View the Laura Vickery Art Exhibit at the University of New England Before June 30
Explore the University of New England’s Commitment to the Arts
Across the USA, universities have increasingly become vital cultural hubs, offering much more than just degree programs. The University of New England (UNE) exemplifies this trend by actively providing spaces where students, faculty, and the general public can engage with compelling visual arts. Hosting events like the current Laura Vickery art exhibit demonstrates UNE’s dedication to fostering a well-rounded, intellectually stimulating environment that extends beyond its highly regarded health sciences and marine programs. By opening its Campus Center doors to the public, UNE creates a shared community space where artistic expression and academic life intersect seamlessly.
Bringing contemporary art onto a university campus serves multiple purposes. For students, it provides daily exposure to creative thought processes that can enhance their own academic work, regardless of their major. For the local community, it offers accessible cultural enrichment without the barrier of admission fees typically associated with galleries. This current exhibition is a perfect example of how UNE supports local artists while enriching the cultural fabric of the Biddeford area.
Explore our related articles for further reading on how arts and humanities integrate with higher education.
The Inspiration Behind Laura Vickery’s Eye Paintings
The focal point of this latest art exhibit is a deeply introspective series of eye paintings by Maine-based artist Laura Vickery. The genesis of this body of work is rooted in a shared global experience: the COVID-19 pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, public health mandates required the widespread wearing of masks, which fundamentally altered how humans interacted and communicated. With mouths and noses covered, the eyes became the primary, and often sole, medium for conveying emotion, empathy, and connection.
Vickery found herself captivated by this shift in non-verbal communication. As social distancing measures kept people physically apart, the intensity of a single glance took on newfound significance. She began to notice how much information could be gathered just from looking into someone’s eyes—detecting a smile, recognizing anxiety, or feeling a sense of shared perseverance. This observation became the driving force behind her current series, which she has continued to expand even as pandemic restrictions have lifted.
As Vickery noted in her artist’s statement, “The stories each of us have can be told in a glance. Eyes are fascinating, distinctive, and reveal so much about a person or animal, and actually are windows to the soul.” This philosophy is evident in the careful attention to detail present in each piece. One standout piece in the exhibit is “Jamal,” a striking 2022 acrylic on canvas measuring 12 by 36 inches. The elongated format draws the viewer’s focus directly to the subject’s gaze, creating an intimate and immediate connection that transcends the physical boundaries of the canvas.
Meet Maine Painter Laura Vickery
Understanding the artist’s background adds significant depth to the viewing experience. Laura Vickery is a formally trained artist who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art and Design. Interestingly, her major was in ceramics, a three-dimensional medium that requires a highly tactile approach to creation. For decades after her formal education, Vickery operated a successful working clay studio, honing her understanding of form, texture, and spatial relationships.
However, the evolution of her artistic practice led her to shift her primary focus from clay to painting. This transition is not uncommon among artists who wish to explore different avenues of expression, but it requires a significant adjustment in technique and perspective. Vickery successfully translated her keen observational skills from sculpture into two-dimensional compositions. Since 2015, she has dedicated herself to painting and has built a strong presence by selling her original works directly to collectors through her Etsy shop.
Her journey from a ceramicist to a painter recognized by a major university highlights the dynamic nature of a creative career in the USA. It also underscores the importance of adaptability and continuous exploration in the arts. Vickery’s work resonates with audiences because it bridges traditional observational portraiture with contemporary, relatable themes of isolation and human connection.
Plan Your Visit to the UNE Campus Center Art Exhibit
If you are planning to see this compelling art exhibit, timing and logistics are important. The collection of Laura Vickery’s work will be on display at the University of New England Campus Center located on the Biddeford Campus through June 30. The Campus Center is situated at 11 Hills Beach Road in Biddeford, Maine, a location that offers the added benefit of being near the scenic Maine coastline, making it an excellent addition to a summer day trip.
To accommodate visitors, the Campus Center operates on a summer schedule. From Monday through Friday, the building is open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On the weekends, hours are slightly reduced, running from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. These extended weekday hours provide ample opportunity for working professionals and students to visit the exhibit at their convenience. Because the exhibit closes at the end of June, visitors are encouraged to plan their trip soon to ensure they do not miss this limited-run presentation.
Have questions about the exhibit or campus hours? Write to us!
Why Attending Local Art Exhibits Enriches Your Perspective
Engaging with local and regional art exhibits offers benefits that extend far beyond simply viewing aesthetically pleasing objects. In an increasingly digital world, taking the time to stand in front of a physical piece of art forces a pause in the constant stream of information. It encourages mindfulness and requires the viewer to slow down and process what they are seeing. When you look at one of Vickery’s eye paintings, you are invited to interpret emotion and narrative, an exercise that strengthens critical thinking and empathetic skills.
Furthermore, attending exhibits at venues like the University of New England helps sustain the local creative economy. Artists rely on community engagement to continue their practice. By visiting, discussing, and sharing news about these exhibits, you contribute to a cultural ecosystem that values and compensates creative labor. Across the USA, communities that actively support their local artists tend to experience higher levels of civic engagement and community pride.
Art exhibits also serve as a catalyst for conversation. Whether you attend alone or with friends, the work on display provides a shared experience that can spark discussions about technique, subject matter, and broader societal themes—in this case, the lasting psychological impacts of the pandemic on how we relate to one another.
Integrating Art and Humanities into Higher Education
The presence of this art exhibit at the University of New England also speaks to a broader educational philosophy: the necessity of integrating the arts and humanities into comprehensive higher education. UNE is widely known as a top provider of health professionals, home to Maine’s only medical and dental colleges, and a leader in marine and environmental sciences. However, the university actively maintains robust programs in the arts and humanities through its College of Arts and Sciences.
This intersection of disciplines is highly intentional. Research consistently shows that students in health sciences and other STEM fields benefit immensely from exposure to the arts. Visual arts, in particular, enhance observational skills—a critical asset for future medical professionals diagnosing patients or marine scientists analyzing ecological changes. An interprofessional education that includes the arts produces more well-rounded, adaptable, and empathetic graduates.
By hosting Laura Vickery’s work, UNE provides a practical example of this integration in action. A pre-med student walking to a biology lab can stop and study the nuanced brushstrokes of an acrylic painting, engaging a different part of their brain and reinforcing the very visual diagnostic skills they will need in their future career.
Schedule a free consultation to learn more about our arts and humanities programs.
Connect With the University of New England Community
The Laura Vickery art exhibit is more than just a temporary display of paintings; it is a reflection of the University of New England’s broader mission to be an active, welcoming, and culturally engaged institution. Whether you are a current student, an alumnus, a prospective applicant, or a local resident of southern Maine, the UNE Campus Center welcomes you to experience this thought-provoking collection before it closes on June 30.
Take the opportunity to visit the Biddeford campus, view the distinctive eye paintings that capture the essence of human connection, and learn more about what UNE has to offer. From its coastal Maine campuses to its global study-abroad options in Morocco, the university continues to build a marketplace of ideas where art, science, and health professions coexist and thrive.
Submit your application today to join our vibrant creative community.
Share your experiences in the comments below.
