Photographing Belfast’s Waterfront: Then & Now
Image credits: Left, Steamboat Landing, ca. 1900 (from the collection of the Belfast Historical Society); Right, “Boat House with Tents” by Lynn Karlin, September 2019.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Belfast’s changing waterfront photographed through the years, celebrated in a forthcoming summer exhibition at Waterfall Arts
(Belfast) – Waterfall Arts will open their gallery doors to the public in 2021, beginning with the exhibition Photographing Belfast’s Waterfront: Then & Now. Join the community for an opening reception, held under tents outside of the Waterfall Arts building on Friday, June 18th, 5-7pm, with the Gallery open to small groups for viewings. The opening event will feature a poetry reading of works themed around the Belfast Waterfront, starting at 5:30pm and planned in collaboration with the Office of the Belfast Poet Laureate. Those unable to attend in person can enjoy a virtual tour of the gallery with the show’s curators, available on the Waterfall Arts website. All opening festivities for the exhibition are free and open to the public. The exhibition will remain open, for no charge and without reservations required, from Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11AM – 3PM, through August 29th (staying open for the final Sunday).
This extensive photography exhibition explores how Belfast’s identity has evolved –and how it has stayed the same– in tandem with the varied activities and bustle of its harbor. Held at Waterfall Arts in partnership with the Penobscot Marine Museum and the Belfast Historical Society and Museum, the show includes historic images as well as photographs from over a dozen contemporary photographers. The featured works reveal the rich maritime history, commerce, recreation and scenic beauty of Belfast’s waterfront, as documented over the last several decades.
Liv Kristin Robinson, lead curator, has been documenting the evolving Belfast harbor since 1988 and is known for her hand-painted photographic works of the Belfast waterfront, several of which are in the permanent collections of the Portland Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. Other participating photographers include: Marcie J. Bronstein, Leslie Gregory, Susan Guthrie, Betsy Headley, Jaap Helder, Terry Hire, Kevin Johnson, Lynn Karlin, Mark Kuzio, Ben Magro, Peggy McKenna, Richard Norton, Neal Parent, and Louise Shorette.
Waterfall Arts is located at 256 High Street in downtown Belfast. Exhibitions at Waterfall Arts are made possible by our business sponsors, Marshall Wharf Brewing and Whitecap Builders. Additional support is provided by foundations such as the Onion Foundation.
Launched in 2000, Waterfall Arts is a community arts center that offers resources to arts enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. We welcome the public to engage in the arts through classes, exhibitions, art events, performances, public art projects, open studios (in clay, glass, print, and darkroom photography) and more. For more information, visit waterfallarts.org or call 207-338-2222.
Exploring Belfast’s Waterfront by Megan Pinette
Click here to learn more about the historical images in the exhibition.