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Telling Room summer camp teaches art of critiques
Students hone their skills as art, food reviewers during one of 12 summer camps offered to young writers through the Portland program.

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The Telling Room’s summer camp teaches the art of critiques
Students hone their skills as art, food reviewers during one of 12 summer camps offered to young writers through the Portland program.Students in The Telling Room summer camp on review writing work on their critiques of “We Are Staying,” a mural by Alina Gallo that was displayed at SPACE Gallery in Portland.
Fifteen students set out across Portland this month visiting art venues, a food market and a popular new restaurant to offer their critiques and hone their skills as writers and reviewers through a summer camp program with The Telling Room.
Led by Telling Room program coordinator Sonya Tomlinson, who is also a writer and hip hop recording artist, the four-day camp focusing on food and art criticism was one of 12 offerings this summer for writers ages 7 to 18. Humor, fiction or essays were among the areas of focus for other camp sessions. During the school year, the Portland organization offers a variety of free programs that encourage student writing and creativity.
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Darby Kline: A quiet view of Baltimore, inside SPACE
If you are looking for an exhibition, well, I know one. The name of this display is “Tree Lined Street” by Gary Kachadourian. This scene will be displayed at SPACE Gallery until Sept. 4.
When I walked into the gallery, I was at a loss for words. This was no poster that you would buy for $5 at a school book fair, no. This was a masterpiece. The intricate pencil strokes made the art fly off the page. Even though no action is happening in this drawing, the realistic elements bring it to life. This cityscape is not a normal cityscape. Cityscapes are usually bustling with people, lights and cars. This work of art shows a calm city. The way the art lacks action creates many ways to interpret the piece. It made me look back at this city and wonder, what is going on? Why is this Baltimore empty? What doesn’t seem right? What is this Baltimore’s story?
A life-sized Volvo is parked in front of a brick wall to the right of the scene. To the left, there is a pile of trash bags, a leafy tree, and some metal barriers carefully drawn with pencil. Since the objects in the drawing are life-sized, the scene is easier to relate to. All of my five senses were there in Baltimore. I was astonished at all the work that was put into this exhibition, because it must have taken a while to complete this drawing.
One criticism that came to my mind is that the piece is stapled to the wall, and it will be ripped down when the exhibition is done. The piece will be recycled, which feels wasteful and disrespectful of the art. I personally think the art should be handled with more care, but SPACE Gallery was only following Kachadourian’s installation instructions.
Regardless, “Tree Lined Street” was a thought-provoking exhibition that is worth a visit.
Darby Kline, 11, is from Cape Elizabeth.
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Emma Moll: At Portland Museum of Art, ‘Grotto’ stands out
Pictures and paintings fill the walls around me, each representing a different part of Maine. Pieces of art big and small either sit gently on the floor or hang proudly on the wall. Frames border the gorgeous pieces that appear honored to be chosen and looked at over and over by interested eyes.
A sculpture called “Grotto” by Lauren Fensterstock stands out from the rest. This sculpture is made of wood, wire, paper, glue, shells and plastic. The shells on this sculpture, taken from an old Chinese restaurant are especially engaging. The sculpture is black and looks like tangled seaweed with shells hiding inside. “Grotto” crawls down the wall, helping to create this look of seaweed. “Grotto” is nearly 7 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
This is a very unique piece of artwork, because most of the other pieces on the wall are framed paintings or pictures. “Grotto” stands out from the others. This piece is unique because it does not sit of the floor or on a stand, but hangs on the wall with no frame immediately drawing the eyes of museum visitors. The details Lauren Fensterstock put into the artwork were really interesting. When you see this sculpture it makes you feel happy and sad. Since the artwork is black, it made the sculpture feel sad and dark, but the sculpture has seashells, which makes a smile grow on your face as you think about the Maine seashore.
“Grotto” by Lauren Fensterstock is on display at the Portland Museum of Art, along with many other pieces of artwork by Maine artists. You will not be disappointed if you take the time to visit the museum and view this piece.
Emma Moll, 12, is from Yarmouth.
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Ella Briman: At Rosemont Market, a high-quality lunch
Looking for some quality lunch in downtown Portland? Walk down Commercial Street, and you’ll come across Rosemont Market and Bakery, an organic store selling appetizing food to go, with four and a half stars on Yelp and four other online resources.
As you walk into the front room, you’ll find an array of fresh produce next to the cash register. Behind that are shelves of dried goods, such as rice and crackers. Directly in front of you is the door that leads into the deli, which is in its own connecting room. Inside, there are glass cases with over five different kinds of all-natural meats, as well as cheeses from around the world. Outside to the right, is a refrigerator with teas, juices, milk, and alcohol. Also available, are pre-made sandwiches, salads, and other delicacies, including a seaweed salad. Another camper commented that it was the best she’d ever had.
The $10 Budget: Before going to the store, I was told that Rosemont was a little on the expensive side. However, I was able to get a complete lunch for under $6. For my protein, I got four pieces of salami from the deli, which cost me only 80 cents. I also bought a fresh baguette for $3, and I was able to eat leftovers after. Finally, I got a yellow peach for $1.61, which brought my total to $5.41, a very good price for the high-quality, fresh food that I ate.
The Commercial Street location of Rosemont Market and Bakery is found at 5 Commercial St., Portland.
Ella Briman, 11, is from New York.
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Lily Davis: At Portland Museum of Art, ‘Director’s Cut’ makes you think.
The Portland Museum of Art exhibit “Director’s Cut” has paintings, sketches and sculptures. Each work of art hangs on the wall or stands on the floor. Color from the paintings brightens up the rooms. All of the pieces tell their own story about Maine. Each floor or room has a theme.
On the first floor, there were a lot of bright pictures, and they were all very realistic. On the third floor it was a darker theme. Lots of the art was black but still had that Maine feel to it. Susan was the docent who showed us around and told us some history about the art.
All of the art was marvelous and outstanding, but there were a few that grabbed attention. A piece by Lauren Fensterstock called “Grotto” was made out of wood, seashells, plastic and other materials. “Grotto” looked like a bunch of different things, such as summer icicles. It looked exactly like icicles except that the icicles were black and had seashells and seaweed covering it. If “Grotto” were flipped over, it would have looked like an underwater castle like in “The Little Mermaid” but much scarier. Another piece that draws you in is called “Shipwreck.” The art was simply a black square inside a bigger orange square with a little white hidden dot. Though the piece didn’t look like much, it left your brain thinking. It makes you confused by how a person would see a shipwreck as those squares.
Tons of displays at Portland Museum of Art open your mind and make you think. Portland Museum of Art is a magnanimous place to visit and see Maine in a whole new way.
Lily Davis, 12, is from Bowdoinham.
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Andrew Miller: Despite dry cake, Honey Paw worth a try.
As I approached the restaurant The Honey Paw, I immediately noticed the fancy modern tables and chairs set up outside. The chairs were a pale oak in a shape similar to a honeycomb, which is the theme the restaurant is based on. On the glass of the building are Grey Poupon-colored yellow lines curving up and down. The Honey Paw is a fairly expensive Asian noodle bar that serves lunch and dinner.
When I sat down, one of the staff came out and described the three dessert options in a mannerly way. Once I placed my order, he disappeared back into the restaurant. After about 10 minutes, he came back out with my (and 14 other campers’) dessert, Nutella hazelnut butter cream layer cake.
As soon as I took a fork full of the cake, the taste of chocolate was so overpowering, all I wanted to do was have a glass of cold milk to quell the sweetness of the icing. The menu lists it as Nutella, but it lacks the hazelnut taste, so it tastes more like Hershey’s chocolate. While the frosting was enjoyably light and fluffy, I wanted the cake to even out the sweetness of the frosting. I was disappointed that the inside was very dry and nutty and hard to eat on its own without the chocolate frosting. After the bill came, the total was $7. For a $7 piece of cake, I expected better.
Overall, this cake doesn’t scream, “try this again” to me, but I would go back again for another meal some time. I think the building was spot on, but the cake was not as savory as Whole Food’s cakes, or even Hannaford’s. You can find The Honey Paw at 78 Middle St, Portland.
Andrew Miller, 11, is from Cape Elizabeth.
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Calla Hladky: ‘We Are Staying’ at SPACE Gallery illuminates war
It was my first time going to the SPACE Gallery, and it will not be my last. Alina Gallo’s bold mural left a lasting impact on me that will continue to draw me to the gallery.
Gallo is an artist from Maine who, after graduating from college, visited the Middle East, specifically Dubai and Turkey. It was there that Gallo drew inspiration for her latest work, “We Are Staying,” which was displayed from May 26 to July 11 in the SPACE Gallery. Gallo spent two and a half weeks painting the mural on three adjacent walls using handmade egg tempera paint, and the result is striking. The painting depicts a city, and each section of the mural is based on a different photograph of war-torn Syria.
Neutral colors pair with bright, vibrant shades, creating a layered look that gives the painting depth. Though the paint lines are neat and clean, the border of the painting is jagged and sharp, which is symbolic of how broken many cities in the Middle East have become.
Many Arabic phrases cover the walls in the painting. Some are poetic, some hopeful, and some political. The most resonant images, however, are the recognizable ones, universal symbols that are known around the world. Many objects considered ordinary and harmless take on a new meaning when embedded in an area engaged in conflict, and they prompt gallery visitors to take a close look at the mural. A droopy Winnie the Pooh is painted next to the image of a gun, and the Twitter logo is portrayed as red and dripping with blood. The contrast of the lightheartedness of these two symbols and the violence of the way they are pictured causes the viewer to look twice.
Colorful, patterned shapes first appear to be regular sheets hanging out to dry. However, a brochure describing the exhibition reveals them to be linens hung out to confuse and distract snipers, so they do not hurt the people living within the bullet-hole ridden walls. A man lies peacefully, sleeping on a couch outside his home, yet there is so much destruction around him. These symbols and activities are so normal for many people living in stable countries around the world. While they allow viewers to connect to the painting, they take on a new, more violent light when placed in a landscape of destruction.
Gallo’s bold piece is a stunning, thought-provoking work of art, but it is also temporary. At the end of the exhibition, it will be painted over, creating a clean, blank canvas. In contrast, violence will continue in the Middle East and in other places around the world; we must work towards peace.
Calla Hladky, 14, is from Brunswick.
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Cassandra Albano: Sticking with The Honey Paw
The Honey Paw, a newly opened restaurant in the downtown of Portland, is already drawing attention to itself, despite its short existence, just by its name alone.
The instant guests walks into the restaurant, they feel as if they are in a beehive! The honeycomb lampshades, sunflower-yellow walls and hexagon-shaped stools all contribute to the honey theme. There is a bar, a communal island in the middle of the restaurant, and seating along the perimeter of the room, which is always a good place for those who enjoy people watching, since there are floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street.
The Honey Paw serves a variety of meals that include meats and vegetables, but a huge portion involves noodles.
For those who don’t want a meal and would prefer a quick afternoon dessert, then this is the right place, too. A fine selection of sweets such as pastries, slices of cake and homemade soft serve ice cream are perfect options for takeout. One can enjoy the outdoor tables that stand along the brick sidewalk, and friendly service is provided, whether one is dining in or out.
There is one dessert in particular that goes with the restaurant’s theme: the caramelized honey ice cream. With a chocolate shell and honeycomb crumbs sprinkled on top, it is truly what makes a visit to the Honey Paw complete. The light and crunchy honeycomb tastes almost like toffee, and complements the rich and smooth chocolate shell. The ice cream itself is soft, light, and has a freshness to it. The honey flavor doesn’t taste artificial, but instead, natural, and one can taste the homemade honey.
In just one spoonful, a mixture of cool, crunchy and smooth combines to create the sweetest summer treat in Portland.
The Honey Paw is the new way to enjoy summer’s delicious desserts, and a visit there should be on the to-do list.
Cassandra Albano, 16, is from Portland.
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Gabby Thibodeau: At SPACE Gallery, ‘We Are Staying’ is absorbing
Alino Gallo, artist of “We Are Staying,” presented her mural in SPACE Gallery. This mural, which takes up all three walls of the gallery space, shows a street in Syria. It’s a rundown area where people make do and call it home. She shows buildings that have started to turn into rubble and street lamps that look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, ready to crash down on the cracked sidewalk in a single wisp of wind. A breeze makes the colorful cloth that hangs in front of a building shift side to side like a tight ropewalker does when they start to lose their balance. Gallo also exhibits upside down cars lying in the street from previous car wrecks. The street is vacant beside the one or two people that stayed, referencing “We Are Staying.” Quotes on the wall in Arabic show the messages people wrote, for example, “Through here marched the death men of Assad,” and “We will build it again.” They did this because they don’t have any internet, so they would instead write on the walls covering them in graffiti, or call the closest landline to have them post their tweets on their twitter accounts. Alino Gallo made a beautiful mural that makes you stop and take in every little detail and makes you want to think why she put this specific thing here and there. The colors absorb you with neon shades and take you from the room into the mural. “We Are Staying” was presented at the Space Gallery from May 26 to July 11. You can go on her website to see more of her art, at alinagallo.com.
Gabby Thibodeau, 12, is from Yarmouth.
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Elinore Kosak: Rosemont Market serves up a sandwich masterpiece
I bit into my sandwich and instantly felt as if I had died and gone to heaven. The sandwich had many different flavors that contributed to the greatness of this holy sandwich.
A quaint little shop on Commercial Street, Rosemont Market and Bakery served up a masterpiece. As you enter the shop, a variety of scents make the nose perk up. In the front of the market, it was fruit and vegetables galore, along with cold drinks and pre-made salads. If you pushed the door open to the deli in the back, meats and cheeses appeared in front of one’s eyes. There was also a veggie sandwich, which I selected, and a meat sandwich. I purchased a bag of chips and the sandwich, and it cost $7.69. I had a $10 budget, which I didn’t go over, but the sandwich cost a pricey $6.50. The sandwich was made of lemon artichoke pesto mayo, tomato, carrot, cucumber, and mixed greens, on a thick baguette.
I found a patch of grass across the street to enjoy my delicious sandwich. Although the bread was a bit difficult to chew, the range of flavors in the sandwich overpowered this small disappointment. The vegetables tasted fresh and ripe, and the handmade mayo was creamy, flavorful, and the obvious star of the sandwich. The crispy, lightly salted potato chips I had selected paired well with the sandwich. A swig of iced tea borrowed from a friend rounded out the scrumptious meal. Despite the fact that it was a little expensive, if you have $10 in your pocket and a healthy appetite, consider stopping by Rosemont for a satisfying lunch hour.
Elinore Kosak, 13, is from Brunswick.
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Isabelle King: ‘Directors’ Cut’ at the Portland Museum of Art a must-see
Standing alone in a field of billowing grass, a man dressed in tattered clothing makes his way to the undulate shore. Andrew Wyeth’s painting “Turkey Pond” invokes a strong sense of loneliness and affinity for the unknown man while also leaving you wondering what has him in such an almost frenzied hurry. The man’s rough looking hands and weathered face imply a long relationship with the sea.
“Turkey Pond” gorgeously illustrates Monhegan Island, giving a little insight as to what the island has to offer: Stunning shorelines and open fields encompassed by captivating forests. Just one of many stunning pieces on loan at the Portland Museum of Art as part of the museum’s new “Directors’ Cut” exhibit, Andrew Wyeth’s work is an astounding addition to the wonderful show.
The Portland Museum of Art brings us a collection of Maine’s most valuable art treasures that pays homage to our rich culture and history. Handpicked by directors all up and down the Maine Art Museum Trail, these pieces illustrate the subtle differences that give each region its own identity.
Composed of a handful of different mediums, these richly colorful works of art give the viewer a glimpse at Maine’s past and present. With such a wide range in artistic styles, the gallery has something to offer everyone. The puzzling nail sculpture that throws shadows across its platform will leave much to be wondered with its interpretable meaning. Photo realistic paintings depict the lush coasts, and pastel drawings show the lives of the people in a fishing community. Black and white film photos transport us to the past with their engaging composition giving a clear view of what everyday life was like for our ancestors.
Although the repetitive theme of the ocean and landscape did get a little trite, it was still a well thought out exhibit. The show as a whole magnificently represents the changing face of Maine over the past 90 years, with works dating back as far as the 1920s and as recent as 2013. Watching the landscapes and towns change as the years go by, from painting to painting, is a unique way to immerse yourself in history.
Composed in an engaging way that flows throughout the room, this show is a must-see, whether you are a native or a tourist.
The “Directors’ Cut” exhibit will be on display until Sept. 20. There is a $5 surcharge on regular ticket prices for admission.
Isabelle King, 13, is from Portland.
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Evelyn Fieldroy: At SPACE Gallery, ‘We Are Staying’ tells a compelling story.
A small teddy bear hangs on a brick wall in a corner, an old man sleeping on an abandoned couch on the street, writing all over the buildings, saying things like, “She is Syria — love her.” There is rubble everywhere from the recent fight. Cars are flipped over, and there are bright sheets hung up on the dead-end wall to distract snipers.
When I first walked into SPACE Gallery and saw this mural, I felt as if it where reaching out to me, telling me the beginning of the picture’s story, so I wanted to dig for the end. Alina Gallo’s mural “We Are Staying” is exotic and original, she takes a war-torn neighborhood in Syria and adds bright but neutral colors, and she uses a cartoonish art that shows things in a more digestible way. Gallo adds that bright color in many parts of her painting. She does it with a bright yellow car that is flipped over on the side of the road. Its brightness makes you forget that it is flipped over. There are also two rows of sheets that are there to distract snipers. The colors of the sheets are bright and cheerful and might help you feel better about the reason that the sheets are there. Yes, the pictures are sad, but Gallo gave us a happier, easier picture to look at. “We Are Staying” opened on May 26 and closed on July 11.
Evelyn Fieldroy, 10, is from Portland.
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Elizabeth Peters: Mural at SPACE Gallery gives Syrian confict a face.
Five thirty eight Congress Street is home to the SPACE Gallery, which is artfully taken care of by director Nat May. Within these walls hold the pain and suffering of Syria, strikingly brought to life by emerging artist Alina Gallo, in one of her first large-scale pieces, titled “We Are Staying.” As you step into SPACE Gallery, you are transported to a country plagued by the presence of unyielding terrorism. The huge walls and empty space of the gallery demand your attention, and the bright colors send your brain into frenzy as you struggle to absorb the entire mural. Upon the introduction that May gave us, he explained that this was no ordinary paint. It was a composite called egg tempera, that required Gallo to individually and painstakingly crack over 200 eggs — only to just use the yolks. After the cracking was done, the yolk was combined with water and a powder that contained the color pigment earth tone using minerals found in Syria. I was baffled, and lets just say the egg tempura life is not for me. It made the difference for the egg concoction breathed a certain life into the piece and made it just that more amazing. The piece is haunting and zeros in on the people and the streets that are directly impacted by the onslaught of war that has ravaged their home. Gallo introduces us to the tradition of using graffiti as a way to express one’s opinion political or otherwise. That technique is highlighted in this piece as her mural is littered with Arabic transcriptions and shows that, even in the dark, people can make a stand for what they believe. Dotted amongst the crumbling buildings and along the sides of the streets there are signs that the people will not be suppressed. This graffiti is their declaration of independence, and it brought me hope that not all was lost. For me, the most haunting image was of a Winnie-the-Pooh bear hanging next to an AK-47. This image chilled me. I saw how these children’s youth has been torn from them and sucked into the budding conflict. Along with this gruesome image, there were people scattered through the mural. I thought that the way that they were painted didn’t add to the overall picture. The figures were not very chiseled, in the sense that they had the shape of a blob instead of a person. The arms and the legs had no real shape and the faces didn’t really convey the hardship. One figure held a camera. This figure had the chance to be a really influential figure in the mural because he was documenting the war. The execution fell a little flat on him and the rest of the figures in the creation. One other confusing aspect was these circles that were placed on the walls of the buildings throughout the piece. What were they? What were they supposed to represent? Are they bullet holes? I have since come to the conclusion that they are indeed bullet holes, but it would have been helpful if that had been explained.
My least favorite part was this grey substance dripping down the top of the painting. It seemed unnecessary and took away from the scene. I noticed that there were only holes in the grey area and I figured that the grey was the war consuming the country. That also could have been shown more clearly. Overall I very much enjoyed visiting this gallery. It was a documentary as much as it was art that shows that what is happening in Syria is still very relevant to us here, 5,425 miles away. Gallo’s piece did the Syrians justice, and this mural gives their cause a raw face, not just a name.
Elizabeth Peters, 14, is from Scarborough.
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Edith Tierney: ‘Director’s Cut’ at Portland Museum of Art a ‘terrific’ show.
I entered the large, airy chamber that is the lobby of the Portland Museum of Art. I turned to the right, entering the “Director’s Cut” exhibit. So many things caught my eye as I looked around the room. Two large paintings hung on one wall – one colorful, “Romance in Autumn,” and the other colorless. On the wall opposite, a black sculpture with the name of “Grotto” hangs alone among many small black and white photographs.
In this exhibit, the sculptures, photographs and paintings all work together to make the other more noticeable. This is done by contrasting colorful and black and white, and by comparing small and large.
The aforementioned “Grotto” is made of plastic, glue, paint, paper and seashells. The seashells were left over from a Chinese restaurant. The top of the sculpture is mostly flat, while the bottom of the piece consisted of many spikes, giving the impression of stalactites. The whole sculpture is painted black. The “stalactites” are made of shells while the top of the sculpture has paper or plastic flowers. I really appreciate how the artist creates something similar to a natural formation, stalactites, out of a different and completely unrelated natural formation, seashells. I found the piece to be impressive because of its mass, color and location.
“Grotto” hangs alone among many small black and white photographs, done by Bernice Abbot. This sculpture fits in with its companions in color, but not in size or style. The piece is large and imposing and juts out of the wall, while the photography around it is small and rather unimposing.
The first painting I saw was called “Romance in Autumn,” painted by George Bellows. The painting was not done in his usual style, however, it is masterful with its almost 3D depth and colorful quality, immediately drawing my eye. I first noted the boat, which looked ethereal with its light blue, delicate sails. I saw the tall imposing trees with their leaves just turning into a vibrant orange. I saw the rock on which the girl stands, her enchanting orange hair reflecting sunlight as she helps the boy on to the rock beside her. I am impressed by the sparkling stream that flows around the rock she stands on. “Romance in Autumn” is placed between colorless photos and colorless paintings. This placement of colorful among black and white is intriguing; it makes all of the pieces on this wall more noticeable than they might otherwise be. “Romance in Autumn” benefits the most from its placement, the painting is already colorful but it becomes far more noticeable near its less colorful companions. I find it hard to turn away from this painting, but when I do I am met with another and then another.
One painting was called “Feet Up.” “Feet Up” is literally a painting of two feet sticking straight up in the air with a sky blue background speckled with clouds. I had a hard time appreciating this painting because of its oddity and simplicity. This painting, similar to others in the gallery, was placed in a location that distinguished it from others. In this situation, I found that made everything around it less impressive rather than more, because it is so extremely bizarre. As I walked through the rest of the exhibit I noted other paintings, some with exquisite detail or amazing depth, other paintings were extremely colorful, and almost all located in places that accentuated their qualities. The “Director’s Cut” exhibit is terrific, and I highly recommend it.
Edith Tierney, 12, is from Palmyra.
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Olivia Tighe: In ‘We Are Staying,’ Alina Gallo ‘brings beauty to the horror’ of Syrian conflict
You stroll into Alina Gallo’s “We Are Staying,” and it is as if you walked onto the streets of war-torn Syria. The first scene you see is a crumbling wall with striped tapestry hung purposely to disturb the sniper’s line of sight. Standing in the center of the room, you pan around and for a second, and you’re there in Syria. Gallo used a cartoony, mural style to portray something so real. It’s fascinating to see how she used an Andy Warhol style of painting; it lures you in and makes you want to know the whole story she’s telling. Everything is unkempt, the walls around you seem like they would crumble apart with the slightest touch. Pro- and anti-government Arabic graffiti messages cover the walls that are peppered with bullet holes, left behind from snipers. There are hidden messages within the mural. A shadow of a man walking away from the ruins suggests that people are fleeing their homes and lives. Two boys hide in the window of an abandoned home that is falling apart, hiding from the others lurking in the town.
It wasn’t always like this. At one point the buildings were intact, bullet holes didn’t riddle the walls, and the flipped over car ran. You can see that a town once bustling with people is now a ghost town, a mere shadow of what it was. The talented Gallo brings beauty to the horror depicted in her mural. Gallo spent two and a half weeks on this mural, hand-making all her paints out of egg yolk and earth tone dyes. This artistic mural was on display at the SPACE Gallery from May 26 to July 11, 2015.
Olivia Tighe, 13, is from Cape Elizabeth.
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Catherine Henaire: ‘We Are Staying’ goes beyond painting, to story of change.
“We will not get used to death, and we will continue to cherish life. We will even build seasons of love between the bombs.” Quotes similar to this one fill the plain brick walls in Alina Gallo’s mural, “We Are Staying.” The mural depicts a country in ruins, but there is a sense of normalcy despite the destruction. One scene contains a dark brown foosball table, which has been abandoned by its players. Bright and whimsical linens, which are used to distract snipers, are strewn on a clothesline above the table, causing the viewer to see past all of the demolition and violence and get a look into everyday life before ruination. Images of wreckage and bullet holes are found throughout the painting, and it seems as if the viewer is experiencing all of the damage firsthand. A car, which was once a working automobile in a busy city, is shown overturned and destroyed next to two blue barrels of explosives. “We Are Staying” is made solely from egg tempera. The large painting, which is a big step up from Gallo’s previous works, stretches around four walls in the small and cozy gallery and was on display from May 26 to July 11. Gallo’s mural is more than just a painting; it is a story in itself. It is a story of change, and it reminds you to never forget your roots and to never give up. With this said, I would definitely recommend visiting the SPACE Gallery on Congress Street in Portland.
Catherine Henaire, 14, is from Saco.
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