Transitions
Welcome Words – Véronique Plesch, Professor, Colby College
For the 15th consecutive year, two Colby students were selected to curate the L.C. Bates’s summer exhibition. As is the tradition, this year’s theme engages with the natural world and gathers artists from Maine or with ties to the state and who work on a range of media and artistic styles. For our student curators, this represents a unique opportunity to experience all the aspects of the organization of an exhibition. As always, it is an honor to be able to contribute to the remarkable gem that is the L.C. Bates Museum and to showcase Maine vibrant art community. I would like to seize the opportunity to thank the Museum and its director, Deborah Staber, for offering Colby students this transformative experience and to Colby College’s Center for the Arts and Humanities for their support of the opening reception’s catering.
Viewing the Exhibition
To view each artist’s submission alongside their statement, click on the names of the artists listed below. To return to the gallery, click the “return to gallery” button at the bottom of the page. To view all of the works in the exhibition, scroll down below the list of artists.
To navigate the gallery, click on the images to view a larger image. Navigate between works in the gallery by clicking the arrow buttons on the right and left sides of the images. To close the gallery and return to this page, click the small X button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Transitions
Natural processes are about transitions: between life and death, night and day, seed and plant, egg and animal—every living organism is in constant flux. As the seasons pass, the colors in the landscape mutate, snow melts and the streams swell, fish swim upstream and birds migrate. As organic matter rots, fungi and mold grow: death begets more life. Transitions may be gentle and smooth at times, abrupt and devastating at others. The contributors to the 2024 summer exhibition are inspired by all the ways in which transitions occur in the natural world and explore life cycle’s profound symbolism.
List of Artists
Exhibition Curators
Sofía Escobar Amaya, who comes from Venezuela, is a UWC Davis Scholar at Colby College, class of 2026, double majoring in Art History and Philosophy. Sofía’s interest in curatorial practice began in high school, when she participated in the Hong Kong Arts and Youth Curatorial Program. At Colby, she is currently working for Professor Plesch as research assistant and editorial intern for the Maine Arts Journal: UMVA Quarterly. Her interest in museum work has been expanded since her involvement with the Colby College Museum of Art as a member of the student advisory board.
Lee Trombly is a sophomore at Colby College, where they are majoring in Art History and American Studies. An addition to their coursework, Lee is involved in the performing arts, participating in the Improv Club and producing a student-made fashion show. At home in Colorado, they have a farm where they raise pigs, goats, and chickens. Working on this exhibition has confirmed Lee’s intention to continue organizing artistic events
Véronique Plesch is Professor of Art History and Chair of the Art Department at Colby College. Born in Argentina and raised in Switzerland, she holds advanced degrees from the University of Geneva in Art History and Medieval French Literature and from Princeton University, where she received her Ph.D. in Art History in 1994, the year she joined Colby’s faculty. Her scholarship deals with late medieval and Renaissance visual arts and theater, early modern graffiti, and contemporary art, with a steady focus on word and image studies. She is one of the editors of the Maine Arts Journal: UMVA Quarterly, to which she regularly contributes articles. She has been supervising student curators for the L.C. Bates Museum’s summer exhibition since 2009.