Retrospective show features Millonzi

Advertiser Democrat

Oct 06, 2011 12:00 am
by Julie DiFazio

NORWAY — "The Journey," a Retrospective Art Show by Nikki Millonzi, is on display at the Norway Savings Bank Operations Center, 356 Main Street in Norway.

“The Journey” can be seen during the month of October and includes a dozen pieces created over a span of 27 years at Nikki’s studio on Pikes Hill. Her self portrait was her first adult framed piece and it was done in the early '70s under the tutelage of Lajos Matolsky, a well known artist and teacher. Nikki worked with Lajos for two years and then studied with Jean Randall of Otisfield, another gifted printmaker, artist and mentor.

“Requiem for Clara, a Good Laying Hen” was another early work from this period. Gradually her work became bolder and included collage as a technique. She often created things, then tore them up and collaged them back together to make something new. “Rainbow Warrior,” a collage expressing outrage over the treatment of native Americans at Big Mountain, is included in the show.

For three years Lisa Moore and Nikki collaborated, melding poetry and images in the form of poster calendars. As part of this series, they collaborated on the Millennial Quilt – each of the quilt’s squares were made into a month for the 2000 calendar. About this same time, the town of Norway commissioned Nikki to create the artistic map of the downtown area that is on display at the kiosk across the street from the Service Center.

As a founder of the Commons Art Collective at Fare Share Co-op, Nikki organized The Art Doll Collaboration. This was a year long project with a dozen artists each starting an artist doll, then sending it along to another artist who worked on it for a month before sending it along to the next person. This resulted in a wonderful show at the Collective gallery, and Nikki’s piece “My Hoose” is part of the retrospective.

Most recently Nikki has been intrigued with the “Touch Printing” process and making prints generally. “The Gates of Winter” was done this past winter incorporating those prints into a composite piece.

Everyone is invited to visit the Norway Saving Bank Operations Center at 356 Main Street to view the diverse works, ranging from the whimsical to the sublime - expressions created over nearly three decades of working in Norway. These art shows are hosted by Norway Savings Bank and are organized by the Western Maine Art Group.

For more information or comments, please contact Nikki at nikkimillonzi@gmail.com.