Isalos Fine Art

Do we buy The Island Advantages so we can read all the press releases galleries have written about themselves? Do we buy it for the high level of debate between those at either end of the political spectrum? Or perhaps for the charming  tidbits in Salt Air Society or the We Read This Fifty Years Ago section? My guess is no, we buy it for the real estate ads so we can say "I can't believe they're asking X for that."

And, because occasionally, a local man drives through a house, and the newspaper actually reports on  it. 

It's Wednesday afternoon, September. After Labor Day, we experience a steep drop-off in traffic. It's a bit alarming at first. After the dizzying numbers of visitors in August, Main Street feels subdued. An hour or two might pass with no visitors to the gallery, except maybe for the flocks of houseflies swarming inside the  front door. It's not an entirely unwelcome change. It's tempting to take a day or two off. Then, slowly, traffic picks up again. Inevitably someone will ask me if it ever gets busy here.

Maureen Mainen, Chiton 

alabaster, 17" x 7" x 5", $2,200 

Right now, the air is crisp and clear, a bit cool. Beyond Isle au Haut, a massive fog bank hangs like a curtain. The gallery has seen fairly  steady traffic through the afternoon: a mix of seasonal regulars and the  occasional first-time visitor asking why there's so many artists here.  And of course, as always, artists come in.

Speaking of which, this is a good time to mention that we'll be reviewing submissions from artists in November. All summer, artists ask about submitting work, and I tell them to watch the website and send us something in the  fall. This year I'd like to take a little break first, and then try to get it done by the end of the year. As usual, digital is probably the way to go... a disk so I don't need to download anything. It's also not a bad idea to include some hard copy images along with the biographical material. At this point, it looks like we might not do a big theme show next summer, but I'm thinking maybe we'll do one for the summer of '09. I'll let you know.

 
Wendy Turner, Maureen Mainen and Philip Koch. Koch just sent me an ART in Embassies catalogue for a show that includes his paintings at the US embassy in the Republic of Congo. I think part of the idea for the program is that maybe the art of a country says something about its people that perhaps ambassadors can't easily say. If that's the case, there's plenty in the pages of Art in America that might be more likely to induce warfare. Koch is a good choice.