River Arts in Damariscotta is pleased to announce Gerd Koehler, Lee Liggett, Elizabeth Caton Pardoe and Donna Strawser in an upcoming show, “Perspectives” in the River Room. The show runs Feb. 6 through March 5.

The four River Arts volunteers have combined their talents in a dynamic show including mixed media, black & white monotypes, textile works and abstract paintings. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 2-4. The public is invited to attend.

Acrylic painter Gerd Koehler says of his work, “My challenge lies between the structured and unstructured, the values of black and white, and color, and rationality versus the emotional. I am drawn to the conceptual, detail and granularity. Yet, I love to create with total freedom without constraints. My interest is in finding visual solutions of both the real and imagined which is never fixed or clearly defined.”

Abstract painter Lee Liggett explains, “From my perspective, the world is filled with amazing shapes and stimulating colors that reflect the wonder of it all. My abstract paintings manipulate those shapes and colors into forms to stimulate the viewer’s imagination with a sense of pleasure, if only for a moment’s escape.”

Elizabeth Caton Pardoe holds a BFA degree in painting and printmaking from University of Southern Maine. A Maine native, she has discovered, in traveling both abroad and throughout Maine, ways of expressing nature’s rhythms and surprising oddities, capturing moments on canvas and paper. Featured in this exhibit are her crisp, black & white monotypes.

Textile artist Donna Mikulak Strawser shares, “My textile work is mostly inspired by the folk art of Berks, Lancaster and Chester counties in Pennsylvania. I enjoy color and fabrics and prefer the scrap quilting method of women decades ago, working with fabrics on hand. I prefer a piece that is scrap-based instead of a piece that has all its colors coordinated to match. I also like all aspects of needlework, from crocheting to quilting to applique and embroidery. Garment making is a challenge for me, one that I enjoy. It’s amazing to make my own patterns to fit my body and realize how much more comfortable the clothes feel!”

River Arts is located at 36 Elm St. in Damariscotta. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the website at riverartsme.org or call 207-563-6868 for more information.