Cre8TravelCRE8TRAVEL · MAINE PLACES
Black River Gallery
Black River Gallery: Photography Becomes an Art Object
Discover
Black River Gallery makes photography the starting point for a Boothbay Harbor art visit. At its McKown Street space, Sue Kenney and Catherine Day present their own photographic work alongside guest artists using other approaches. The gallery's interest extends beyond identifying an attractive scene. It invites attention to the choices that turn a subject into a particular image and to the material form in which that image is presented. Begin with something recognizable, then notice what the artist has made you see differently.
Kenney's connection with photography began with a Polaroid camera received at the age of ten. Her professional experience later included years of darkroom work. Day's photographs also draw on nature and the possibilities in scenes that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Those interests give a familiar harbor subject more than one route into a picture. Look for a reflection, an arrangement of shapes or a change in weather, and consider what gives the image its focus. Recognition can be the beginning of the encounter rather than its entire purpose.
The photographers have also experimented with how a photograph becomes an object. Their work has included gold-leaf prints on vellum and photographic encaustic pieces using wax on paper. Ask which treatments are represented in the gallery during your visit. A change of surface can affect how an image catches light and how closely you need to look. Compare the material description with what you can actually see, keeping enough distance to protect the work. The photograph's subject and the way it has been made belong together.
The guest-artist program broadens that comparison. Jeanne Rosier Smith's pastels connect with her longstanding experience of the ocean, using pigment to explore changing light and moving water. Elisabeth Ladwig works through photography, graphic design and collage, assembling images with a strong relationship to nature and imaginative narratives. These are artists represented by the gallery, so check the current selection rather than expecting a particular piece. Their different practices make a useful comparison between observing a world and building an image that asks the viewer to enter a story.
The gallery came to Boothbay Harbor from Boonton, New Jersey, in 2018. Its McKown Street home provided more room for the photographers' work and guest artists, while keeping a personal scale. The online photographic catalog groups subjects such as boats, clouds, structures, winter and coastal scenes. If one category interests you, ask what is available to see in person. A seasonal subject can be especially rewarding on a visit made at another time of year, revealing how light and weather change the character of a familiar place.
Confirm current opening before making the gallery the focus of a journey, and ask permission before photographing artwork. Give yourself time for a conversation about a medium or process that you do not recognize. Afterward, look along the waterfront with the photographers' attention to ordinary scenes in mind. A boat's reflection or an unexpected patch of color may become more noticeable. Black River Gallery offers that practical connection between art and looking: the displayed image leads you back into the town with a more curious eye.
Fun facts
- The gallery moved from Boonton, New Jersey, to Boothbay Harbor in 2018.
- Sue Kenney received her first Polaroid camera at ten.
- The photographers have used treatments including gold-leaf prints and photographic encaustic.
Before you go
- Confirm current opening before a special journey.
- Ask which photographic treatments and guest artists are on view.
- Compare an image’s subject with its material surface.
- Request permission before photographing art.
Capture
- Use a public view of McKown Street to document the gallery setting.
- If permitted, photograph the presentation of a photographic object without touching or reproducing its surface detail for reuse.
Social
Black River Gallery brings Sue Kenney and Catherine Day’s photography to Boothbay Harbor.
Their work includes nature and everyday scenes.
The gallery moved to McKown Street in 2018.
Photographic treatments can change the image’s material presence.
Guest artists add pastel and imaginative photographic approaches.
Jeanne Rosier Smith draws inspiration from moving ocean water.
Elisabeth Ladwig combines photography, design and collage.
Ask about the current selection and take a closer look at the medium.
Hashtags