Gleason Fine Art will host a reception and book-signing for the gallery’s August show, “Michael Vermette: 50 Plus One,” from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 6.
The show celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway and plein-air artist Michael Vermette’s selection as its inaugural visiting artist. The show’s title refers to both the number of years the waterway has existed as a protected park and the number of paintings Vermette committed to painting during his residency. “50 Plus One” is also the title of Vermette’s book on this first-ever Allagash adventure.
Vermette, who is as eloquent in words as he is in painting, describes becoming the Allagash’s first artist in residence best:
In April of 2019, I received two emails encouraging me to apply for the Allagash Wilderness Waterway visiting artist program. I would be the inaugural artist to experience the 92-mile-long wild river system that is the Allagash. The two-week residency was hosted and designed by Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, which established the program to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of this spectacular, scenic waterway.
Weeks later, when I was informed that I was selected, I was utterly astounded that they would pick me out of the hundreds of applicants who had applied. My application had described my residency in four parts.
First, I would paint three to four, 8 by 10 oils each day, each at a different location. Second, I would focus on the joy of painting, no matter the difficulties or circumstances. Third, I would arise each day with two hands in the present and not be distracted by past paintings or even future ones. Last, I would finish well, capturing the ‘life force’ of the Allagash, as best I could.
As an inter-related member of the Penobscot tribe by marriage, I fully agree with the philosophy of my First Nation wife that the River is more than what runs through a village, but it is its very ‘Life Source.’ In hindsight, I now know that sometimes the most absurd idea at the most inconvenient time can be the very breakthrough you are looking for. It was such for me in this residency.
The exhibit runs through Aug. 31.
Gleason Fine Art is at 31 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call Gleason Fine Art at 207-633-6849, email the gallery at info@gleasonfineart.com. To view the show, as well as the gallery’s inventory of contemporary and estate art, visit www.gleasonfineart.com.
Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland is featuring “IDK,” an exhibition of paintings by Tollef Runquist that explores the intersection of personal reflection, archetypes, fantasy and play. Runquist’s paintings combine images and symbols drawn from lived experience, emotional landscapes and cultural influences, creating an intuitive dialogue between imagery and meaning. “My work explores a space where […]
Meetinghouse Arts in Freeport is presenting a full schedule of fall exhibitions and performances, including a members show, a collaborative exhibition by longtime artist friends Tim Sample and Linda Rowell-Kelley and several concerts. The gallery’s fall members exhibition, “Nature’s Palette: Art Inspired by the Season,” will remain on view through Oct. 18. Featuring paintings, drawings, […]
Local Color Gallery in Belfast will feature printmaker, collage artist and sculptor Jeff Wahlstrom from Oct. 19 to Nov. 22. An Art Walk reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 23, with an artist talk at 5 p.m. Based in Bangor, Wahlstrom creates block prints and watercolor collages inspired by the natural […]
Women Eco Artists Dialog (WEAD), based in Berkeley, California, is accepting submissions for its 2027 members exhibition, “Prototyping Futures of Making: Water, Data, and Living Systems.” The exhibition will explore the relationships among water, data, ecological systems and emerging technologies, asking how artists can engage with living systems as sites of collaboration, construction and consequence. […]
Triangle Gallery in Rockland is presenting three exhibitions through Oct. 31, including an extended solo exhibition by Carter Wentworth, a group fiber arts show and a fall exhibition of work by gallery artists. Wentworth’s “Sound of Rain Crossing the Lake” will remain on view in the upstairs gallery through the end of October. “Interwoven,” a […]
Waterfall Arts in Belfast will present “Found in Translation,” a mixed-media exhibition featuring Maine artists Deborah Jellison, JoAnne Houlsen and John LeBlanc, from Oct. 23 to Nov. 28. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 23. The exhibition brings together three artist friends whose work explores familiar Maine landscapes, objects […]
Courthouse Gallery Fine Art in Ellsworth is presenting “Form Meets Surface,” an exhibition highlighting porcelain ceramics by potter Mark Bell and collaborative works created with painter William Irvine. The artists, both established in their respective fields, have worked together since 2015 to create porcelain vases and plates that combine Bell’s ceramic forms with Irvine’s painted […]
Barn Gallery in Ogunquit concluded its 2026 exhibition season Oct. 12, but the venue will continue to welcome visitors for two performances in the 19th annual Elizabeth Dunaway Burnham Piano Festival. Pianist, composer and vocalist Zahili Zamora will return to Ogunquit with her Afro Cuban Jazz Trio for a performance from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. […]
The Brunswick Guild Fine Craft Show will return to the historic Fort Andross Mill in Brunswick on Oct. 24 and 25, celebrating its 10th season with work by 40 juried Maine craft artists. Presented by Shop Maine Craft, the indoor show will feature basketry, ceramics, decorative and wearable fiber art, furniture, glass, jewelry, mixed media, […]
Receive news and information about Maine artists and events delivered right to your inbox.