Alumni artists from the University of Maine at Farmington are, from left, Jazmin Knapp, Ashley Wilkins, Mal Smith, Alana Knapp, Tobey Tozier and Samantha Funk.
FARMINGTON — Five alumni of the University of Maine Farmington arts program are returning to campus to present “Dreadful Unimaginings,” an art exhibition of the macabre.
The exhibit will be in the Flex Space Gallery in the Emery Community Arts Center from June 14 through Aug. 2. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 14. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Lurking at the dark and hazy crossroads of beauty and grotesquery is the monstrous. Equal parts appalling and morbidly appealing, collective cultural fascination with monsters is deeply rooted in artistic tradition — witches, evil beasts and mythical creatures of the unknown have been subjects of artists and storytellers for centuries. What is it about them that we find so mesmerizing?
Art by Jazmin Knapp.
This exhibition surveys a medley of monstrous locales tackling abhorrent acts of violence, environmental havoc and hoarding, as well as perceptions of self-hood and interpersonal communication. “Dreadful Unimaginings” explores the myriad meanings the monster conjures, from the depths of the imagined to the insidious dwelling within the mundane.
Featured artists include UMF Class of 2014 graduates Samantha Funk, Alana Knapp, Mal Smith, Tobey Tozier, Ashley Wilkins and USM Class of 2016 graduate Jazmin Knapp.
The Emery Community Arts Center is on Academy Street between Main and High streets in downtown Farmington. The gallery summer hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday.
Art by Mal Smith.
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