Rockland, ME, May 1, 2020 – The Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland has announced the list of artists to be included in its statewide 2020 Biennial Exhibition, which will open at CMCA in October and remain on view through February 2021.

This year’s edition of the Biennial is sponsored by The VIA Agency of Portland, and features the work of 34 artists from 17 Maine communities. The selected artists were chosen from a pool of over 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 provided by the jurors, McNamara writes, “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 historical moment in time calls for.”

This year marks the 22nd edition of the CMCA Biennial Exhibition, 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. CMCA Director Suzette McAvoy states, “We are 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. We eagerly look forward to sharing the exhibition with the public this fall.”

Artists included in the 2020 CMCA Biennial Exhibition are: Jeffrey Ackerman (Morrill, ME), Henry Austin (Portland, ME), Susan Beallor-Snyder (Southwest Harbor, ME + New York, NY), Fanny Brodar (Kennebunkport, ME), Anne Buckwalter (Portland, ME + Philadelphia, PA), Penn Chan (Portland, ME), Ben DeHaan (Portland, ME), Brian Doody (Portland, ME), Jenny McGee Dougherty, (South Portland, ME), Norajean Ferris (Portland, ME), Donna Festa (Bangor, ME), Sam Finkelstein (Rockland, ME), Kevin Ford (Portland, ME + Norwalk, CT), Elyse Noelani Grams (Portland, ME), Meg Hahn (Portland, ME), Breehan James (Scarborough, ME), Gregory Jamie (Portland, ME), Tom Jessen (Temple, ME), Baxter Koziol (Portland, ME), Mandy Lamb (Norridgewock, ME), Phil Lonergan (Portland, ME + Campton, NH), Hector Nevarez Magaña (Portland, ME), Ashley Normal (York, ME + Nashua, NH), Isabelle Maschal O’Donnell (Portland, ME), Elijah Ober (South Portland, ME), Aaron Rosenblum (Northport, ME + Louisville, KY), Nicholas J Sevigney (Wells, ME + Holderness, NH), Susan L Smith (Dover-Foxcroft, ME), Maia Snow (Portland, ME + Austin, TX), Benjamin Spalding (Portland, ME), Richard Van Buren (Perry, ME), Jimmy Viera (Portland, ME), Susan B. Webster (Deer Isle, ME), and Erin Woodbrey (Sebago Lake, ME + Orleans, MA).

For additional information about the CMCA 2020 Biennial Exhibition and related programs, visit cmcanow.org

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ABOUT CMCA

CMCA is a contemporary arts institution presenting year-round exhibitions, engaging events, and educational programs for all ages.

Location: 21 Winter Street, Rockland, MaineHours: November through May, Wednesday – Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sunday, 12 to 5pm; June through October, Monday – Saturday, 10am to 5pm, Sunday, 12 to 5pm. Closed Federal holidays. Admission: $8; Seniors (65+) and students with ID $6; children under 18 free; CMCA members free. NOTE: CMCA is temporarily closed to the public in accordance with CDC guidelines; anticipated reopening July 1, 2020. 

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Below: 2020 CMCA Biennial
Installation view of 2018 Biennial, Main Gallery