LEWISTON — More than 30 artists working both inside and out of Maine have been invited to display their work in “Piano Roll Project: Shared Sensibilities,” from July 16 through Oct. 30.

This exhibition, organized by artists Kristin Malin and Gail Skudera, is on display at the Bates Mills in association with Museum L-A. Originally built in 1894, the Bates Mill served as a textile manufacturing company that produced woven coverlets of high quality and design. Malin and Skudera organized this exhibition to reflect a community of artists with a shared sensibility and immersion in contemporary practices. Highly valued was how each artist would interact with the inherent beauty and pre-digital language of the roll.

Piano rolls were in mass production from 1896 to 2008. Each perforation in the paper represents a note control data when fed into a tracker bar. The visual evidence of this language is shared with the Jacquard Looms once housed in the Bates Mills. The looms used a system of punched out cards to facilitate the weaving which became the precursor for modern computers.

Each artist responded by altering a vintage piano roll, some as long as 40 feet, with their own artistic expression. The artists were encouraged to paint, draw, cut, tear, collage, write, sew or weave with the continuous roll of perforated paper and accompanying word scores for songs.

Participating artists in this exhibition are: Mary Armstrong, Krisanne Baker, Lucinda Bliss, Kimberly Callas, Jim Chute, Stoney Conley, Alan Crichton, Gayle Fraas/Duncan Slade, Nancy Glassman, Paula Heisen, Stew Henderson, Jung Hur, Joël LeVasseur, Amy Lowry, Heather Lyon, Dan Mills, Tyler Mills, Judy Perry, Jan Piribeck, Jim Provenzano, Ellen Roberts, Pam Smith, Barbara Sullivan , Kathleen Sweeney, Byron Tucker/Tarra Rosenbaum, Catherine Talese, Jeanne Wells, Kristin Malin and Gail Skudera.

The public is invited to an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 17. Please enter at the main atrium at 35 Canal St. and take the elevator or the stairs to the second floor exhibition space.

Hours for visiting the exhibition are every Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 30. This exhibition is free and open to the public. There will be a closing reception on Oct. 30 in the evening.

FMI: 207-371-2387, 207-312-5272.

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