Join us, Friday October 22, 3-7pm at the UNE Art Gallery, Portland!
The University of New England Art Gallery on the Portland Campus is pleased to present “Home Fires: Freedom & Captivity.” An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held Friday, Oct. 22, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Part of the statewide exhibition partnership “Freedom and Captivity,” “Home Fires” centers the narrative of the families and loved ones of incarcerated people. The exhibit will be on view through January 23.
The experience of having a family member or friend who has been through the carceral system, or having family history that involves incarceration, is very common in the United States. However, this experience is not commonly shared outside of the family context. Incarceration can also encompass larger historical experiences while maintaining its personal impact. “Home Fires” presents the work of artists who have experienced incarceration in their immediate or distant family, or who use this concept as a structural theme in their work, to shine a light on what incarceration can mean for those of us who have stayed at home.
The exhibit features the work of Gustavo and Gaelyn Aguilar (TUG Collective), Carol Ayoob, Julie K. Gray, Judy Glickman Lauder, Forrest Meyer, Mai Snow, Lauren Tosswill, and Kim Wilson.
“Freedom and Captivity,” a statewide initiative that includes multiple exhibitions at museums, galleries, and universities throughout Maine, explores the use of captivity as a corollary to freedom by asking the question of why we imagine that the freedom of some is dependent on the captivity of others. “Home Fires: Freedom and Captivity,” will be part of this curatorial project, including linked exhibitions and events at Maine’s college campuses, as well as exhibitions and virtual events and performances throughout the state.
A remote conversation with Jan Collins, M.Ed., Assistant Director of Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, will be free and open to the public. Join us on November 3rd at 6:00pm; cut-and-paste zoom link below:
une.zoom.us/j/92287556047
The Portland Campus Art Gallery is open Thursday through Sunday 12-5 p.m. or by appointment while exhibitions are on view.
Image: Mai Snow, Distance is Fine. Oil on panel. 38”x30”x3” 2020
For more information, please contact Hilary Irons at hirons@une.edu or 207-221-4449
UNE Art Gallery, Portland
University of New England
716 Stevens Ave
Portland, ME 04103
https://www.freedomandcaptivity.org/