- ._drew_and_his_animals_too returns with his lizards and spiders - a popular hit for young and old
- drummers with their lively BOOMING sound, performing from 5:30–7:30pm in front of the FRYE BLOCK
- Artist Robert J. Russell LIVE PAINTING right in LA Arts Gallery surrounded by his spectacular solo show ECLECTIC THOUGHTS
- PLUS more LIVE PAINTING on the street with and
- offering free lessons for aspiring aerialists
- New Works by at
- Mixed Media by at
- FREE WINE TASTING & vintage wine photography reproductions at
- Winners of BALLOON WATCHERS TOOK THEIR BEST SHOT Photography contest, displaying in Dufresne PLAZA
- Caricatures by
- PIZZA by UNTIL IT SELLS OUT
- Sidewalk chalk and easels for the kiddos 🎨WOOHOO
- FACE PAINTING with MagicLee Fun Entertainments
- Works by Grayling Cunningham and local artists at
- OPEN HOUSE at
- street performances by
- BASKETRY by - An exciting NEW VENDOR!!!
- & additional VENDORS including but not limited to



space.alchemy


cain


- FREE BOOKS generously distributed by Friends of the

❤️❤️❤️TOO MANY TO LIST

Check out the newsletter for more information on participating artists and vendors. (Scan the QR or click the link: https://conta.cc/3TvHhy7)

The weather is lookin'☀️just right☀️ - WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!! LET's make this a MEMORABLE one

& don't forget to share your ARTWALK LA EXPERIENCES with

"UNTITLED"

Unusual for Russell to not have a title for this work, with others in the show variously and colorfully titled
"THE-DEVIL-IN-TECHNICOLOR", "COMPOSITION-IN-RED-BLUE-NAVY-BLACK-WHITE", & "ENTAGLEMENT-OF-THE-MIND".
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"UNTITLED" $1000
Acrylic on Canvas
one of 28 works (plus dozens more in prepared sleeves on a crafted table,, affordably priced ready-and-waiting for a good home)

Robert J. Russell: Eclectic Thoughts
thru September 7th

💥GALLERY IS OPEN 'til 6PM Today
Friday, August 23, 2024

❤️🎨Lovin' all the public art in Lewiston

We wanted to give a quick shout out to Alison Brynn Ross Illustration & Design for her FAST & FANTASTIC work on the She Doesn't Like Guthries wrap-around facade mural, installed just this past week. It's a beautiful new contribution to our burgeoning public art sector in Official City of Lewiston, Maine

What a pleasure connecting with you and coordinating with the City & Guthries on this vital streetscape enhancement project! We hope to work with you again in the future!!!

& we wanted to put a quick plug in that LA Arts is here to field interest and inquiries in similar opportunities for projects in the future. We keep your info on-hand when opps present themselves.

Photo in the header of Heather (co-owner of Guthries) hugging the now larger-than-life dog Riely ❤️ Don't ya love it?!

(All Photos provided by Alison Ross)



https://www.alisonbrynnross.com/

Join LA Arts as we celebrate the arts in our community during our August Art Walk L/A on Friday, August 30 from 5-8pm!

Art Walk LA turns Lewiston’s downtown into a bustling arts district featuring artists, craftspeople, musicians, buskers, art vendors, and other performers. The public is invited to attend this free, family-friendly event.

Check out the works of local artist Robert Russell at the LA Arts Gallery; listen to the booming sounds of Taiko Maine Drummers; meet with Mr. Drew and His Animals Too ; view winning images from the Sun Journal balloon festival photo contest; swing into aerial arts with Aerial Jade and enjoy many other art experiences and activities along the way!

https://www.facebook.com/events/3304796429822016

Balloon watchers took their best shot during the Lewiston - Auburn Balloon Festival!

Stop by Dufresne Plaza from 5-7pm during the August Art Walk on August 30 to see the winning images taken by festival attendees. Photos of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners, as well as the Sun Journal Readers' Choice winners will be on display.

The Sun Journal photo contest is sponsored by Dirigo Federal Credit Union.

Photos: Lewiston mural incorporates history

Photos: Lewiston mural incorporates history Questions about your account? Our customer service team can be reached at [email protected] during business hours at (207) 791-6000.

ART WALK ARTIST SPOTLIGHT !!! 👣👣🔥

Counting down the days until our next Art Walk on August 30th! Get ready for these awesome artists and artisans plus live painting in our gallery! Robert Russell will be working on the b&w piece on this title page as a part of his exhibition currently on view, “Eclectic Thoughts”.

It’s not too late to sign up as a vendor! Simply fill out the registration form using the link in our bio.

Some of the vendors you’ll be catching later this month…

Jason Alexander //

Raw Agaseke //

Strawberry Oddities //

Yulia Derkach //

Met Hasbrook

🎨Join ArtVan and LA Arts for an evening of art, community & fun!
Take part in an art project where no art experience is necessary! You'll be guided in painting a 10x10 canvas following an ArtVan program outline - a check-in question, and share. Lite refreshments, and snacks are provided.
Come paint with us, and see how you flow through the paint!

Get your tickets >>> https://www.artvanprogram.org/artbar

ArtVan

👁️"I SEE PICTURES IN MY HEAD"

ECCENTRIC, COMPELLING, PROLIFIC
SIMPLY MIND-BOGGLING

LOCAL ARTIST Robert J. Russell's showstopping exhibit is on view at LA Arts thru SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

A RETROSPECTIVE featuring original drawings, paintings & collages

Rendered with Sharpie pens, including many themes, from mandalas & “tower-temples” to mazes & geometric designs

Robert J. Russell hand-selects 28 works to represent his life's work of more than 5000 visionary artworks
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"All artists are influenced by the art of others in one way or another. Inspiration for my work comes from many sources but mainly from pictures I see in my head. My styles and themes vary greatly and range from mandalas, towers-temples, abstracts, geometrics in repeated themes to collages mixed with my many geometric designs. Because I have O.C.D. the repetitive nature of my work is most evident in what I create. My abstract portraits and
painting come strictly from the pictures I see in my head, some colors others in black and white. All of my art, both paintings, drawings and collages, are strictly originals. I refuse to do prints and works based on digitals - I believe original art, although influenced by other artists' work, shows it came from one's mind
and to never copy someone else’s style, etc.

I have always mentioned that I refuse to compromise my work by selling out to the establishment in order to do traditional art for the sake of making money.

I hope you enjoy my show and get as much pleasure from seeing it as I did creating it."

- Robert J. Russell
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Robert J. Russell
Eclectic Thoughts
July 26 – September 7, 2024

💥That's a wrap for the 4th Annual Fiddlers' Rendezvous 🎵🎵🎵

This past Sunday, Kennedy Park transformed into a spectacular music fest with fiddling and good cheer filling the air.

Many thanks to musicians Ed Howe, Éric Favreau, Lissa Schneckenburger, Owen Marshall, Bennett Konesni, and Stuart Kenny for boosting our City with your musical spirit. Extra special thanks to the legendary Greg Boardman for organizing this wonderful *Annual* Event and to Public Works for prepping the park❤️

Keep an ear out for this great event next year!

(photos by Jim Parakilas)

Last Art Walk featured the opening of Lewiston artist Robert J. Russell’s “Eclectic Thoughts”. Next Art Walk (on August 30th) will feature Russell painting live!

In the meantime, relieve yourself of the summer heat, pop into the gallery and lose yourself in Russell’s mesmerizing mazes and colorful geometric designs.

Gallery is open today until 6PM, Friday 12-6 and Saturday 12-6. See you soon!

Eclectic Thoughts
Robert J. Russell
July 26 – Sept 7, 2024
LA Arts Gallery
168 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, Maine




📸 by Sheri Withers, Gary Stallsworth and Lola Buczkowski

Reflecting back on our July Art Walk featuring Robert J. Russell’s opening of “Eclectic Thoughts,” a performance by Tinpanic Steel Band, and more!

Thanks to those who showed up and for making it an awesome time! ❤️ Stay tuned for more soon. ❤️

📸GREAT PHOTOS as always, thanks Russ!

Photo album: Art Walk LA sounds off on a beautiful July evening Artists, dancers, musicians converge on downtown Lewiston Friday night.

Artist Robert Russell + guitarist Billy Strings. You never know what treasurers you'll walk away with at Art Wak L/A.

💥ART WALK is TOMORROW!!!

JULY 26th ART WALK L/A
5–8PM
Lower Lisbon Street, Downtown Lewiston

Don't miss out on this fun, family friendly event that fosters community and celebrates the vitality of Lewiston / Auburn by turning the downtown into a bustling arts district 🔥

Always on FINAL FRIDAY of each summer month, from May through September
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Live arts experiences will be held in these select locations

· LA Arts Gallery, 168 Lisbon Street: Opening reception of “Eclectic Thoughts,” an art exhibit featuring the work Lewiston resident Robert J. Russell (Talk at 6PM)
· Maine People’s Alliance (Hartley Block), 155 Lisbon Street: Bates Dance Festival performance featuring Gesel Mason’s “Work in Progress”
· Downtown Handmade, an artisan shop and gallery, 178 Lisbon Street, 2nd floor: Works by artist Melanie Therrain
· Quiet City Books, downstairs at 124 Lisbon Street: “Summer Light: Monhegan,” photography by Courtney Schlachter.
· The Vault, 84 Lisbon Street: Free wine tasting.
· Dufresne Plaza, 72 Lisbon Street: Tinpanic Steel Band, 5:15–7:30pm, Aerial Jade & Yeti Dogs
· Munka Studio, 221 Lisbon Street: Pop-up Ukrainian Coffee Shop and Art Fair with Solodko Bakery and Kavak Coffee.
· The Studio, 291 Lisbon Street: Works by Grayling Cunningham and local artists.
· Wicked Illustrations, 140 Canal Street: “Monhegan Retrospective,” painting and photography by Courtney Schlachter, Sheri Withers-Hollenbeck, Kate Cargile, and Melanie Therrien.

Art Market Street Vendors, Including:
· Art Van: mobile art therapy.
· Brittany Longsdorf & Larissa Davis: Live painting.
· Edna Sebastião: “Kindumba Kyawaba” (Beautiful Hair) books and Angolan clothing and jewelry.
· J. Fiori: Caricature artist

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Scan the QR code for more information or click the link:

https://conta.cc/3ygFm95

Don't forget to share your ARTWALK LA EXPERIENCES using

💥Day after tomorrow!

C'mon out this Friday, 5:15-7:30 and maybe bring chairs unless you're dancing! We will be rockin' the L/A ArtWalk, Lisbon St., Dufresne Plaza (across from Court House). Clear skies forecasted for Friday afternoon! Lots of art and music happening!