Nora West, ” From Bemis to Bigelow”
paintings

Opening Reception:
August 7th 5:30-7 PM
Exhibit: August 7th-September 8th

The Rangeley Friends of the Arts will host an Artist Reception celebrating the work of Nora West, entitled, “From Bemis to Bigelow” at the Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery, located in the lobby of the RFA Lakeside Theater 2493 Main Street in Rangeley, on Friday August 7th, 2026 from 5:30-7 PM.

Come on out to meet the artist, enjoy light refreshments & concessions w/ a beer/wine cash bar. The Exhibit continues through September 8th, 2026. Gallery hours are Tues-Saturday 10am to 2pm.

Nora West is a painter who lives in the foothills of the western Maine mountains.  She draws her inspiration from the surrounding landscape of her 200 year old home on the end of a dirt road surrounded by fields and forest with views of the High Peaks.

Through the years there have been several happenings that have accumulated and built upon each other to help form the vision she has today.  She started out doing pen and ink drawings of old buildings before they disappeared. She moved to watercolors and then oil painting focusing on Maine landscapes from the mountains to the sea, the rivers, backroads and forests, places with a past that are diminishing over time.

It was on a trip to Monhegan Island where she became acquainted with plein air painting which brought forth a direct connection to the land and the sea and a way of painting that truly resonated with her.

In 2014 she was chosen as Baxter State Parks visiting artist, she has participated in many juried paint outs , exhibits and shows throughout Maine over the years.  She most recently was awarded a 2025 Plein Air: Maine Observed Award through the Maine Art Gallery for her painting “Mountain Magic”.  The judge , “ David Dewey, author of the acclaimed The Watercolor Book praised the artist’s straight – forward approach to the mountains, so that he “connected to it immediately”  She let the magic speak for itself.

See more of her work at norawest.com.