ANGLING ART SHOW

July 10, 2020, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery

The Exhibit Continues through July 26, 2020

presented in conjunction with the Rangeley Region Sport Shop as part of their 75th Anniversary Celebration

Exclusively Sponsored by 

Exhibiting Artists include: Marcia Baker, Solomon Fast, John Hooper, Alex Poland and David Tibbetts. Individual artists Bios are below.

The RFA is proud to work in conjunction with the Rangeley Region Sport Shop to present an exhibit of Angling Art at the Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery. The Opening Reception where you can meet the artists will be held on Friday, July 10, 2020 from 5:30 – 7:00 PM. Enjoy complimentary snacks and cash bar (beer/wine) as you view the work of five fine Maine artists working in this genre.

About the RRSS’s 75th Anniversary: In the year 1945 George Fletcher moved his home business to Main Street Rangeley and opened Fletcher’s Fly Shop. His main business was fly tying supplies but also sold flies and other fly fishing gear.  He sent out a printed catalog filling orders from all around the country. The catalog went out for nearly 40 years under three different owners. We are blessed to be the seventh owners and stewards of what I believe is the oldest running fly shop in the state. We will be celebrating the store’s 75th year throughout 2020, mostly during the summer months. We will be writing a series of blogs on the history of the shop and another about old fly patterns called “Patterns of the Past.”  An “Angling Arts” show that we are sponsoring opens on July 10th and will be in place for a couple weeks at the Lakeside Theater. We also plan on having a series of events featuring well known tiers and anglers. Coming for spring newly designed t-shirts and hats will help to commemorate the anniversary.  Stay tuned as we still have lots of planning to do and will keep everyone posted as the year progresses.

Marcia Baker’s energetic and vibrant watercolor paintings represent her connection with the woods and coast of Maine. Favorite outdoor pastimes, like kayaking or sailing to her favorite coastal island, are woven into stories. Sporting images of fly-fishing, skiing, hiking and bird hunting are captured from experiences with her husband and have been compared to Winslow Homer’s style. Her aspiration is “to pass on those inspiring moments to you.” She has recently expanded into oil painting and pastel media and she is known for her underwater scenes of trout and salmon. Vivid wildlife images, such as moose, ravens and wild birds, come to life on paper and canvas.

Solomon Fast was born in 1996 and has been carving fish since 2009, making him both a young and distinctly talented wildlife artist. Taking inspiration from David Footer, Gene Bahr, and Ashley Gray, his passion and dedication to the craft is visible in his vibrant wood-carved creations.

John Hooper lives in the middle of a wildlife protection area on the shore of Rangeley Lake, at the edge of Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness.  This gives him the opportunity to observe wildlife, up close and personal.
He has seen most species of fish, mammals and birds from either the comfort of camp, or in the woods, fields and waters of this beautiful part of the country. He has chosen to capture the images in the medium of wood.  Through sculpting and relief carving, he brings to life animals, birds and fish, often in their habitats, doing something that comes naturally.

Alex Poland is an avid fly fisherman and artist.  A jack of all trades in most respects, but my true passion lies within fishing and the inspiration I find to paint from it.  I grew up in a family filled with artistic talent.  My mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were all artists.  I was fortunate enough to be able to watch all of them paint as a child.  During this time I enjoyed sketching, but never tried my hand at painting.  I gave up art for the most part and focused my creative drive on other things through my college years.  It was not until I took up the past time of fly fishing, that my need to create truly inspired art came about.  Luckily for me I found my passion and my subject. The never ending variation of patterns and colors are astounding.  No two fish will ever be the same.  Being able to draw out the most interesting attributes of each fish and to let that fish tell a story through my work is extremely rewarding.  I feel blessed to have found something so enjoyable.

David Tibbetts studied Fine Arts & Graphic Design at Vesper George School of Art in Boston during the late 1950’s. His work is represented in The American Museum of Fly Fishing, Rangeley Region Heritage Trust, Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, and many collections throughout the country. His shows have included The Adirondack National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Trout Unlimited National Convention, the Fly Fishing Association, and the Guides Association Day. His books include Tight Lines, a 128-page book of watercolors, and A Journey on the End of a Fly Rod, a 72 page book of poems and paintings, plus two children’s books: What Use Is A Moose? and A Bear With No Hair? Along the way he designed and crafted wooden toys and puzzles for children which were juried and selected by the Carnegie Institute for a national arts and crafts exhibition tour and represented at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.