The “Art at the Grill” program is a series of art exhibits that showcase a variety of Maine artists at the Damariscotta River Grill.  To celebrate and promote the exhibiting artists, the Grill has been offering Prix Fixe dinner specials on opening nights of the art shows, with a portion of the proceeds funding a scholarship for Lincoln Academy (LA) students pursuing an education in art. Restaurant owners Tamara Dica and Tim Beal, along with “Art at the Grill” co-ordinator Kim Traina, are pleased to award scholarships to three students this year; Corina Larain Gill, Beck Lambert, and Ruby Long.

 

Corina Larain Gill is attending Maine College of Art after working in a gap year. “I was born in Maryland and raised in Maine. I dabble in different media, including ceramics, screen printing, sketching, and painting- but no matter what I'm making there are no specifics to any of my works.  When I first started doing ceramics, I would get so depressed I couldn’t make “perfect pieces”- but I realized there is no such thing. If anything, over the years I've learned that most people don’t want something perfect or ordinary, and neither do I. After three years of throwing, I'm still not great at it; my walls are still uneven, pieces wobbly, walls dented, and half the time I struggle to make anything at all. But I realize now that how perfect my forms are have nothing to do with the quality of my work. How hard I work and how much I love my own art is really what sets it apart. The freedom and liberties I now take with all of my art are because of ceramics. I never have a set idea of how my pieces should come out, and every new piece I make still surprises me - and that’s the best part.”

 

Beck Lambert is attending Grinnell College of Art with a focus on Studio Art.“I  struggle calling myself an artist. But if the things I created become art, it becomes hard to separate the idea of what I have created to what I consider myself. I learned you can’t pull those two things apart. Growing up trans I never felt like I had a concrete idea of who - of what I was. I spent years trying to unlearn these expectations. My medium is asking you to subvert your expectations, to redefine the lines of what we feel to be true with what others know to be true. Finding this voice while staying authentic took a long time. Growing as a printmaker, I started to experiment with abstract art, another type of living art. Abstract art invites the viewer to play in the space, and it is then up to the viewer to answer the call. The back and forth between an audience and an abstract piece of art is beyond exciting to me as a creator. I want to keep growing, and becoming a better artist--a better printer, so that I learn even more about the living art inside of everything we do.” 

 

Ruby Long is attending Maine College of Art. “I was born and raised in St. George, Maine. My entire life I have been very creative and interested in art. I found my love for ceramic arts only a couple of years ago and have worked hard to develop my craftsmanship. All my pieces are thrown on the potter's wheel and hand-carved. I take great inspiration from line and pattern in nature. I work with lots of earth tones in my pieces and love to incorporate them.”

 

Each student has an example of their work on display at the Grill through June 21, along with the fine art photography of Jim Nyce and Penny Linn. “Art at the Grill” shows change every six weeks throughout the year, and an opening “Prix Fixe” dinner is offered at the beginning of each show. Follow us on Facebook for notifications for each new show.

 

The Grill’s hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 3-8 p.m.;  Friday and Saturday, 3-8:30 p.m. Happy Hours and early dinner specials are from 3-5:30 p.m. A very large floor plan affords ample space to create safe dining spots with 6 feet or more between tables.  Reservations (207-563-2992) are encouraged to best adhere to safety guidelines.