A select group of twenty-five Maine artists from 25 towns selected by the Maine Art Gallery (MAG) have been toting their easels throughout Maine this month as they create their entries for MAG’s annual plein air exhibition.
The length of time for creating art and the duration of the plein air exhibit are extended this year. The artists will be painting at locations of their choosing from July 1 – July 26. Their work will be on sale from July 31 – August 24. Gallery hours are Wed-Sun, 11-4.
The “Paint It! Maine” exhibition runs concurrently with “Fiore at 100: Maine Observed,” a retrospective exhibition of works by Joseph Fiore (1925 – 2008) for whom the natural beauty of the Maine landscape was a primary inspiration.
An opening reception will be held during Wiscasset’s Thursday Art Walk, July 31, 4:30pm – 6:30pm. Music will be provided by singer/songwriter Lisa Redfern.The gallery has dedicated this year’s “Paint It! Maine” to the memory of Bradley resident Anthony Watkins, who passed away in March of this year. Anthony was an accomplished plein air painter who regularly participated in the gallery’s events and was awarded for his artistry.
A gallery Art Talk, “Fiore – The Plein Air Experience” by David Dewey will be held on Wednesday, August 6 at 4:30 pm. Dewey was a colleague, friend, and former student of Fiore.
The Fiore show, on the first floor of the gallery, is presented in partnership with the Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), recipient of a large collection of Fiore’s paintings upon the artist’s death in 2008. Sales of the Fiore paintings will benefit MFT and the Maine Art Gallery.
MAG gratefully acknowledges “Paint It! Maine” sponsor Barnes Custom Window Treatments, serving Maine since 1960 offering top lines of custom window treatments and awnings. “Fiore at 100” is sponsored by Fogg & Dalton Art Restoration and Ames True Value hardware. Sherri Dunbar of Tim Dunham Realty is season sponsor, and Islebrook Village at Wiscasset, an Everbrook Senior Living Community is a capital sponsor.
A nonprofit organization since 1958, the Maine Art Gallery, located at 15 Warren Street, Wiscasset, is dedicated to the advancement and preservation of the visual, fine and applied arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations and educational programs for children and adults. More information can be found at www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org and on Facebook at Maine Art Gallery Wiscasset. Email info@maineartgallerywiscasset.org or phone (207) 687-8143.
The gallery is located at 15 Warren Street, Wiscasset, with free on-street parking. From the north on Route 1, turn right onto Federal Street (Rt. 218) then left onto Warren Street. From the south on Route 1, turn left onto Federal Street, then left onto Warren Street. From Main Street shops, an easy 8-minute walk.
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Artists participating in the Maine Art Gallery’s plein air event have been painting throughout the state during the month of July. Ocean Point is the subject of “Little Green Island” by John Sawyer.
