In all its various forms and configurations, Juliet Karelsen’s work cross-references painting, stitching, tapestry, rug making, embroidery, abstract art, fantasy, landscape, textile, miniature worlds, and even science – from botany to mycology to planetary and solar – touching on the micro and macro scales. Though there’s nothing political about actual nature, tragically, nature as a…

The installation at 93 Main Street highlights the work of Hinge Collaborative, a community arts initiative and printmaking studio. Hinge Collaborative describes their work as providing workspace and development for artists including workshops, exhibitions, artists mentorship and pop-up markets.  Hinge Collaborative designs and facilitates socially engaged art projects, educational partnerships, and cultural events in local…

Join Common Street Arts as we celebrate the work of our Common Street Arts clay members together with Maine potters in the exhibition, CSA Clay! on view in the CSA gallery from January 13 through February 15, 2020.  All work in the exhibition is for sale. This is a great opportunity to support Maine artists…

Common Street Arts is currently seeking vendor applications for its 7th Annual Holiday Bazaar. This year, the Holiday Bazaar will take place from November 21 through December 23, 2019, at our location at the Hathaway Creative Center, at 10 Water Street, Waterville, Maine. During the holiday season, the Common Street Arts gallery is transformed into…

During the holiday season, the Common Street Arts gallery is transformed into a marketplace filled with unique and distinctive gifts created by talented artists + makers. This year’s bazaar will feature exclusively handmade crafts from over 60 artisans selected by Common Street Arts for a one-of-a-kind retail experience. The Holiday Bazaar provides an opportunity for…

returnings is the result of artist and woodcarver, Doug Frati’s, 20 years of gathering and repurposing dilapidated beds. As a woodcarver, Doug Frati has amassed a wide range of antique headboards and found them to be a rich source of carving material. These wood turnings or bedposts have been accumulating in his barn for years.…

Susan Metzger is an artist who has a keen interest in historic preservation, open space, rural tradition, architecture, and the humble and mundane.  Although traditionally a painter, her photographic work often explores the coastal landscape and industries that comprise an important part of the mid-coast cultural heritage. In the exhibition Lost + Found, Metzger turns…

Waterville Creates!, Common Street Arts, and Waterville Area Art Society (WAAS) are pleased to present the 2019 Maine Open Juried Art Show (MOJAS) at Common Street Arts Gallery August 12 through September 7. An opening reception and awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, August 15th from 5:00-7:00 pm. Now entering its 28th year, MOJAS…

In all its various forms and configurations, Juliet Karelsen’s work cross-references painting, stitching, tapestry, rug making, embroidery, abstract art, fantasy, landscape, textile, miniature worlds, and even science – from botany to mycology to planetary and solar – touching on the micro and macro scales. Though there’s nothing political about actual nature, tragically, nature as a…

Walking through the woods from the home he built, Oliver Solmitz often wondered if rules of architecture could be broken to make sculpture. This concept manifested in his work as cantilevered projections and tenuous stability. Ollie’s frustration working in the architectural design process became a key motivator for creating objects that incorporate a wide range of materials. Today, Ollie’s work is…

A construct-it-yourself diorama reminds us of the perils of nuclear plant accidents. This fold-out paper village includes humans in gas masks, blue horses, an apple tree, an abandoned yellow Ferris wheel, buildings, a fence, a beaver, and many other creatures. This work marked the thirty year anniversary of the disaster at Chernobyl, a 25th anniversary…

John Ignatius Salemi (1952-2015) was born in Washington DC and spent his youth painting murals in Roman Catholic churches in Pittsburgh, PA. Salemi served in the US Navy for two years during the Vietnam War, where he developed heart problems and intense post-traumatic stress disorder. After returning from Vietnam, John became a conscientious objector and…