Portland Art Gallery — Attraction in Portland

This gallery showed up in my Insta feed & I'm glad bc one of the featured artists, Rick Hamilton, is trying to copy a friend of mine's work - Dave Witbeck. Dave is a hardworking artist who's created an easily recognizable, singular style. Over decades, he developed particular signatures & themes in his work that Rick is trying to duplicate - the fishermen, the shape & color of the lobsters, the construction of the fishing gear/clothing, the block-y hands, etc - they're almost spot on but require skill & understanding to realize fully.

Dave's studio is in Rhode Island but has work is in 2 galleries in Maine, one of which is only 30 minutes from Portland. I tagged Dave & made a comment on Instagram, "Dave, it happened again" Rick responded saying he loves Dave's work & then removed all reference to Dave. It's just shameful - Rick knows, I know, & anyone familiar with Dave's work (his collectors, his galleries, etc) can see it immediately.

Last year we dealt with another "artist" in France who tried to pull off the exact same act telling me & Dave he should be "flattered". It's not flattering, on any level, to have decades of well regarded work be treated like a template to be copied ESPECIALLY when the artist duplicating the original work is so ashamed of their lack of originality they don't ask permission or credit the original artist. This is the act of an amateur, something a kid or a hobbyist does when they're trying to find their way. Professionals don't need to copy or...

From the first time I walked through the door I knew that the Portland Art Gallery was a unique gallery. First there’s its physical attributes -- high-ceilinged, light- filled space located in a beautiful building in a charming section of Portland -- a perfect showcase for fine art. In addition to that, though, there is much that makes me happy to be one of their represented artists. Their down-to-earth staff warmly welcomes me each time I stop by, and really cares about my work. They constantly promote their artists in the press, on social media outlets, with gallery publications, and in so many other creative ways, always working hard to implement new and different approaches to presenting us and our work. They also respect their artists by keeping us “in the loop” with emails, openings, and in-house meetings. I couldn’t ask for a better gallery. If you haven’t, do stop by to see this gallery...

Portland Art Gallery has created a most beautiful space for artworks to be shown in the best light. Daytime and evening. I have had my artwork represented by Portland Art Gallery since 2015 and have seen the gallery evolve into a modern space for artists working in many different styles to exhibit their work in a professional yet inviting setting. Artworks are given space to breathe so a visitor/collector/fan can view the work as it may appear in their home or office. As a member artist I appreciate having the opportunity to meet and become friends with other gallery artists as we make it a point to be at the openings together to visit and speak with visitors. There is always new work hanging which makes repeat visits fun to see what my fellow artists have been working on. All in all it's a beautiful and...