KINGFIELD – The Stadler Gallery for Contemporary Art at 225 Main St. will be exhibiting works by  Michael Branca of Bath and Jo Josephson of Temple. They will be on view from July 18 to Aug. 6 daily from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment.

There will be a reception for the artists on Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 4 pm. Please view www.stadlergallery.com for more information.

Branca gave his show the title “Balancing Act” referring not only to an individual painting, but also to relationships between people and environment, to technology versus nature and to the perseverance of beauty, to name a few. “The strange contemporary relationships between people and the natural world and be fascinating, frustrating, startling and amusing. We pine for a more harmonious connection with forces greater than us while simultaneously working to denigrate or destroy them. But despite efforts to the contrary, beauty thrives. In my artwork I draw attention to the wonder of nature and the complexities of being human,” said Branca.

Branca holds an MFA from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and a BA from Colby College. He teaches painting and drawing at Southern Maine Community College.

“Singular #1” is the title of photographer Josephson’s show. She works with black and white film because, as she observes, there stark contrast, subtle shadows, strong lines, shape and texture rule; there less is more, and there the object of her focus is freed from the distraction of color.

Josephson is showing four portraits of activists on the ecologically conscientious front and images of seed bearing plants and products from the local food movement.

The portraits are of Will Bonsall of the Grassroots Seed Network, former curator of potatoes with the Seed Savers Exchange and author of “Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical, Self Reliant Gardening;” C.R. Lawn, founder of Fedco Seeds; Amy LeBlanc of Tomato Lovers Paradise and John Bunker of Fedco Trees, the Maine Heritage Orchard and author of “Not Far from the Tree.”