The Colby College Museum of Art will host “Visual Culture: Issues and Institutions,” a virtual panel discussion about a broad spectrum of Maine visual culture in the mid-century era, from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12. This virtual event is free and open to the public, however, registration is required.

The program will expose audiences to some of the incredibly rich visual creations produced in, by, and for the state during the mid-century era, and ask them to consider how the state was represented in the images, their larger impacts, and the many ways Maine became the host of so many artists during this period. This discussion is part of the University of Maine at Augusta’s Maine’s Mid-Century Moment, a series of humanities discussions at multiple locations around the state, generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Lisa Botshon, Professor of English at the University of Maine at Augusta and project director of Maine’s Mid-Century Moment, will moderate the 90-minute discussion with four art scholars and critics, each speaking for 15 minutes followed by a Q&A.

The panel includes:

Carl Little, Communications Director at Maine Community Foundation and author of twenty-five art books, will provide a general perspective of the art scene of 1930s Maine, ranging from the advent of art schools in Ogunquit and Goose Rocks Beach, to the summer artist’s colony on Monhegan Island.

Daniel Kany, art critic of the Portland Press Herald, will provide an overview of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, focusing on Ashley Bryan and mid-century Maine.

Natasha Goldman, Research Associate in Art History at Bowdoin College, will speak about William Zorach’s sculpture in Bath, Maine, “Spirit of the Sea,” in terms of other works of public art, including his submission to the 1949 New York commission for the city’s Holocaust memorial.

Libby Bischof, Professor of History and Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at the University of Southern Maine, will discuss the emergence and flowering of the Maine postcard in the mid-century era.

To join this virtual program, pre-register at eventbrite.com/e/mid-century-visual-culture-issues-and-institutions-tickets-158957591435. A Zoom link will be provided.

For more information about National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor* please visit neh.gov.