A sampling of student artwork that will be on display at the 2024 Lincoln Academy Student Art Show, which opens May 2: “Annihilation,” Scholastic Arts Gold Key winning sculpture by Lucy White ‘24, Ceramic mask by Marley Neptune Benner ‘24, Wheel thrown pottery by Eliot O’Mahoney ‘24, “Memento Quilt,” Scholastic Arts Silver Key winning artwork by Kayla Cruz ‘24, Fabricated silver and copper hoop earrings by Lila Drewes ‘25.
Lincoln Academy’s Visual Arts Department and Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust are partnering once again to bring you the third edition of the cherished annual Student Art Exhibition, full of artwork by more than 60 of this year’s talented visual art students. The exhibition will be on display for 3 weeks this year with a new online silent auction, from May 1-17 at Coastal Rivers’ Denny Conservation and Education Center at 3 Round Top Lane in Damariscotta. All are invited to the opening reception to celebrate the student artists on Thursday, May 2 from 5 – 7pm.
This year’s Student Art Exhibition will feature artwork made by Nina Sylvia’s Advanced and AP Art students, Jonathan Mess’s advanced Ceramics students, and Kate Mess’s Jewelry & Metalsmithing students. Students do all of their own matting, framing, and setup for the show, and write artist statements to explain their creative process. They spend a day in the exhibition space before the show opens, hanging the work and making decisions about lighting, display, and curation. The show is an important part of the creative process for art students, many of whom are showing their work for the first time.
“We have worked hard to build a robust offering of visual art classes at Lincoln Academy, where students can explore their creativity, develop their individual voices, and try their hand at a variety of art media,” said Kate Mess. “This is just the tip of the iceberg of our current course offerings, which also include sculpture, printmaking, digital photography, graphic design, and more.”
Lincoln Academy is proud to boast numerous accolades for their visual art students this year, including one Scholastic Arts Gold Key Award for senior Lucy White, nine Silver Key Awards for seniors Kayla Cruz, Kendra Gladu, Mitchell Straus, Lily Swanberg, Lucy White and junior London Hunter, five Honorable Mentions for seniors Emily Boone, Kayla Cruz, Ella Pendleton, and Drew Theriault, three Maine Excellence in Arts Education Awards for Lucy White and Kayla Cruz, and one Congressional Art Award for Kendra Gladu. Many of these award-winning artworks will be on view in this year’s exhibition.
Viewers will see a broad range of painting and illustrative styles in the AP two-dimensional works as well as many that cross over into the third dimension. “You will see local influences in much of the work which melds quite nicely with the venue,” said Sylvia. “We are excited this year to extend the viewing time to three weeks based on feedback from last year’s show. We hope this will make it accessible to all who are interested in seeing the work.”
Ceramic work in this year’s exhibition will feature impressive surface design work, including hand built sculpture, wall pieces, and wheel thrown pottery by students in Jonathan Mess’s yearlong Ceramics I, II, and III classes. “I’m excited to share the surfaces my students have been developing on their work, from ancient techniques like fluting and sgraffito to expressive contemporary slip painted and torched surfaces,” said Jonathan Mess. “My most advanced ceramic students have been pushing each other to improve their wheel thrown pottery, and there will be some impressive pots in the show this year.”
“We’re thrilled to bring our Student Art Exhibition back to Coastal Rivers for a third year,” said Kate Mess. “The Denny Conservation and Education Center is a beautiful space and setting to share our students’ creations with the public.” 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. Though not an art gallery, the organization makes a fitting partner and host for the Student Art Show in their goals of supporting education and community.
Following the reception, the public is invited to view the artworks anytime during Coastal Rivers’ business hours from 9am-4pm Monday through Thursday and 9am-12:30pm Friday, through May 17th.
