Maine Art Gallery’s 2024 season to honor past while looking to future

Wiscasset’s Maine Art Gallery continues to grow in membership and statewide recognition with an exhibit and program season that highlights the influences of early members and provides more opportunities for contemporary artists.

From April to October the 15 Warren St. gallery will be filled with work that showcases the importance of artistic legacy. The exhibitions will include youth art, two shows of work by member artists, a plein air event, and a juried show based on a theme. Each show will include a reception with the artists, and many will offer artists’ talks, according to a news release from Christine Hopf-Lovette with the gallery.

The 2024 season begins with a K-12 Wiscasset Public Schools Student Art Show on three weekends. The first floor of the gallery will present works by the students and their teachers. At the same time, the second floor will hold “Generations: The Legacy of Mentors,” an exhibit of Maine Art Gallery artists from the 1950s and ’60s, accompanied by select artists they influenced. The show is set to run from Saturday to Sunday, April 13-28.

In May, “Generations: The Legacy of Mentors” continues on the second floor concurrently with a first floor exhibit of work by Maine Art Gallery member artists whose statements describe their mentors and their influences. The show runs Thursday to Sunday, May 2 through June 9.

With June’s warmer temperatures, the gallery presents “Paint it! Wiscasset,” an annual plein air event. The artists have a week to complete paintings throughout Lincoln County. One day of that week will be devoted to painting within the village. At the same time, the second floor will hold “Drawn to Maine: Contemporary Drawing and Printmaking,” a juried show of artistic expressions in a variety of drawing and printmaking processes. The show runs Thursday to Sunday, June 13 through July 21.

Beginning in mid-summer, recent work by the artist members of the gallery will be shown in “Made in Maine: Annual Members Show.” This will include a wide variety of mediums as well as representational and non-objective approaches in a range of techniques. The show runs Thursday to Sunday, July 25 through Sept. 8.

The season ends with “Nocturne,” works of fine art that portrays evening or night, a theme that began to be explored by American artists who were influenced by James McNeil Whistler’s nocturne series in the late 1800s. This juried show will feature work that explores the theme in all mediums and styles. The show runs Thursday to Sunday, Sept. 12 through -Oct. 20.

Calls for art will be sent approximately two months prior to each exhibit opening. Maine Art Gallery members receive discounts, priority notice, and additional opportunities for showing their art. To join, renew or donate, visit maineartgallerywiscasset.org.

The season sponsor is Sherri Dunbar, Tim Dunham Realty, and program sponsors are Ames True Value, First National Bank, Les Fossel Restorations, Barnes Custom Window Treatment, and Red’s Eats. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available until Friday, March 1.