‘Painted Stories’ on show

Visitors to the Newport Visual Arts Center will be able to explore the “Painted Stories” of Maria Esther Sund in a new exhibit opening from noon to 4 pm this Saturday Nov. 5.  

The show celebrates the richness of coastal diversity as Sund incorporates her Latin heritage with stories of love, happiness, and loss portrayed through her mixed media collages. By loosely defining the narrative of her imagery and constantly exploring a variety of techniques and materials, Sund invites the viewer into her creative expressions to engage in their own interpretations.

Sund was born and raised in El Salvador and traveled abroad to study art at Simmons College in Boston and La Universidad de Las Americas in Puebla, Mexico. After living in California for 38 years, she moved to Lincoln County where she spends time in her studio surrounded by views of the Salmon River. Sund has been painting for more than 35 years, and is now incorporating the additive process of building collage layers with acrylic paint, glazes, and mixed media. She then journeys into the retractive process of excavating and exposing areas, revealing beauty beneath the surface. Focused and free intentional play keeps her tethered to the process of creating instead of preconceived results, allowing the process to guide her.

“Painted Stories” will be on display through Jan. 15, available to view from noon to 4 pm, Wednesday through Sunday in the Upstairs Gallery of the Newport Visual Arts Center, 777 NW Beach Drive.

Next month, Sund will give an artists’ talk at 2 pm on Saturday, Dec. 3.

For more information, call 541-265-6569.