PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Presque Isle artist Melanie Sipe Reese will exhibit her creative work at the Aroostook Agency on Aging during the First Friday Art Walk on January 5 from 4:30-7 p.m. in the Artists for Aging gallery at 260 Main Street.
A graduate of Presque Isle High School in 1980, Reese returned to Presque Isle after living in Vermont for 32 years. She has worked professionally as a singer and actress while raising her two sons.
Reese said her art inspiration is extremely varied. “I enjoy making caricature pieces of my friends as well as images purely from my imagination,” she said. To do this, Reese often uses repurposed materials as much as possible. She finds this approach often creates original and often times unexpected results.
“My work ranges from wall art to fiber sculptures including but not limited to quilting, knitting and crocheting. I also dabble in painting. My work has been sold locally as well as nationally in larger metropolitan areas like Detroit and New York,” she explained.
Although the artist doesn’t have a large collection of work to display, Reese plans to borrow and show some of the pieces she has sold locally to give people the full scope of what she creates.
The Friday, January 5 Artists for Aging event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Agency on Aging at 207-764-3396 or 1-800-439-1789. Those exhibiting works as part of “Artists for Aging” initiative have generously donated 20 percent of their sales to support programs and services offered by Aroostook Agency on Aging.
