Hawk & Handsaw: Twenty Who Know the Difference – Selected works by 20 contemporary Maine artists who have been featured in Hawk & Handsaw, the journal of creative sustainability published since 2007 by Unity College. The exhibition is curated by Ben Potter, professor of art at Unity College, and CMCA director Suzette McAvoy. The title of the journal and exhibition comes from the following verses in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2):
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly,
I know a hawk from a handsaw.
In the introduction to the first issue of Hawk & Handsaw, the editors write that, like Hamlet, they too “know which way the wind blows.” They know that “living a sustainable life can be messy and meaningful — that it requires reflection, deep philosophical commitment, and (more often than not) a good sense of humor.” They value creative work that “questions the status quo either in content or presentation — work that bumps up against convention and genre, and even gives either one of them a good nudge now and then,” resulting in new ways to approach the crucial discourse about sustainable ways of being in the world.
The exhibition is part of this fall’s Maine Environmental Art and Design (MEAD) celebration — a collaboration among CMCA, Unity College, Waterfall Arts, and other mid-coast arts organizations. The 20 artists included in the exhibition are Chris Becker, Meghan Brady, Emily Brown, Lisa Bunch, Cole Caswell, Megan Chase, Avy Claire, Jobie Cole, Kenny Cole, Karen Gelardi, Lauren Henkin, Adriane Herman, Tanja Hollander, Mark Kelly, Freddy LaFage, Susan Metzger, Sandy Olson, Danica Phelps, R. Keith Rendall, and Andy Rosen.
Opening Reception Saturday, September 28, 4 to 6pm
CMCA is grateful to generous support from its major media sponsor, Maine Home + Design magazine.
Artist Talks
Artist Talks will begin at 3pm and are free and open to the public.
Sunday, November 3: Avy Claire, Kenny Cole, Tanja Hollander, Mark Kelly
Sunday, November 24: Lauren Henkin, Sandy Olson, Danica Phelps, R. Keith Rendall
