CMCA BIENNIAL 2020
The 2020 edition of the CMCA Biennial features the work of 34 artists from 17 Maine communities. The selected artists were chosen from a pool of more than 500 individual submissions by jurors Nina Johnson-Milewski, owner, founder, and director of Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami, FL, and Kate McNamara, an independent curator and educator based in Providence, RI.
In a statement by the jurors, Johnson-Milewski writes, “I hope this exhibition will reflect the importance of harnessing the creative spirit, particularly in times of disconnection, isolation, and confusion.” McNamara adds, “With over 500 submissions the process of looking through the Biennial entries offered us an opportunity to view an incredibly diverse range of art practices reflected in the contemporary art field. I am thrilled with our final selection of work, which reflects some of the hopefulness and re-imagining this particular and historic moment in time calls for.”
CMCA is immensely proud to carry forward the concept of a statewide, juried Biennial open to all artists with ties to Maine. It is always a process of discovery to learn the jurors’ selections and to see the breadth of talent within the state. This year marks the 22nd edition of the Biennial, which typically takes place in the fall of even numbered years. Dating back to 1978, it is the longest running open juried exhibition in the state.
Jurors | CMCA Biennial 2020
Nina Johnson-Milewski is the owner, founder, and director of Nina Johnson Gallery in the Little Haiti district of Miami, she has produced numerous solo and group exhibitions by new, emerging and established artists from around the world.
Kate McNamara is a curator and educator based in Providence, RI. She currently holds the position of Visiting Critic at Rhode Island School of Art and Design and is the Creative Director of My HomeCourt, a nonprofit organization working with contemporary artists to revitalize city parks.
Artists featured in the Main Gallery:
Jeffrey Ackerman (Morrill, ME)
Henry Austin (Portland, ME)
Susan Beallor-Snyder (Southwest Harbor, ME + New York, NY)
Penn Chan (Portland, ME)
Norajean Ferris (Portland, ME)
Sam Finkelstein (Rockland, ME)
Kevin Ford (Portland, ME + Norwalk, CT)
Phil Lonergan (Portland, ME + Campton, NH)
Mai Snow (Portland, ME + Austin, TX)
Richard Van Buren (Perry, ME)
Jimmy Viera (South Portland, ME)
Press
CMCA Biennial 2020 by Carl Little, Art New England, January/February 2021
CMCA Biennial Exhibition by Emma Simard, Maine Home + Design, October 2020
Four gallery shows to see this fall by Bob Keyes, Portland Press Herald, October 19, 2020
Art Review: CMCA Biennial takes on tough topics by Jorge S. Arango, Portland Press Herald, October 11, 2020
The next wave of Maine artists by Edgar Allen Beem, Portland Phoenix, July 15, 2020
Center for Maine Contemporary Art announces biennial artists for 2020 by Bob Keyes, Portland Press Herald, May 1, 2020
Exhibition Sponsor
Selected Images