Exhibits, galleries, theater and more: Seacoast arts and culture news
Bill Oakes: Art, Imagination, Vision opens July 9 at Haley Art Gallery
KITTERY, Maine — Bill Oakes: Art, Imagination, Vision featuring abstract works by prolific artist, Bill Oakes will open in July at Haley Art Gallery with an opening reception on Saturday, July 9, 3 to 6 p.m. The Gallery will host an Artist’s Talk by Sharon Oakes (Oakes’ widow) on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2 to 4 p.m. The exhibit will remain on view through Sept. 10. A portion of gallery profits will be donated to The Dance Hall, Kittery, seacoast’s premier venue for intimate, diverse music and dance.
Oakes’ abstract art was, for the most part, inspired during a 1990 trip to Mexico. Moved by the light, textures, colors, peeling posters and rusting cars, he turned from realism to abstraction. He felt abstract art encouraged the viewer to use their imagination and “see in new ways.” His greatest joy was watching someone make a discovery. Bill Oakes passed in 2005 but his art continues to inspire and be exhibited.
Oakes grew up in Maine and started painting as a child. Following his graduation from Brunswick High School, he attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. Moving to Washington, DC to join the Navy, he was assigned to the Navy Combat Art Gallery as the first artist on active duty providing visual reporting since 1954. His over 180 paintings and drawings of returning Vietnam vets at the Bethesda Naval hospital, sailors at the Navy diving school, and the recommissioning of the Battleship New Jersey, remain in the U.S. Navy Fine Arts Collection.
Oakes held a Master’s degree in Critical and Creative Thinking from UMass, Boston, and taught at the New England School of Art and Design and the Art Institute of Boston. His illustrations appeared in books and numerous magazines and newspapers including The Washington Post (as a Watergate trials courtroom artist), The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, Look, National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Time, Sail and Yankee magazines. He created and self-published several art instruction manuals and produced three children’s books with one of his art students.
Visit Haley Art Gallery and its gift shop with social impact gift items from around the world, Thursdays through Saturdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Contact Haley Art Gallery at 617-584-2580 or haleygallery@comcast.net. Visit haleyartgallery.com/. Follow on Facebook @HaleyArtGallery. Instagram instagram.com/haleyartgallery/. Online Shop.
Garrison Players Arts Center presents Summer Series on the Lawn
ROLLINSFORD — Garrison Players Arts Center announces their Summer Series on the Lawn. Bring your own chair/blanket and enjoy live music on our Outdoor Stage. Garrison Players Arts Center is located at 449 Roberts Road, Rollinsford.
The lineup includes:
Ball In the House—Music That’ll Move Ya’! Thursday, July 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets: $15
Ball in The House is an R&B/Soul/Pop A Capella group based out of Boston, Mass., whose high energy shows have audiences singing, dancing, and even beatboxing along.
Taylor Marie Music, Sunday, July 17, 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets: $15
Taylor Marie is a local Country folk singer/songwriter from Rollinsford, N.H. She writes music that reflects the everyday world of a young adult playing many different roles.
Zero Gravity, Sunday, Aug. 14, 4 to 6 p.m. Tickets: $15
Composed of Jazz musicians Bryan Killough (guitar), Nate Therrian (bass), and Eric Von Oeyen (drums). The chemistry built from years of performing together has given this group its spontaneity and depth. They elevate the audience through the joy of playing interactive music together.
Jason Tardy—"A Master of Physical Comedy”, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2 to 3 p.m. Tickets: $15
You may have seen juggling, but you haven’t truly experienced it until you’ve seen the hilarious, explosive and inventive high-energy juggling of Jason Tardy!
Tickets can be purchased at www.garrisonplayers.org.
July at The Franklin Gallery with opening reception
ROCHESTER — The Greater Rochester Camera Club hosts its 2022 Summer Show titled “Still Life” at the Franklin Gallery at Riverstones Custom Framing, 33 North Main St., Rochester. Still Life in art, and more specifically in photography, is a broad topic and the GRCC encouraged its members to explore the topic with their personal artistic expression at the fore. “Still Life” will hang in the gallery for the entire month of July and an opening reception will be held at Riverstones Custom Framing on Wednesday, July 6 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
The Greater Rochester Camera Club was formed in 2017 to provide photography enthusiasts, spanning all skill levels, a place to learn and grow together. They achieve this goal by fostering an open learning environment at group meetings, DSLR workshops, and photography outings with a focus on continuous improvement for all members. Monthly meetings are held once a month at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center, 32 North Main St., Rochester. For general information about GRCC please email them at grccmailbox@gmail.com or visit www.greater-rochester-camera-club.com.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exhibits, galleries, theater and more: Seacoast arts and culture news
