A panel of artists will discuss the figure in art on Monday, May 24 amid Waterfall Arts’ current exhibition of figure work by members of the Belfast life-drawing group. The panel discussion begins at 7pm in the Clifford Gallery at 256 High Street in Belfast.

David Estey, who has run the life-drawing group in Belfast for six years, said "This is a rare opportunity to participate in a discussion with a panel of accomplished artists about and within the confines of the current figure exhibition. Members of the panel have over 150 years of professional experience in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture and have formal educations in the history of fine art and the disciplines required to do it well.”

Panel members include artists David Estey, Nancy Morgan Barnes, Kris Engman and Richard Mann. Estey, who lives in Belfast, has a BFA degree from the Rhode Island School of Design.  He’s taught and exhibited in Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Maine. Morgan Barnes resides in Searsport and has been painting for over 30 years. A graduate of Indiana University, she exhibits her paintings in Italy and throughout the US, including many solo shows. She taught art at the university level for 19 years before moving to Maine in 2000. Engman, who lives in Liberty, has a BFA from MECA and a MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches in the Art Department of the University of Maine - subjects include: two dimensional design and painting and drawing at all levels. For 25 years, she was a figurative sculptor; now she focuses on painting, working with patterns of light and color found in the surrounding landscape. Richard Mann lives in Belfast, was born in Portland and studied drawing at Connecticut College before moving west. At the University of Hawaii he studied intaglio and lithographic printmaking, papermaking and sculpture, earning a B.A. in Art. Mann started the Belfast life-drawing group with artist Dudley Zopp in 2000 and shows his work at Aarhus Gallery.

The panel will encourage dialogue with the audience to explore the importance of the figure to artists throughout history, commenting on pieces in the exhibit and other examples.  Anticipated topics include: what makes a good drawing, why drawing matters, how painting and sculpture differ from drawing, why artists have always studied the human body and thinking like an artist. Other questions may be how drawing feeds into other disciplines and whether drawing is considered the 'lesser' art form compared to painting or sculpting. The members of the panel and audience may also discuss their personal process of marking artwork.

Admission to the evening’s panel discussion is free, but donations to Waterfall Arts are welcome. Two life-drawing groups meet each week at Waterfall Arts; on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning. For more information, call 338-2222.

Drawing by Emily Hopkins