A Photo Imaging Course Journal: The Format Journal-Assignment 4 Art Exhibit

Date: Exhibit August 22 – October 4, 2026 (Opening reception Aug. 22)

Photo Professional: Manor Mill Gallery - Exhibit: Orbit & Origin

Specialty: Fine arts gallery, classes, live music venue, ceramics studio and workshops.

Location: 2029 Monkton Road, Monkton, MD 21111

Manor Mill: The Venue

By their website:

“Manor Mill is a newly restored, pre-revolutionary grist mill that now houses a fine arts gallery, musical performances, ceramics, yoga and meditation, workshops across all disciplines and organizational retreats. Manor Mill is a community built upon creativity and learning, rooted in history and situated in the most beautiful area of rural Baltimore County in Monkton, MD."

Manor Mill also works in conjunction with The David Niven Theater at Oldfields School, Sparks-Glencoe MD to produce plays using an open call for auditions.

The Interior:

Second and third floors (top two photos) used for mainly for the various themed art exhibits. The areas are also used during the course of these exhibits as various art workshops and art meet-ups.

Second floor (bottom left photo) has an off room area that serves as a guest solo display during the main exhibit. It also includes a kitchen area for any food preparations for openings, staff and workshop needs.

Third floor addition (bottom right photo) features music guests, lectures, poetry readings, and seminars.

All above photos by Craig Haupt (during revisit Sept 30)

Not Shown. The first floor is designated as a gift shop where artists have art works on a long-term basis displayed for sale as well as cards, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, glassware and other small art gift items.

Basement houses a smaller original stone walled area and with access to a underground well that used to feed the waterwheel. One room with dungeon like vibes is also used for art displays that compliment the atmosphere of the setting.

As seen from the outside (upper first row-left photo, red siding addition) the first floor houses the ceramics/pottery making room and on the floors above, accommodate in house studio painters and work areas.

Manor Mill: The Art Exhibit

This month’s themed art exhibit displayed a mix of media using both floors for the exhibit. Title of Manor Mill Gallery Exhibit: Orbit & Origin-Exploring the Spaces Between Earth, Dreams, and Stars. The Gallery curator for this exhibit is Brad Blair.

Image, Manor Mill invite, downloaded from their social media site

The Manor Mill statement of this exhibition.

“Curated by Brad Blair, Orbit & Origin brings together a blend of artists exploring the mysterious space somewhere between where we come from and where we are headed. Featuring works in a wide array of mediums, this exhibition weaves together visions of the subconscious, dreamlike landscapes, celestial bodies, abstractions, and imagined futures. Some of the pieces are abstract and atmospheric, while others feel more familiar but under a surreal & imaginative lens. Together, they create a sense of movement between past and future, reality and dream, & the known and unknown.”

Artist Lineup: Pamela Crockett, Cindy Mehr, Rashid Cornish, Jason Carroll, Josh Brooks, Michael Scott, Peggy Fox, Stephen Spartana, Tara Gillespie, Terance Hannum, Michael Weiss, & Brad Blair

The exhibit:

Photos and layout by me, that old art type guy

With 12 featured artists including Brad Blair (curator), I am familiar with 5 of the 12 artists personally and aware of another three from social media connections or other exhibits. For this Art Exhibit journal entry, I focused on two artists, Cindy Mehr and Stephen Spartana.

First Highlighted artist: Cindy Mehr

In her words about this exhibition.

"« Orbit » is what happens after the light enters the world and begins to move and transform. In my paintings geometric patterns, bubbles, tendrils, ribbon-like elements evoke movement as they circulate, loop, or radiate outward. They move through space, almost like energy, or particles caught in an orbit."

Above two photos that were in the show are provided by Cindy, title text by me

For this exhibit, each artist had serval works of art represented. Cindy displayed 6 works of art for this show. This is Cindy on opening night next to one of her pieces. While Cindy enjoys working mostly in a large scale format there were 2 of the 6 works measuring 12 x 12 inches.

She works with oils and collage techniques.

Photo by Craig Haupt

Additional note: Cindy Mehr has become a close friend over the years and while our art is different in some respects it is uncanny that when we both participate in an exhibition together our art is paired with one another or in proximity. It’s become a favorite story when we meet viewers of our art.

Photos by: TL-gallery employee, TR-Cindy, BL-Cindy, BR-me

While I love her current work and always feel a bond with her gradation techniques, I had the opportunity to see some of her earlier works for the first time in August at Liriodendron Mansion in Belair, MD. This cubism, fractured style and the toned down pallet drew me in deeper to her imagination, composition and painterly skills.

Two examples of the paintings displayed at her Liriodendron solo exhibit:

Photos by Cindy and allowed to use. Layout and title text by me

Second highlighted artist: Stephen Spartana

Shown at Manor Mill's exhibit and image supplied by Stephen, text by me.

In Stephens words about the exhibition

"Water is an extraordinary compound, notable for its rare ability to expand as it freezes. This series reflects that phenomenon through themes of movement and stillness. Photographed along frozen lakes and stream edges, the images capture organic elements suspended in layered ice—moments where motion is stilled. Light moves across and beneath the surface, revealing a hidden world and creating elegant, evocative icescapes".

I've also known Stephen for a number of years and while our meetups both socially or at exhibits are not as frequent as they have with Cindy, Stephen and his wife Lisa, have also become good friends. Even before I started to drift into photography again, I found a deep connection to the abstract compositions when seeing Stephen’s photography for the first time. Equally impressed with the layering technique to build the composition.

Shown at Manor Mill's exhibit and image supplied by Stephen, text by me.

Shown below are three additional images of 4 that make up the layers composite to make the finished 'Melting' photo. The fourth layer completes the finished image above.

In his words about the his execution of his layering several images together.

From Stephen:

"There are always many experiments when I create artwork. For one of the pieces-'Melting', I've attached the original ice photograph, the other 2 images are the work in progress. For this particular series I used 4 different images, experimenting with shape and color, it was done on a Surface laptop using photoshop".

All above photos supplied by Stephen

A next to final note: Brad Blair, Manor Mill Gallery curator and participant of this months exhibit

Besides working as the Manor Mill gallery curator, Brad is also an established potter and sculpturer working with clay. I have been to a number of shows over the 5 years since Manor Mill's opening and I have always been impressed with the choices of art for each themed show as well as his impeccable eye for layout of the artworks to display. Besides the base material of clay there are the glass eyes and other various materials to embellish his creations.

Below some of his works

All images downloaded from Brad's website with permission. Layout and text by me.

Supernatural Sorcerer and Striker are in my possession.

A real final note: My association with Manor Mill

I wish I lived closer to Manor Mill as I’m extremely fond of art community that works and supports their mission to the arts. I do make a point of attending a number of art themed art exhibitions particularly if I’m familiar with artists I’m connected with, by their art and/or as friends. Have even taken in a couple of music shows, several art group discussions and the bi-monthly artist meet-up critiques.

While most themed shows do not lean towards my style of artwork, I had been asked to be a part of one exhibit featuring surreal/abstract based art in October 2024.

These are a few of my oil paintings displayed at that exhibition.