Celebrate the opening of "An Absent Presence: The Woman Doctor of Mount Desert," a new exhibition by Chloe Sailor.

This exhibition reimagines the life of Chloe Sailor's seventh great-grandmother, Susanna Beal Milliken—the first recorded “doctoress” of Mount Desert Island, Maine. Like countless women’s histories, Susanna’s story survives only in fragments, scattered among archival documents and overshadowed by the narratives of men. In this exhibition, Sailor gathers these delicate threads, employing Critical Fabulation—a method of creatively reconstructing lost histories through careful blending of historical fact and imaginative fiction—to mend and illuminate her story.

Through quilting, painting, and cyanotype on reclaimed Maine textiles, Sailor creates layered landscapes where reality and imagination coexist. The artwork is paired with speculative journal entries, offering an intimate glimpse into Susanna’s internal world—her journeys, emotions, and encounters with the landscape. Together, these pieces form a living, breathing archive, filling gaps left by history and affirming the presence of a remarkable woman whose life might otherwise remain unseen.

This project is supported in part by the Maine Arts Commission, which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Chloe Sailor is an artist living and working in Bangor, Maine. Sailor works in and between painting, fiber arts, photography, and writing to explore ideas of maternal histories and memories that live around us. Recent shows include a solo exhibition at 82Parris (Portland, ME), and group exhibitions at Zilberman Gallery (Miami, FL) and Swan Coach House Gallery (Atlanta, GA). Her studio practice has been supported by an Artist Project Grant from the Maine Arts Commission and a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant. Sailor received an MFA in Studio Art from Florida State University, and holds both an MEd and a BA in Studio Art from the University of New Hampshire. She currently teaches as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Maine.

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

This exhibition is on view in the Oresman Gallery, Hillyer Hall from September 8 through October 22, 2026 (Mondays-Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).