The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Art Gallery presents the 2026 Fine Art Senior Thesis Exhibition, featuring the work of three Fine Art majors between April 19 and May 16. The public is invited to view the shows and meet the artists during exhibition receptions. Light refreshments will be served. The Reed Gallery is located on the second floor of the University’s Center for Innovative Learning.
Ryan Lemire will be displaying his exhibition Abstracted from April 19 to May 2, with a First Friday Art Night reception on Friday, May 1, 6-8 p.m. Peter Rogers and Lee Kerecman will then showcase Content in Art and 5K Art show: Island Souvenirs, respectively, from May 3-16, with a reception on Friday, May 8, 6-8 p.m. During their respective shows, the artists will each give a talk about their work and their process.
The Senior Thesis Project is an intensive, two-semester capstone course for seniors in the Studio Art major. As a foundation for becoming a visual arts professional, students work toward developing a disciplined studio practice and honing their individual artistic voice, culminating in a cohesive body of work for an individual art exhibition at the end of the Spring semester. In addition, each student completes a comprehensive thesis paper detailing their artistic process, influences, inspirations, and the relationship between form and meaning in their work. The rigorous course of study is unique to most statewide BFA programs, allowing enrolled students to have an experience similar to a graduate school environment.
Ryan Lemire’s exhibition, Abstracted, alchemizes emotion and physical motion, to transform complex internal states of being into a non-linear visual language. Drawing inspiration from the legacy of Abstract Expressionism and the gestural spontaneity of artists like Jackson Pollock, Lemire utilizes painting, mixed media, and a variety of time-based media to investigate how abstraction can embody feelings that precede words. His work features layers of experimental materials and rhythmic, action-oriented compositions that prioritize sensory experience over traditional narrative. Through this multidisciplinary collection, Lemire creates a record of personal growth that embraces the unpredictable nature of the creative process, offering viewers a space to confront raw sensation and the fluid boundaries of emotional expression.
Peter Rogers’ exhibition, Content in Art, draws deep inspiration from his family’s multi-generational history in ceramics and his global travels during a 21-year Army career. Rogers uses the potter’s wheel to investigate the boundaries between utility and personal artistic expression. His work features a diverse range of wheel-thrown and hand-manipulated forms—including experimental sculptural pieces and thin-walled vessels inspired by the legendary George Ohr—that utilize complex glazing techniques like splattered cobalt oxide and crystalline hand-blended colors that celebrate the beauty found in both intentional design and spontaneous failure. Through this collection, Rogers elevates everyday objects into sculptural narratives that reflect his personal journey, physical resilience, and an evolving spiritual connection to clay.
In her exhibition, 5K Art Show: Island Souvenirs, Lee Kerecman explores the painful sense of disconnection she feels when viewing her childhood photographs from Japan. Through what she terms an “enchanted dialogue,” Kerecman uses digital illustration to bridge the distance between her present self and her younger self, transforming real archival images of her kindergarten environment into fantastical landscapes. Her work features folkloric and original characters, which act as guardians of memory, woven into their ordinary scenes and spaces using 2D cell shading and dramatic lighting inspired by Studio Ghibli. By blending historic archives with tactile details, Kerecman creates a collection of work that honors their heritage while investigating the gaps, nostalgia and unsettling undertones inherent in the act of remembering.
The Reed Art Gallery is located on the upper floor of the Center for Innovative Learning in the heart of the UMPI campus at 181 Main St. in Presque Isle. Regular gallery hours during the academic year are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays from 3 to 9 p.m. The Reed Art Gallery is closed on Saturdays and holidays.
For more information, contact Gallery Director Frank Sullivan at frank.sullivan@maine.edu or 207-694-1920.