Destination: Maine
In this issue Art New England conveys the importance of finding joy and making connections through art. Summer is a time of adventure, of spending more time by the water, on the water, and appreciating watercolors. It’s also a time for turning off the GPS and watching where the road takes you. Where better to wander than on Maine’s wondrous, curving roads and lanes, where a spontaneous turn can lead you to charming inlets and communities full of galleries, cafés and miles of gorgeous peninsula views. Where a weekend in one of the state’s bustling city centers will leave you exhilarated by a packed calendar of cultural events of art, music and performances. Whether hugging the coastline or venturing deep upstate, Maine makes every moment count.
We’re focusing on summer yet Maine is a four-season destination. Its hospitality, cuisine, relaxed vibe, and exceptional arts and culture scene thrive all year-round. Summer’s fleeting, Maine’s appeal is not. Enjoy exploring…
George Marshall Store Gallery in York
The George Marshall Store Gallery provides dedicated exhibition space to contemporary artists from Maine and New England. Located in a historic 19th century general store on the York River, this charming gallery boasts spectacular views both inside and out. Visitors this season will enjoy works by emerging and established artists, including site-specific installation, paintings, prints, ceramics, fresco and more. Alongside themed exhibitions in the main space, the dock level retail gallery, named for the working dock its historic doors open onto, hosts a rotating selection of collectable works by featured regional artists. Upcoming exhibitions include No Small Thing, on view through July 30, a group show responding to the Maine landscape, and In Dialogue, opening August 12.
Cove Street Arts in Portland
Cove Street Arts features 8,000 square feet of exhibition space containing multiple galleries, a bookstore and small works gallery, event and workshop space, artist studios, and a movie screen. Cove Street Arts is an interdisciplinary art space and celebration of Maine’s place in American art history dedicated to displaying the incredible breadth and depth of fine art being made in Maine, to demonstrating the ways in which Maine remains a buzzing locus of creative energy, and to showing how vibrant and vital the state’s art scene continues to be. With such a wide variety of events and exhibitions, this gallery is an ideal spot for everyone with an interest in contemporary art. When visiting, be sure to stop by sister gallery, Greenhut Galleries.
Greenhut Galleries in Portland
Established in 1977, Greenhut Galleries is Portland’s oldest year-round gallery, located in the heart of Portland’s historic Old Port district. This regional gallery is a microcosm of the brilliant Portland art scene, featuring the work of some of Maine’s finest contemporary artists. Voted “Best Art Gallery in Portland” by both Down East Magazine and the Maine Sunday Telegram/Portland Press Herald, the gallery is an integral part of the vibrant downtown art scene. The main gallery features shifting work by its resident artists, while the back gallery features solo exhibitions. Both gallery shows are changed on a monthly basis and include periodic group and themed exhibitions. Look out for: Colin Page Song of Summer on view July 6 through 29 and Tim Wilson Solo Exhibition on view August 3 through September 2.
Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland
Located in scenic downtown Rockland, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) creates opportunities for new developments in contemporary art through exceptional exhibitions and education programs that communicate the transformative power of art in our time. CMCA’s summer season features four solo projects by Maine-based artist Nancy Andrews and Maine-connected artists Rodrigo Valenzuela, Shinique Smith and Ellie Ga, spanning an exceptional range of culturally relevant subjects. Andrews’ first solo exhibition in her home state spans drawing, collage, video and sculpture. Valenzuela mines new possibilities in photographic installation, Ellie Ga projects her latest video, Quarries, and Smith presents a monumental 28-foot-long mixed media painting in the lobby in these four can’t-miss exhibitions.
Turtle Gallery on Deer Isle
This season, Turtle Gallery is focusing on Maine artists and craftspeople, celebrating the resilience of the island throughout the last few years. In August, women artists will grace the gallery walls with a variety of media from Michele Ratté, Conny Hatch, Holly Berry and Alix Bacon. September Ceramics is on again this year with the addition of new work from local photographers Adam Diller and Anna Edgerly-Moore. Jeweler Heather Guidero will host a trunk show at the gallery July 14 and 15 and printmaker Katama Murray will teach an eco-printing workshop July 22. As part of Turtle Gallery’s effort to give back to their community, they will again contribute a portion of their profits this season to Island Workforce Housing which is dedicated to creating affordable housing on Deer Isle. Turtle Gallery resides in an 1876 two-story barn and outdoor sculpture garden just north of the Deer Isle village center.
Cynthia Winings Gallery in Blue Hill
Nestled in the picturesque coastal town of Blue Hill, Cynthia Winings Gallery stands as a beacon of artistic expression and a haven for art enthusiasts. Whether you’re a passionate collector of art, someone who finds solace in the presence of beauty, or simply in need of an escape from the ordinary, Cynthia Winings Gallery offers an exceptional experience that transports you to a captivating world of artistic brilliance. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of art, inspiring, challenging, and deeply touching the human spirit. A place where imagination finds its abode and leaves an unforgettable impression on the souls of all who step inside. The current exhibition, Beacons, showcases the work of David Hornung, Lari Washburn, Robin Reynolds, with Jen Maloney in the Project Space, and Louise Bourne, Ingrid Ellison, Jerry Rose, Patricia Wheeler, and others.
Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville
The Colby College Museum of Art is a teaching museum, a destination for American Art and a place for engagement with local, national and global communities. The Museum is located in Waterville and is part of Colby College. Founded in 1959, the Museum consists of five wings, nearly 10,000 works of art, and more than 38,000 square feet of exhibition space. The Colby Museum endeavors to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and access across all of its work and engages with today’s most vital questions. This summer, the Museum has partnered with Waterville Creates and the Waterville Public Library to offer dynamic, engaging community programming. Art in the Park, occurring on Thursdays throughout July and August, encourages participants to visit the Paul J. Schupf Art Center to listen to a book read aloud and create artworks based on that book or community theme. With a wide array of rotating exhibits, educational programs, events and more, Colby College Museum of Art is a must-see stop in Maine’s art scene.
Monhegan Museum of Art & History on Monhegan Island
Monhegan Museum of Art & History is located in the historic Monhegan Island Light Station, twelve miles off the coast of Maine. The Monhegan Light Keeper’s House contains exhibits about the island’s history, art, and nature. The Assistant Keeper’s House holds a gallery that features exhibitions from the museum’s art collection, which spans more than 160 years. Additionally, the Rockwell Kent/James Fitzgerald Historic Artists’ Home and Studio displays a collection of works by James Fitzgerald. This season, the Museum presents Counterpoint: Monhegan’s Artist Couples, opening July 1. The exhibition showcases the interwoven artistic endeavors of four couples who formed the core of Monhegan Island’s art community in the mid to late 20th century: Reuben and Geraldine Tam, Marvin Oberman and Arline Simon, Jan and William McCartin, and John Hultberg and Lynne Drexler. The museum is open daily through September, during which time the Kent/Fitzgerald Home and Studio are open Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Carson Jackson at The Beavis Frank Gallery
The Beavis Frank Gallery first emerged in Kittery Point in 1996. Artist and gallery owner Tim Beavis passed away in 2019, and following his passing, his wife Hanna Frank and her sister Marjan stumbled upon a remarkable discovery within his studio: a collection of 400 paintings. They decided to revive the gallery. In addition to selling Beavis’s extraordinary work, they have also introduced drawing, painting, and ceramic classes to the gallery’s offerings, nurturing the creative spirit within the community. Hanna Frank crossed paths with Carson Jackson and familiarized herself with his artistic endeavors. “Carson Jackson’s artistry perfectly embodies the ethos of the Beavis Frank Gallery,” said Frank. “His work truly stands at the intersection of technique, storytelling, and profound human emotion.” The sisters invited Jackson to become the esteemed artist-in-residence for 2023. As part of this collaboration, Jackson’s artwork, in addition to Beavis’s, will be showcased again this summer at the reopened and rejuvenated Beavis Frank Gallery.
