A flock of festive spring shows open at BIMA

By Kitsap News Group staff • March 8, 2017 9:00 am
Image courtesy of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art | Chris Maynard’s work will be on display at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art in March as part of “Featherfolio” in the MESA and Orientation Galleries.
Image courtesy of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art | Chris Maynard’s work will be on display at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art in March as part of “Featherfolio” in the MESA and Orientation Galleries.

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art will debut its spring exhibitions at a special public opening event at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Guests will get to meet the artists, enjoy complimentary refreshments and see the new works.

The spring lineup includes Chris Maynard’s “Featherfolio” in the MESA and Orientation Galleries. The Olympia-based artist constructs intricate and colorful compositions using cut feathers. This is his first solo art museum exhibition, and features both framed and installation works.

His inspirations, BIMA officials said, include a background in biology and devotion to the natural world.

Maynard’s work has been included in numerous group shows in museums, and solo and group shows in galleries and festivals nationally and in Canada and China since 2011. His work is also in several international collections.

From Maynard’s artist statement: “Feathers mark nature’s pinnacle of achievement: the intersection of function and beauty. They make flight possible; insulate against water, sun and wind; and their colors and patterns help them hide and attract mates.”

Maynard has worked with feathers since he was 12. His unique feather shadowboxes are recognized by art collectors, bird lovers, and a wide and interesting variety of people from around the world. He only has time to turn a small portion of his ideas, which fill many notebooks, into his shadow box feather designs. His favorite tools are the tiny eye surgery scissors, forceps, and magnifying glasses passed down through his family.

Also new on display are:

“Revering Nature” in the Feferman and Beacon Galleries. A group exhibition featuring 20 artists from the Puget Sound region working in diverse media, reflecting the inherent beauty of nature. Artists include Donna Leavitt (Edmonds), Aaron McKnight (Bainbridge Island), Peregrine O’Gormley (La Conner), June Sekiguchi (Issaquah), and Leslie Wu (Vashon Island).

Lisa Stirrett’s “Beneath the Surface” in the Community Gallery.

Stirrett (from Silverdale) works in multiple glass sculpture and printmaking techniques. She has created a site specific installation which submerges the viewer in her undersea world.

“Artists Books: Chapter 10 – Fabulous Five” in the Sherry Grover Gallery.

BIMA continues to present thematic selections from the collection of museum founder Cynthia Sears.

And, finally, “Selections from the Permanent Art Collection” in the Lovelace Gallery, in which BIMA reveals new art acquisitions plus several visitor favorites, marking the section’s fourth year as a regional art attraction.

BIMA, the museum and store, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and the bistro is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Visit www.biartmuseum.org for more information.