Exhibit Reception: “Time and Place: KIRA and Monhegan” Graphite Drawings by Deb Vendetti

Hope artist Deb Vendetti presents new graphite drawings exploring coastal landscapes of New Brunswick and Maine. They will be on exhibit in the Picker Room Gallery at Camden Public Library during the month of November.* The public is invited to an artist reception on November 22 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

The work spans two transformative summers: a month-long residency at Kingsbrae International Residency for the Arts (KIRA) in St. Andrews, New Brunswick in 2024, and self-structured periods on Monhegan Island and in St. Andrews in 2025. For Vendetti, who has been drawing on Monhegan since the 1980s, the sustained focus of the KIRA residency marked a significant shift in her practice.

The exhibition includes approximately 15+ works—drawings and sketchbook pages—that capture atmospheric conditions, tidal patterns, and the particular quality of light in these coastal places. From sweeping views of Navy Island at the mouth of the St. Croix River to intimate midnight studies of Manana Island, the work reflects decades of careful observation.

Vendetti holds a BFA in painting from Southeastern Massachusetts University and graduate studies in photography with Carl Toth at Cranbrook Academy of Art. She served as Education Coordinator at the Farnsworth Art Museum for 11 years and was the videographer in the early years of the Maine Masters project, documenting seminal Maine artists including Robert Hamilton, Alan Magee, Dahlov Ipcar, Harold Garde, Emily Nelligan, Clark Fitzgerald and Ashley Bryan.

*The exhibition runs November 2 – 30. The gallery is open during regular library hours; visitors are
encouraged to call ahead at 207-236-3440 as the space occasionally hosts events.