River Arts in Damariscotta is pleased to announce the first show of the year, “Passages.” Jorge Arango, art writer and reviewer, served as juror in selecting 83 works of 72 artists from 178 submissions. The public is invited to the opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. The show runs until Feb. 18.

Artists from all over Maine presented their interpretations of the theme and Arango provided his thoughts about his selections.

“Everything, when you come down to it, is a passage—with any luck, anyway, since in the best sense passing from one stage to another stage indicates progress and maturation. The kinds of passages in the show range from the natural (paths through the woods, through seasons, of water running to the sea) and aging and death, to more abstract ideas such as the movement of color across a surface or the sense of moving from surface to depth in the way paint is applied and layered.

“There is humor and energy in some passages, wistful melancholy and sadness in others,” he said. “And the diversity of media spans a kind of material journey. Taken as a whole, the show hopefully illustrates the temporality of everything. Which is why, of course, we should really value the now, for it is gone in the next second.”

In conjunction with “Passages” is a River Room show, “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Paint,” featuring works by Holly Anderson Baumm, Alice de Mauriac, Laurel Dodge and Judy Nixon. The artists’ reception will be from 2 to 4 pm on Saturday, Jan. 21. This show runs until Feb. 1.

River Arts is located at 26 Elm St. in Damariscotta. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Call the gallery for more information 207-563-6868 or visit website: Riverartsme.org.