BRUNSWICK — The town’s new meeting space at Maine Street Station sports some fancy furniture, but people may find that the greatest aesthetic improvement is hanging on the walls.

In the spring, the Town Council authorized a collaborative program with a local art group that will turn the space at 16 Station Ave. into an art exhibit hall. The program was initiated by Councilor Benet Pols, who said it would make the chambers feel like home while promoting local artists.

“We have often spoken of the importance of the ‘creative economy’ as an under-appreciated facet of economic development,” Pols said in an e-mail. “The use of the council chambers to display the works of local artists is a tangible, if small, way for the council to promote the creative economy and individual artists.”

On Monday, Nov. 16, work by Brunswick artists Christine Cote and Catherine Worthington was introduced. The exhibit will run through Jan. 31, 2010. It is the first of quarterly exhibits coordinated by the Town Council and Fiver Rivers Arts Alliance.

“By using Five Rivers as a conduit, and by rotating the exhibits every three months, I hope we’ll get diversity in both media and content.” Pols added. “We’ll also be able to keep the look of the council chambers fresh.”

Cote’s work features photographs of local landscapes taken in all seasons. The Wisconsin native is a Bowdoin College employee who took up photography when she moved to Maine. According to a press release from Five Rivers Arts Alliance, Cote has studied primarily at Maine Media Workshops in Rockport and the Maine College of Art in Portland. 

In the release, Cote said her work helps satiate her creative appetite while satisfying a need for “stillness.” 

“With my camera in hand or stuffed in my backpack, I set out on a mission of discovery,” she said. “I use my camera as a tool to explore visual objects, subjects or scenes. … Photography gives me a unique view of the world around me, and there is great joy in passing this view on to others through creative expression.”

Worthington, meanwhile, is a textile artist who has spent significant time in the local arts scene. She is a mentor at Spindleworks Artitsts Cooperative for adults with disabilities, a designer at the The Theater Project and an artist and board member for Arts Are Elementary. 

Worthington’s quilts have been shown throughout Maine. 

To find out more about the featured artists, visit christinecotephoto.com and earthtonesandfishbonesart.com. To find out more about the exhibition project between Five Rivers Arts Alliance and the Town Council, visit fiveriversartsalliance.org or call 798-6964. 

 

 

 

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Brunswick town councilors listen to discussion Monday night, Nov. 16, in their new meeting space at Maine Street Station. Behind them is artwork by Catherine Worthington of Brunswick, part of a rotating three-month exhibit managed by Five Rivers Arts Alliance.