Lincoln Theater welcomes artist John Knight to the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, as the third guest in this season of “Talking Art in Maine,” a free series of live one-on-one conversations between host Emily Sabino and notable artists and curators who have made a substantial contribution to the arts in the state of Maine.

John Knight with some of his paintings. Knight will be featured in Lincoln Theater’s “Talking Art in Maine” on Jan. 30. Courtesy of John Knight and Emily Sabino

Knight’s recent work is based heavily in the natural world of plants and their environments, though he frequently focuses on plants that most would consider weeds rather than the more classically beautiful flowers depicted by most artists.

“The resilient plants I depict often grow in disturbed land, sprouting up after a storm or a burn,” Knight said in a prepared release from Lincoln Theater. “They can be a symbol of hope, putting down roots and a visual display after some turmoil.”

Knight grew up in Indiana and received his MFA in painting from American University and a BFA in painting from Indiana University. His work has been included in biennial exhibitions at the Portland Museum of Art and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Nationally, he has been awarded a fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center (2003-04) and residencies at the Millay Colony for the Arts and the Vermont Studio Center. In Maine, he has been awarded residencies at Great Spruce Head Island, Acadia National Park and Monhegan Island. He was the Maine Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellow for 2007. Knight is represented by the Caldbeck Gallery in Rockland.

The series’ host, Sabino, is an abstract representational painter from Midcoast Maine. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across the state and she is a board member of the Union of Maine Visual Artists, co-curating several exhibitions in 2024-2025.

All events in the “Talking Art in Maine” series are presented in partnership with Damariscotta Hardware, Damariscotta River Grill, Hammond Lumber and The Knickerbocker Group. Each talk is a free, non-ticketed event, open to the public with general admission.

Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater St., Damariscotta. For more information, visit lincolntheater.org or contact the theater office at info@lincolntheater.org or 563-3424.