pg. 11, Exhibition Catalogue, available via the link below
Joanna Logue is featured in the group exhibition, Magnetic North, curated by Elizabeth Awalt and Pamela ‘Posey’ Moulton, on display at Main Gallery at Concord Art in Concord, Massachusetts, USA.
This exhibition features Elizabeth Awalt, Jarid del Deo, Melanie Essex, James Parker Foley, Roy Fox, Grace Hager, Dylan Hausthor, Jocelyn Lee, Joanna Logue, Pamela ‘Posey’ Moulton, Veronica A Perez, Brian Smith, Emilie Stark-Menneg, Ian Trask, John Walker, Shoshannah White, David Wilson.
Joanna’s Artist Statement:
‘The two paintings I have contributed to Magnetic North were made in my studio on Mount Desert Island, within an ongoing engagement with the landscape of the Maine coast. They originate in direct observation—plein air studies, drawing, and sustained attention—but are not attempts to reproduce a particular view. Rather, landscape becomes a point of departure through which perception, memory and the material language of painting come into play. Since moving from Australia to North America nine years ago, I have become increasingly aware of the magnetic pull Maine has on artists. Its elemental landscape and distinctive light have inspired generations of artists to develop individual ways of articulating place. Working here, I have become conscious of the visual histories that precede me—from Marsden Hartley and John Marin to Alex Katz, Lois Dodd, Neil Welliver, and John Walker. Their approaches have entered my own process, offering clues as to how this unfamiliar landscape might be translated into paint. Yet influence is never fixed; my own experience continually reshapes what I inherit.
My paintings occupy the space between observation and invention. Rooted in a deep reverence for the natural world, they are equally concerned with the formal and material possibilities of painting. Landscape is both subject and catalyst. What continues to draw me to Maine is its capacity to exceed description. Beneath the specificity of Acadia’s geography, I encounter something more elemental—an apprehension of wilderness that feels simultaneously ancient and present. Through painting, I seek to move from the particular towards a more universal register, where land- scape becomes less a depiction of place than an evocation of my relationship to the natural world.
For me, this is the enduring magnetic quality of Maine: a landscape that continually opens onto something beyond itself.’
Main Gallery at Concord Art, located in Concord, Massachusetts – 37 Lexington Rd A, Concord, MA 01742, United States
Concord Art Association is a membership-based arts center in Concord, Massachusetts that conducts exhibits, lectures, classes, and tours.
It was founded in 1917 by Elizabeth Wentworth Roberts and moved into its permanent location, the former John Ball House, in 1923
Exhibition Dates: Oct. 29 – Dec. 17, 2026
Artist Panel Event: Wednesday, Dec. 2, 5:30pm with Jorge S. Arango, Arts Writer.
Exhibition Text:
Each year, monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles from Canada to overwinter in the mountains of Mexico. While the sun helps guide their migration, on cloudy days they rely on a magnetic compass located in their antennae. This remarkable ability offers a fitting metaphor for artists. What unseen force draws a person to a particular place? What inner compass shapes a lifelong creative journey?
As Thoreau suggests, nature exerts a subtle magnetism, and few places embody that pull more strongly than Maine. Its dramatic coastline, expansive forests, rugged mountains, and ever-changing light have attracted artists for generations. Historically, painters came to Maine during the summer months to work directly from the landscape, establishing a tradition that continues today. Increasingly, however, artists are choosing not only to visit Maine but to make their lives here, drawn by both the natural environment and the strength of its artistic communities.
The artists represented in Magnetic North have all spent significant portions of their lives in Maine, and several were born in the state. Together, they represent a range of practices including painting, sculpture, photography, and installation. While each artist brings a distinct vision, they share an enduring connection to place, a commitment to creative independence, and a deep engagement with the natural world. Many have built lasting careers while contributing to Maine’s vibrant cultural landscape through galleries, exhibitions, residencies, and community initiatives. There is a generosity among Maine artists that is distinctive. Like magnets, they draw one another forward, creating opportunities for both peers and future generations.