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Biddeford, Maine

UNE Campus Center to showcase ‘Figural Elements’ by local artist Karen Camlin

A black and gray abstract painting featuring circles, oblong shapes, and yellow streaks
"Time and Space II" by Karen Camlin

The UNE Campus Center in Biddeford will display an exhibit by Maine artist Karen Camlin from Dec. 15, 2023, to Jan. 29, 2024. A reception for the show, “Figural Elements,” will be held at the Campus Center on Jan. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Camlin is an artist and retired art educator whose work is varied and includes pieces that can be described as illustrative, often incorporating graphic design and abstraction. She uses several mediums, often in combination, to better express the intention of her work.

Inspiration and the subjects for Camlin’s work come from a number of sources, she said, including meetings and collaborations with artists; personal reflections on social, moral, and cultural issues; and a practice of playfulness with word games and meanings that conjure humorous or deep thoughts.

Camlin resides in Wells, Maine, with her husband and in 2015 retired from her position of art educator at Marshwood High School in neighboring South Berwick. Her educational background includes three years of study in visual design from Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMASS Dartmouth) and a degree in art education from the University of Southern Maine.

She has participated in a number of courses and workshops, including at the Harvard University Extension School and in Maine at the Maine College of Art & Design, Heartwood College of Art in Kennebunk, Sanctuary Arts in Eliot, and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle. These experiences, she said, along with her work as an educator, inform much of her artistic endeavors.

Camlin notes that she is a proud aunt of a 2018 UNE graduate and mother-in-law of a 2012 graduate of UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The title for “Figural Elements,” she said, refers to the depiction of living forms in an idealized or symbolic manner. Likewise, the elements of living forms — curvilinear line or shapes, for example — are found in Camlin’s abstract and surrealistic works.

Works from the exhibit are available for purchase, and prices can be obtained at the Campus Center desk. For more information about the “Figural Elements” or to inquire about pricing, contact camlinkaren65@gmail.com and include “UNE 24” in the subject line. 

Campus Center hours vary over UNE’s winter break:

  • Thursday, Dec. 14: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 15: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 16: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 17: noon to 6 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 18, to Friday, Dec. 22: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 23: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 24, to Monday, Jan. 1: Closed

From Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, 2024, the Campus Center will be open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays noon to 6 p.m. Starting on Jan. 17, the Campus Center will be open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the remainder of the academic year.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest private university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.