Artists tell us who we are as a people. They reflect our spirit and define our soul. Maine is very unique, we are not like anywhere else. As governor, I identified and supported our creative economy, which linked this talent to our economic engine. Maine has world-renowned writers, photographers, painters, poets, builders, basket makers and many, many more. We have a storied history, amazing present-day craft artists and an unfolding future of people coming to Maine to create.
Personally, we try to seek out and support our Maine artists. We celebrate holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and sometimes simply support what inspires us.
Our family holiday card comes to mind. The holidays have always been a time for us to share a family photo, taken by professional Maine photographers, to connect with family and friends. It was a way to follow us — especially Jack, as he grew up throughout the years.
In our Blaine House years, in addition to the annual photo, we added original holiday commemoratives made by Mainers to celebrate the season. These included many different designs, creations, artwork and unique gifts. We showcased Maine artists and craftsmen at our two Inaugurals, many trade missions, meetings, retreats and Maine Day at The Big E Agricultural Fair.
I encourage everyone to shop locally. Invest in Maine artists and craftsmen.
Governor John E. Baldacci served two terms as the governor of the State of Maine from 2003 to 2011. Prior public service included serving as U.S. Representative for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District from 1995-2003. Governor Baldacci joined Pierce Atwood in 2012, following an appointment as the Director of the Department of Defense’s Military Health Care Reform Initiative, working for the former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Clifford L. Stanley, where he was tasked with a full-scale review and evaluation of military health care and wellness.
What Maine Craft Means to Me Essay Series invites you to explore the many intersections and layers of craft, people and time in Maine through the words of those with deep connections to our state and our field. Each week, a new essay will be shared.
Harbor Square Gallery in Camden is showing new work by Thomas O’Donovan, the jeweler and artistic director who founded the gallery more than four decades ago. On view is “Revelation,” from his series The Offering, crafted in 18k gold and bronze with antique coconut heishi beads. Harbor Square Gallery is at 37 Bay View St., […]
The Deer Isle Artists Association gallery welcomes North Carolina-based painter Tony Griffin as artist-in-residence for April. Griffin’s work — deeply rooted in the tradition of the Renaissance masters — spans portraiture, figure painting and plein air landscape. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and has exhibited throughout North Carolina […]
Waterfall Arts in Belfast opens “Make Your Mark,” an immersive, community-driven exhibition transforming the Clifford Gallery into an interactive space inspired by street art, April 18 through May 29. An opening reception is April 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The exhibition features participatory installations including doodle […]
Local Color Gallery in Belfast welcomes fiber artist Sarah Leighton as guest artist April 21 through May 17. Leighton will speak about her work during Fourth Friday Gallery Night on April 25 from 4 to 7 p.m., with her talk beginning at 5 p.m. Leighton grew up in Midcoast Maine, where her French-Canadian grandmother — […]
The Union of Maine Visual Artists presents “Bodies in Motion,” an exhibition of work in various media at Zoot Coffee in Camden, running April 1 through 30. The show features 19 artists: Hillary Steinau, Cynthia Motian McGuirl, Jess Lauren Lipton, Charlie Newton, Maryjean Viano Crowe, Mackenzie Martin, Jorge Pena, Rachel Robbins, Shanna McNair, Kristi Marsh, […]
Three artists are currently featured at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, spanning painting, assemblage and works on paper. Robert Hamilton (1917-2004) thought of his paintings as “a place for something to occur — little pictorial events, little plays.” In “Come Back Sweet Mama (Boy in Museum)” (1990), the avid recreational tennis player imagined a museum […]
Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset has shaped its 2026 exhibition season around the ways artists respond to the natural world and Maine’s place in the sustainable agriculture movement. The season opens with “Art to Table: Visual Sustenance,” a juried show examining individual and communal relationships to food through works that elevate ingredients, meals and rituals. […]
Meetinghouse Arts kicked off the season with a creative conversation featuring artist Charlie Hewitt on March 18, partnering with Freeport Community Services for the evening event. Hewitt is known for his Hopeful Project, a glowing installation originally commissioned by Speedwell in 2019 that has since spread to dozens of sites. The gallery also hosted a […]
George Marshall Store Gallery in York opened “Block Party!” on March 15, bringing together artists living, working or with ties to York, Kittery, Eliot, South Berwick, Ogunquit and Wells. The open-call exhibition featured a wide variety of mediums, experimental approaches and interpretations of local landmarks. The show included work by Karen Adrienne, Marena Bach, Todd […]
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