Description

The Sawyer Free Library presents Volume One, the first exhibition in its new Monthly Artist Program, featuring Gloucester artists Erin Luman and Laureen Maher Bowie.  On view November 2 through December 29, the show celebrates the creative spirit of the community and the reopening of the Library’s newly renovated Matz Gallery. This vibrant exhibition bridges past and present through color, memory, and place. Twenty-five percent of all sales benefit the Library. The community is invited to the artist reception on Thursday, November 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Registration requested at sawyerfreelibrary.org 

About the Artists
Gloucester-based contemporary artist Erin Luman weaves memory and daily life into evocative scenes that invite viewers to pause and reflect. What began as a fascination with the weathered cottages of Long Beach has evolved into a body of work capturing small, intimate moments—a century-old bathroom sink, beach towels drying in the sun, or glimpses of lived spaces both personal and universal. While her upcoming winter exhibition at Endicott College will spotlight the studios of local makers, Volume One offers a deeply personal collection drawn from the in-between moments that inspire her. 

Laureen Maher Bowie, an award-winning local painter and celebrated colorist, captures the beauty and grit of Gloucester in richly layered oils. Her iconic painting, We Dive at Five, depicting local youth jumping off from the Good Harbor Beach footbridge at high tide, will be displayed publicly for the first time at this exhibition. Maher Bowie’s work has been featured in Exhibit Art New England and will appear in the upcoming Rockport Art Association & Museum National Juried Show.

Both artists began their creative journeys years ago by exhibiting in the Library’s Monthly Artist Program. Returning now to inaugurate the revitalized Matz Gallery, they reexamine their art through a fresh lens—bridging past and present in this inspiring debut show.