News

Brenton Hamilton, Maine Media faculty member, recently released a new book of his work entitled The Blue Poet Dreams.

Published through Blurb by the non-profit organization Obscura, the book showcases more than a decade of work stemming from Brenton's meticulous dedication to the 19th-century cyanotype process.  According to his website, Brenton "chooses this antique medium to render his one-of-a-kind dreamlike visions in an equally unique and intense hue." His work combines human anatomy, botanical imagery and astronomy to create arrangements that are both intriguing and provocative.

Brenton Hamilton has been a fixture at Maine Media, guiding students as a mentor for more than 15 years. He is Chair of Maine Media College's Photography Professional Certificate Program and an instructor for the Young Artists Program in photography. 

Obscura was founded by a group of artists and educators, including MMW instructors Mat Thorne,  Matt Smolinsky and Brenton Hamilton, in 2009.  The Blue Poet Dreams is available for purchase from the Obscura website, with proceeds from the sale of the book going to fund youth scholarships.

Infrared photography is the focus of a group exhibition at the new Maine Media Gallery in July. Four Visions in Different Light: Susan Bloom, Jill Enfield, Elizabeth Opalenik, and Theresa Airey is now on view through July 25, with a closing reception on Tuesday, July 20 from 6:30-8pm.

These four talented photographers have united to put together a show that strives to demonstrate how many different perspectives and interpretations there can be for one medium. Infrared photography allows artists to create images that make infrared light-waves discernible, even though they are beyond the visible spectrum.

By using infrared film or adapted digital cameras, these photographers allow us to see what was once invisible. Theresa Airey says, "I like to show the world as we know it in a 'different light', one that is more symbolic of the mood or the feeling in the landscape, rather than the realism of the scene.”

Each of the four artists provides a unique insight into the many facets of infrared, and has decades of experience working with infrared photography.  The work they present in the exhibition includes figure studies, landscapes, and photographic collages. Three of the women – Susan Bloom, Jill Enfield, and Elizbeth Opalenik – are instructors at Maine Media Workshops.

Maine Media Gallery is on the first floor of the Shepherd Building, 18 Central Street, Rockport Village. The gallery’s 2010 exhibition season is generously sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank. 

For two weeks, local filmmaker and MMW instructor Dana Rae Warren documented a Maine-based community choir as they traveled and sung their way across Russia. The resulting one-hour film, produced in conjunction with Moody Mountain Media, will be screened at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Maine this Saturday, July 3 at 1:30pm.

Alleluia Junction follows the eighty-member Rachmaninoff choir as they travel throughout the country performing to enthusiastic Russian audiences. Crossing Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway, they arrive in the Russian Far East for the Fourth of July with a new understanding of what it means to be an American, as well as a citizen of the world. To get a preview, watch the trailer.

The free screening is part of a special day of events in Rockland including a train ride, screening of historical train footage, and a reception with live music after the film. Details can be found on the Strand's website. 

Dana Rae Warren is a filmmaker, teacher, speaker, and consultant with more than 15 years in the television documentary and independent film worlds. This year she teaches Story Structure and Post Production  July 4 -10 and September 26 - October 2.