04/23/2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 25th from 2-4 at River Arts in Damariscotta.
John Lorence and Jorge Pena: "Stories in Color" in the River Room
River Arts in Damariscotta invites the public to a new exhibition in the River Room gallery, “Stories in Color,” featuring the work of John Lorence and Jorge Peña. The show runs from April 23 through May 13, with an opening reception on Saturday, April 25 from 2–4 p.m.
“Stories in Color” brings together two distinct artistic voices, each exploring personal narrative through vivid palettes, symbolic imagery, and a deep connection to place.
A longtime Maine painter and educator, John Lorence studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art and has spent decades teaching and exhibiting throughout the state.
Lorence shares, “As an artist, I have been adaptable and sustained by particular themes. Some of these ideas have become series, as in: habitat and environment; nautical and sea images; classical mythology; and landscape (many places). I have lived in Maine for over 50 years, since the 1960s, and there is so much inspiration right here. My point of view as a painter reflects the spirit and energy from my mentors, under whom I was a student many years ago. And, based in Maine now, with travels to the ‘four winds,’ I identify as a Maine painter.”
Jorge Peña is a Maine artist whose work explores cultural heritage and the natural world through bold color and symbolic imagery.
Peña says, “My art is color, shapes, symbols, episodes, memories.
My art is personal; it comes from my heart. It is an intrinsic way to tell my story, my points of view, to tell others what interests me, reflecting my background and my current world, representing my surroundings and my ancestry. My overall vision about what I create shows the duality of two different worlds. My current world in Maine will show that after more than 22 years of planting my roots in this state, I am still in the process of discovery of an “exotic world,” a discovery of its vegetation, waters, rocks, seasons, and people. It is impossible to disassociate from my ethnicity; then, indigenous imagery appears within my work. The work shown in this exhibit is linked to my love of nature, where the landscape and certain elements—rocks, soil elements, forests, trees, or weathered tree bark—dominate. Here they are as conceived.”
Together, Lorence and Peña offer two unique approaches to storytelling through color.
River Arts is located at 36 Elm St. in Damariscotta. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 to 4. For additional information, visit the website: riverartsme.org or call the gallery (207) 563-6868.
