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Jump to: 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002	August 2, 2007 SPACE receives a $9,000 grant from the Virginia Hodgkins Somers Foundation to support the 6th Annual Human Rights Watch Traveling Film Festival, to be held November 11 - 18. July 12, 2007 We've just hired Elizabeth Atterbury to be our new Exhibitions Coordinator. Elizabeth has returned to Maine after spending a year in Philly working at the Fabric Workshop and Museum, a place we think is cool. http://www.fabricworkshop.org/ June 22, 2007 SPACE receives a $10,000 grant from the Maine Arts Commission for a new video projection system. Thanks, MAC! http://mainearts.maine.gov/ January 25, 2007 SPACE has hired two new fantastic staff people! Alex Sax, local artist and adjunct instructor at USM is our new Exhibitions Director. And Sara Smith, a choreographer / performance artist, will work as our Development Director. The Portland Phoenix, January 17, 2007 Philm: Movies to make you think better By CHRIS THOMPSON "On January 24, SPACE Gallery kicks off a series of four films and follow-up dialogues exploring contemporary philosophy. Organized by USM’s undergraduate philosophy club, this forum seeks, in the words of USM philosophy professor Jason Read, “to make philosophy part of our culture in general, rather than simply an academic specialization.” The Phoenix caught up with Read to find out more about the series and its ambitions." READ MORE
2006 top 2005 2004 2003 2002	The Portland Phoenix, December 13, 2006 Window shopping The best displays in town are selling ideas, not toys By IAN PAIGE "YOU SAID IT: Or someone you know did. A window is much more communal and inviting than a facade. Rather than one-way surface dispositions, a window presents while also inviting you for to enter a world-unto-itself for closer inspection. Countless shopkeepers labor on Sunday afternoon to create hodge-podge dioramas of their many wares to great effect. There are, however, a few windows that transcend the mandates of the consumptive holidays to emphasize the creative act." READ MORE The Portland Phoenix, November 29, 2006 Tempera and Citadel SPACE Gallery, November 20, 2006 By IAN PAIGE "Saturday night at SPACE Gallery was packed with Portland locals and holiday visitors to see a lineup comprised of entirely homegrown acts, including the already-lauded-in-this-column Cult Maze, so let’s focus on the other fresh faces of the evening." READ MORE The Portland Phoenix, November 8, 2006 99 percent Films show how “the other half” live By BLY LAURITANO-WERNER "All next week, the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival will be playing at SPACE Gallery in Portland. The films explain and explore social-justice problems around the globe, with the idea of attracting attention from people who could act to fix them." READ MORE The Portland Phoenix, November 1, 2006 Learn about life behind bars Hearing voices By MEGAN GRUMBLING " Our contentious American prison system — overcrowded, disproportionately populated by minorities, and, increasingly, privately operated — is not just an abstract liberal cause. People actually live in it. They’ve wound up there for various reasons — reasons often inextricable from issues of poverty, unfortunate family legacies, and the de facto segregation that persists throughout the country. The men who actually live in our prisons — mostly poor, mostly of color — have actual stories and voices, too, and the activist theater of Michael Keck brings them to Portland. READ MORE The Portland Phoenix, October 25, 2006 Cultural corridors A talk with Nat May + Jessica Tomlinson By IAN PAIGE "Last week, SPACE Gallery hosted a forum as part of an ongoing series called “Creative Conversations.” With the help of visiting presenter Jason Schupbach from Massachusetts-based ArtistLink, the group attempted to answer the question, “What is an Arts District?” The Phoenix sat down to review the evening’s events with two organizers of Creative Conversations: Nat May, executive director of SPACE Gallery and a member of the board of both the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance and Portland’s Downtown District; and Jessica Tomlinson, also a PACA board member, a member of the Maine Arts Commission, and an employee at the Maine College of Art." READ MORE
2005 top 2004 2003 2002	The Portland Press Herald, November 10, 2005 Film festival puts faces on issues By RAY ROUTHIER, Staff Writer "Sometimes you have to see the problem to know there is a problem. That's the idea behind the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, making its fourth yearly trip to Portland s SPACE Gallery this week. The international group Human Rights Watch created the traveling festival to put a face on issues like free speech, slavery, illegal imprisonment, and forced prostitution." Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. The Maine Sunday Telegram, October 30, 2005 Children of `Brothels' share images of hope, inspiration by BOB KEYES, Staff Writer "Perspective is everything. Give a kid a camera and there's no telling what he'll come up with. Beginning this week, a Portland gallery will exhibit nearly two dozen photographs taken by the children of prostitutes in Calcutta's Red Light District. The children were the subject of the film "Born Into Brothels," which won an Academy Award for best documentary earlier this year." Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. The Portland Phoenix, September 16 - 22, 2005 Grass never greener Space reclaims space By CHRIS THOMPSON "... The most interesting way to present this review would have been to skip out of generating 900 words of text ... and to have shown a half-page image of plain green grass instead. It would have been more than just a seamless response to the spectacle SPACE Gallery produced for the opening of their current show, 'Reclaiming Space,' by lining a block of Congress Street with sod — and doing it so sensitively that it even hugged the transition from sidewalk to curb to street like the staircase carpeting in a posh hotel. " READ MORE The Portland Press Herald, September 5, 2005 Public-art discussion takes to the street - Congress, to be exact By JUSTIN ELLIS, Staff Writer "When you think of art, not in any sort of nebulous, spiraling and general way, where does your mind put it physically? Do you think of a gallery, small and charming with track lighting and a wine course? Or maybe a museum, tall, hushed hallways and your reflection on the case covering some masterwork. What about outside? Public art seems to be the next step in the evolution of creative expression. Not just a work that sits in the open air, but something that is open to interpretation and not part of any plan. It's time to start thinking about taking it back, art for the public that is. At least that's what the people over at Space gallery want us to start thinking about." Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. The Portland Phoenix, August 5-11, 2005 Best Medicine: Jon Brumit sets up at SPACE By MAGGIE KNOWLES "Revenge: one of the powerful driving forces of human nature. We consider it daily . . . . Though we dream of dropping anvils on these people who are out to ruin our day, few of us take it to the edge of bringing fantasy to fruition. Enter Jon Brumit, a "revolutionary social art service entrepreneur who takes one for the team and still doesn't turn a profit." A revenge connoisseur, if you will." READ MORE The Portland Forecaster, August 4, 2005 Taking up Space: An artist installs himself on Congress Street By KATE BUCKLIN "You may have noticed the suitcase, night stand and blue sleeping bag strewn in the front window of Space gallery on Congress Street this week. If you walked by a little later at night, there’s a chance you may have also seen someone sleeping in the bag. For the gallery’s latest exhibit, “Vendetta Retreat,” artist Jon Brumit has become part of his work, living in and wandering around the downtown alternative arts venue. The multi-dimensional installation includes the office/living space set up in the front window, labeled “Revenge Clinic.” READ MORE The Portland Forecaster, August 4, 2005 Indoor, outdoor spaces used to kick off new exhibit By JOSH HARRIMAN "A juggler on a tight-rope, vaudeville roller-skaters performing to Tom Waits, dumpsters turned into small theaters, a classical quartet playing on a grass-covered street and a dancer twirling balls of fire to a live jazz accompaniment were just some of the artists performing on Congress Street last Friday. The performances were part of the opening gala for the 'Reclaiming Space' exhibit that will be on display all month at Space, 538 Congress St. Inside Space were the works of artists from New York City, Cambridge and Vancouver. The pieces were a discussion of public space, particularly inside the urban environment." READ MORE July 20, 2005 Thanks to a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, we're able to commission artists to work on projects related to our fall show, "Reclaiming Space." Woo-hoo! Stay tuned for details about that show. The Portland Forecaster, June 18, 2005 Secrets revealed; Exhibit makes the private public By KATE BUCKLIN "There are dozens of Portlanders walking around town a little less burdened these days, having finally revealed things they’ve kept secret for years, or maybe decades. Their secrets are being shared with the world, or at least the part of it that travels down Congress Street and stops to look at the curious little slips of paper covering the front window at Space gallery. It is a mix of local secrets and secrets from Liberia, Chile and Libertyville, Ohio, among other spots. Someone killed their neighbor’s chihuahua with a pellet gun; someone else loves France. The interactive exhibit at Space, the alternative arts venue next to Maine College of Art, is by Boston artist Cathy McLaurin. It is called “what haunts ...” and has been attracting a lot of attention from passersby on Congress Street since it’s installation June 3. READ MORE Portland Press Herald, June 13, 2005 In spirit of prom, and to benefit important space, let's party By JUSTIN ELLIS, Staff Writer "On Saturday the omni-arts gallery in Portland is holding its second annual prom, a night they promise will offer a touch of class, some music to take you back and an all-around good time. Now in year two, the prom is an excuse to party - and perhaps dress up - with a purpose. Namely, helping to keep Space a part of Portland's growing arts community - or creative economy if you use big words." READ MORE Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. Art New England April/May, 2005 Light in the Dark BY LAUREN FENSTERSTOCK "Light has given rise to countless metaphors and meanings. Our reliance on light over centuries has led to a natural association between light and all that's good, nurturing, spiritual, and transcendant. The artists in this exhibition claim light as the essential characteristic of their work, used to dramatic effect set against the backdrop of the darkened and cavernous expanse of SPACE gallery." http://www.artnewengland.com/ (text not available online) April 7, 2005 New art added to the ArtOMat machine. DON'T GO 'ROUND ARTLESS! March 7 , 2005 CALL FOR ENTRIES: SPACE Gallery and the ICA at MECA are looking for artists to submit work for an evening of short PowerPoint presentations. The PowerPoint presentations should be ready to view as a slideshow, and should be no longer than 3 minutes in length. Submissions will be juried by a review panel. Selected entries will be shown on Thursday, May 5, 2005 at 7:00 PM at SPACE Gallery in Portland. The slideshows can be saved in movie form, and use of soundtracks is encouraged. Please set screen resolution to the highest quality settings. Entries on CD-ROM may be mailed to: SPACE Gallery, attn: PowerPoint, 538 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101. Submissions fewer than 4MB may be emailed to: info@space538.org. Please submit entries by Monday, May 2. The Portland Phoenix Feb. 4 - 10, 2005 The Thing is Bill Morrison’s Decasia and Thursday night BY CHRIS THOMPSON "Thursday, February 3, marks the beginning of a bold experiment between the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art and the SPACE Gallery that is engineered to produce the kind of free play that makes art worth taking seriously in the age of empire." READ MORE February 1, 2005 SPACE has joined the Time Dollar Network! Now you can earn tickets to SPACE events by providing services to Time Dollar members. Or you can volunteer at SPACE and earn services. Visit New England Time Banks for information about how to join. The Portland Phoenix January 21 - 27, 2005 We are moths Attractive lights at SPACE BY MAGGIE KNOWLES When you first walk in, you think they’re closed. But, as your eyes fight to adjust to the cave-like dark, a small movement arouses your peripheral vision. Randy Devost’s tiny Christmas bulbs fall almost to the floor, led in abstract circles by wavering tufts of air. It is a much cooler version of those clacker balls CEOs keep on their desk to distract their children. Now you are intrigued. Through the dim gallery, pockets of light pop at you, inviting you closer. READ MORE January, 2005 SPACE was awarded honors in several categories in the Portland Phoenix BEST OF 2004 poll: Readers' Picks: Best Art Gallery — SPACE Best Club for All Ages — SPACE Best Club for Live Music — SPACE Editor's Pick:Best Alternative to a Pack of Squares (for the ArtOMat machine) The Portland Phoenix BEST OF 2004 Best Alternative to a Pack of Squares BY THE EDITORS Cigarettes are so damn expensive these days, it’s amazing that anyone can afford to smoke, let alone that you used to be able to stuff quarters in a machine and get a pack of smokes back. Back in 1997, when a cigarette machine was banned for its intended use, a couple of artists figured out a way to make use of the machine’s function and simultaneously encourage a healthy alternative to the detrimental habit. The result is smokin’ pieces of miniature art. The ArtOMat is a retro, chromed out, lit-up staple in SPACE Gallery’s entryway. Portland is host to one of only 71 machines across the United States that represent more than 400 artists from 10 different countries. The machines themselves are all different, too. The hosting venue commissions Artists in Cellophane, the sponsoring organization of Artomat, to prepare the machine specifically for that venue. The founders view it not only as an art dispenser, but also as an installation piece itself. The best part is that it’s fun to use. It’s a game of chance when you pull a knob. You may get a small portrait, a two-inch high comic book, a rubber figurine — there’s no telling. All for a small fee of five dollars, but don’t be confused because there’s no currency slot involved here. Ask one of SPACE’s kind bartenders to buy a token and wait for the sound of the clink against the metal. Space is anxiously awaiting a chance to feature local artists’ work in the machine. Submissions are always welcomed at the ArtOMat Web site. Visit www.artomat.org READ MORE
2004 top 2003 2002	The Portland Phoenix November 12 - 18, 2004 Moving pictures The Human Rights Watch Film Festival comes to SPACE BY IAN PAIGE "The goal is to get those eyes to stop staring at the sidewalk. For those progressive souls for whom election results are not only demoralizing but also downright debilitating, there is an urgent need to stoke the passion and refuel the fire. To the rescue comes SPACE, dishing out the medicine by hosting the 2004 Human Rights Watch Traveling International Film Festival, starting Sunday, November 14, with a movie or two each night all week. Activist-types will be wearing new buttons and printing out new leaflets in no time." READ MORE Portland Press Herald Tuesday, October 26, 2004 Gallery show powerfully depicts Bush and the war BY VICTORIA MARES-HERSHEY EXCERPT: "An extreme close-up 38-by-70-foot rendition of only President Bush's eyes hangs in the front window of the Space Gallery and looks out onto Congress Street, an artist's statement when he could find no more words. Michael Stewart calls the close-up, "Presidential Panic." It is part of his show, "States of Heads: Unauthorized Portraits," that opened at Space over the weekend. It contains quietly powerful statements about the figures that have overwhelmed our senses in these last four years. That sent Stewart seeking a form that would allow us to think above powerful chatter, political spins and blatant dishonesty." Portland Press Herald Wed., October 6, 2004 Artists hear state's pitch for insurance BY JOSIE HUANG, Portland Press Herald Writer EXCERPT: "Space Gallery, home to conceptual art shows and a vending machine that spews miniature paintings, tried to create a buzz again Tuesday - about health insurance. High premiums in Maine inspired the gallery's director, Nathaniel May, to draw artists into a conversation about benefits that elude many of them. Typically self-employed and underpaid, artists often have to choose materials for their livelihood over monthly premiums." MaineBiz September, 2004 BY TAYLOR SMITH EXCERPT: "SPACE has become a well-loved part of Portland’s social fabric — perhaps in part because it is so sorely needed. SPACE’s eclectic programming also helps make Portland a more vibrant and interesting place to live — especially for the younger slice of the local population that politicians and pundits are so worried about losing." Portland Phoenix September 3 - 9, 2004 Humanism to potatoism Beautiful Mutants at SPACE BY MAGGIE KNOWLES"Here’s a little pre-back-to-school experiment: Fetch a head shot of yourself and a piece of paper. Now, bisect your face with the paper, right then left. Notice how one side of your face appears innocent/light and the other evil/dark. Weird, huh? But it’s true and here’s why: Humans are asymmetrical and within our face we reflect the good and the bad of the universe." READ MORE Portland Phoenix January 23 - 29, 2004 The Touchables Hands-on in SPACE BY MAGGIE KNOWLES "Of all the senses, touch is my favorite. It is so powerful — it makes you fall asleep when a child plays with your hair; it gives a stomach full of sparklies when that cute barista brushes your hand; it gets you yelled at while patting a stranger’s fur coat — and we crave it, to touch and be touched. The current exhibit at SPACE, aptly called "Touch," proffers ample opportunity to grasp, stroke, tinker, twist, poke, twirl, scrunch, meddle, and prod the works of art." READ MORE
2003 top 2002	The Maine Sunday Telegram September 28, 2003 Lesser-known Flourish in Arts Friendly Space BY BOB KEYES EXCERPT: "Space has evolved into Portland's leading outlet for alternative arts, where visual artists, musicians, filmmakers and others can showcase unconventional works in all media." The Portland Phoenix July 25 - 31, 2003 Free hand Noël Bonam at SPACE Gallery BY CHRIS THOMPSON Noël Bonam’s ink drawing of the elephant-headed Ganesha pictures a god who is at once eternally hungry and yet, with his pleasant poise and a delicate blossom draped gracefully over his trunk, far from ravenous. His desire appears not as the insatiable sort that would drive one to violence and despair but, on the contrary, as a positive longing that can lead to provisional contentment; thus is his appearance, as Bonam tells us, "auspicious for all beginnings." READ MORE The Portland Phoenix Feb. 27 - Mar. 6, 2003 Movie rights This year's Human Rights Watch Film Fest hits close to home, at SPACE BY BETH BROGAN Each year, Human Rights Watch, the largest US-based human-rights organization, publishes the results of investigations into human rights abuses around the world in hope of bringing public attention to the plight of citizens in countries like Rwanda and Afghanistan. A noble goal, but what the average person knows of human-rights violations — aside from whatever CNN serves up — is largely the result of documentary films. The best of these — as well as fiction and animated films devoted to the subject of human rights — are currently touring the world as part of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, which stops at Portland’s SPACE gallery beginning March 2. READ MORE The Portland Phoenix Feb. 27 - Mar. 6, 2003 Re-contextualize this Aaron Stephan takes over SPACE BY SARAH MORNEAU "Where’s the motorcycle? " I ask Todd Bernard, proprietor of the SPACE gallery, having been mysteriously drawn to the specific tag on the wall referencing seemingly invisible art. It says " ‘Regarding Serra’ . . . motorcycle and 2X4. " Todd points to the ceiling. I blurt out a lame and gleeful exclamation, and I’m in Aaron Stephan’s out-of-context zone. READ MORE
2002 top	The Portland Phoenix November 14 - 21, 2002 EYE WITNESS Taking one for the team BY SAM PFEIFLE By almost every indication, Longfellow Books’s reading with Arthur Bradford and Zadie Smith, held at the SPACE Gallery this past Friday, was a great success. People showed up in droves — all the seats were filled and many had to remain standing — and Bradford and Smith were both very entertaining. But disaster loomed around every corner. READ MORE The Portland Phoenix Art, Music, Film BY JESS POTTER After founding the Artistary, a facility that provided art classes to students and displayed art by local artists, Todd Bernard had another vision. He decided to combine the idea of a classroom and gallery with music and theater, and SPACE Gallery was born. Now, he finds himself with one of the best performance spaces in town.


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