Some of the LA student artwork that will be on display at the Lincoln Academy Student Art Show at Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. The show opening is on Wednesday, May 4 from 5-7 pm
Lincoln Academy and Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust are pleased to announce the rebirth of the Annual Lincoln Academy Student Art SHow, which will take place May 4-18 at the Coastal Rivers’ Denny Conservation and Education Center at 3 Round Top Lane in Damariscotta. An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, May 4 from 5 – 7 pm, and the public is invited to view the works on the night of the reception or anytime during business hours (9 am-4 pm Mon-Thur, 9-12:30 Friday) between May 4 and 18.
Students in Kate Mess’s Small Metalsmithing and Jewelry Making class working in the ATEC building.
“We had a long run of successful annual art shows at River Arts in both their downtown and Route 1 locations and really appreciated their support and partnership. Our last art show took place in 2019, but of course, we were disrupted by the pandemic. The last two years, we have held virtual and on-campus art shows, but we’ve received many inquiries about restarting our off-campus exhibition tradition. River Arts moved to a smaller gallery space in downtown Damariscotta, so we had to find a new location that can accommodate our large amount of three-dimensional ceramic work in addition to two-dimensional wall work,” said Lincoln Academy ceramics teacher Jonathan Mess. “We looked around at potential spaces and found the perfect fit with Coastal Rivers’ beautiful recently rebuilt space. We contacted them and received an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’”
The partnership came together naturally as Executive Director Steven Hufnagel also recently joined the Lincoln Academy Board of Trustees and is excited to find ways to bring the school and his organization together for educational programming. “We’re thrilled to be able to support our local students by providing a venue for their art show.” Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, formerly Damariscotta River Association and Pemaquid Watershed Association, is a non-profit, membership supported, and nationally accredited land trust and conservation organization, dedicated to preserving and promoting the natural, cultural, and historical heritage of the Damariscotta-Pemaquid region.
“My students’ work in this year’s show will be a departure from past shows as it is a representation of many different classes including Art Fundamentals, Drawing II, Painting I & II, Photography, and Advanced Screen Printing,” said LA art teacher Nina Sylvia. “Work has been chosen throughout the year based on originality, experimentation, and clarity of student voice. We think you will agree that our students take creativity to the next level and hope that you enjoy our new format!”
DET students build pedestals with Mr. Wynne
This year’s Art Show will also include work from students outside of Lincoln Academy’s visual art classes. With the move from River Arts came the need for new pedestals to display three-dimensional artwork. “Jonathan and I realized that our classes could work in sync to build new pedestals for the art show and to display student work in ATEC,” said Kate Mess, who teaches visual art classes, as well as Intro to Design, Engineering, and Technology. Together, Visual Art teachers and DET teachers applied for funding from the Albert F. Carlson Art Endowed Fund to help purchase the materials to build pedestals in five spring trimester sections of Intro to DET, taught by Ryan Wynne, Kate Mess, and Jonah Vesery. “Our students have worked through the whole process using Design Thinking strategies to see old pedestals with ceramic work, measure them, figure out what sizes we need to build and how to make the best use out of their sheets of plywood. We have worked through a lot of troubleshooting and problem solving, and were excited to have a real-world problem to solve and project to build that will go directly into use and serve the school for years to come.”
Parents, community members, and patrons of the arts are invited to attend the May 4th reception and meet the artists, enjoy refreshments and help celebrate the students’ work.
A ceramics student working on a sculpture in the LA ceramics studio.
The exhibit will showcase ceramics, sculpture, and two-dimensional pieces, including drawing, painting, photography, collage, and mixed media work, from Lincoln Academy art students. New this year, the art show will also showcase jewelry work made in Kate Mess’s Jewelry & Metalsmithing class added to Lincoln’s course offerings this year. Students do all of their own matting, framing, and setup for the show, and provide artist statements to explain their creative process. Classes spend several hours in the exhibition space before the show opens, hanging the work and making decisions about lighting, display, and the coordination of diverse pieces. The show is an important part of the creative process for art students, many of whom are showing their work for the first time. Said Jonathan Mess, “I’m proud of the dedication and energy these students have put into their artwork during another challenging school year, and that they have chosen to put themselves and their work out there for the public to experience.”
Coastal Rivers’ Denny Conservation and Education Center is open on Monday–Thursday from 9 to 4, and Friday from 9 to 12:30.
