PORTLAND, ME - Since it opened in November 2016, thousands of New Englanders have experienced the Portland Science Center’s Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibition, a multi-media, interactive immersion in dinosaur discovery. As an added bonus, attendees have also been treated to an exhibition of work by adjunct University of Southern Maine art professor, Philip Carlo Paratore, whose “Dinosaur Portfolio” is evocative of the spirit of exploration and the science of discovery.
On Monday March 6 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and again from 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Professor Paratore will lead Maine College of Art (MECA) students and others, on a journey through his “Dinosaur Portfolio” to reveal his inspirations and methods for creating his unique body of work.
He will also provide an “artists talk” at The Portland Science Center on Thursday, March 9 at 5 p.m. for the general public.
What makes dinosaurs such superlative expressions of nature? Their fossilized bones assembled for us in museums excite our imagination, reminding us of nature’s richness and creative exuberance. At this series of talks, art students will hear about the history of the Dinosaur Portfolio as well as how and why it came to be. Attendees also will have the opportunity to talk with Paratore about his goals and methods as an artist. Students will be invited to sketch dinosaur models from Dinosaurs Unearthed.
“Soon after I began working with dinosaur images, I realized how naturally they get us thinking about serious themes such as evolution, extinction, conservation and Time itself. Of course, everyone will get something a little different from my paintings, but that is the fun and beauty of art.”
Philip Carlo Paratore’s story begins as a ten-year old boy when his two favorite things to do were draw pictures of animals, especially dinosaurs, and take trips by subway to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. These early childhood experiences led eventually to a decades-long artistic venture known as The Dinosaur Portfolio, now being presented at The Portland Science Center.
Over the years, his interest in science, especially the Natural Sciences, increasingly influenced his work, both in and out of the classroom. It has also led to journeys to Stonehenge; the Paleolithic caves at Lascaux and Fonte de Gaume, Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, the Serengeti, archeological sites in Central America, and Pithecanthropus sites in Solo, Indonesia. Whether in his studio or in his travels, the primary goal is to make connections between contemporary art and natural science.
The Dinosaur Portfolio has been presented in art and science museums around the United States and Canada including The Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology at Alberta,Canada, The Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia, The Michener Museum of Art, The Morris Museum of Art, The Virginia Museum of Science and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.
Downloadable photos & video of Dinosaurs Unearthed here
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Media Contact: Jill Valley-Orlando jill@knightcanney.com 808.271.3624
Portland Science Center 68 Commercial Street – Maine Wharf – Portland, ME