The Haley Art Gallery will host a gallery talk by Sharon Oakes in connection with the current exhibit, “Bill Oakes: Art, Imagination, Vision,” from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 20.
Sharon and Bill Oakes were married for 15 years before Bill passed away in 2005. The talk will explore how a 1990 trip to Mexico and the artist’s unique vision and expansive imagination inspired many of the exhibited works on view at the gallery through Sept. 10.
A portion of the profits from the Bill Oakes show will be donated to The Dance Hall in Kittery.
Sharon Oakes will also discuss how Bill, after years as a representational artist and illustrator, was so excited by Mexico’s light, textures, colors, peeling posters and rusting cars–turned from realism to abstraction. He felt abstract art encouraged the viewer to use their imagination and see in new ways. One of his greatest joys in life was helping others make discoveries.
Bill grew up in Maine and started painting as a child. Following his graduation from Brunswick High School, he attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. Moving to Washington, D.C., to join the Navy, he was assigned to the Navy Combat Art Gallery as the first artist on active duty providing visual reporting since 1954. His over 180 paintings and drawings of returning Vietnam vets at the Bethesda Naval hospital, sailors at the Navy diving school, and the recommissioning of the Battleship New Jersey, remain in the U.S. Navy Fine Arts Collection.
Bill held a master’s degree in critical and creative thinking from UMass, Boston and taught at the New England School of Art and Design and the Art Institute of Boston. His illustrations appeared in books and numerous magazines and newspapers including The Washington Post (as a Watergate trials courtroom artist), The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor and Look, National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Time, Sail and Yankee magazines. He created and self-published several art instruction manuals and produced three children’s books with one of his art students.
Visit Haley Art Gallery and its gift shop of handmade, social-impact gift items from around the world from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at 178 Haley Road, Kittery. Call 617-584-2580, email haleygallery@comcast.net, or visit haleyartgallery.com for more information. Follow the gallery on Instagram at https://instagram.com/haleyartgallery.
The Deer Isle Artists Association announces the opening of its show titled “Colorful Composing,” on view from July14–26. The vibrant works in this show convey the emotive power and beauty of color through the mediums of painting, printmaking, ceramics, photography, and woodwork. Featured artists in this show are Marianne Alweis, Sarah Baskin, Betsy Braunhut, Katherine […]
Local Color Gallery is pleased to welcome guest artist Sally Stanton from July 21 through August 23. She will talk about her work at the July Art Walk reception on Friday, July 24th, 4-7 pm. Stanton will speak at 5:30. Stanton says that her abstract figurative work is a departure from the non-representational paintings she […]
As Sylvan Gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary season, it is pleased to present Exploring Light: New Paintings by Paul Batch on view July 18 through August 15. This new collection celebrates Batch’s enduring fascination with light and atmosphere across the Maine landscape, expressed through his distinctive blend of observation, memory, and painterly interpretation. Visitors will […]
‘Imagining an Archipelago’ features six newly commissioned works and includes contributions by more than 40 artists connected to Cuba, Guam, the Philippines and Puerto Rico Waterville, Maine — Contemporary art brings together histories separated by oceans and generations in “Imagining an Archipelago: Art from Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Their Diasporas.” The exhibition, […]
Courthouse Gallery Fine Art in Ellsworth presents an opening reception Wednesday July 22, from 5 to 7, for “William Irvine: Heading Home,” and “Ragna Bruno: Boundless.” William Irvine: Heading Home At ninety-five William Irvine continues to surprise viewers with something new like the tender embrace of Lovers by the Sea (30 x 40 inches), The Rough Sea (30 […]
Fridays, June 5 – September 25 | 9 AM–1 PM Waterfall Arts has kicked off the 14th season of its Summer Art Market, a beloved community tradition showcasing a rotating cast of talented Maine artists and makers every Friday throughout the summer. The market takes place from 9 AM–1 PM on the lawn at […]
Now in its 49th season, the Guild Fine Craft Show – produced by Shop Maine Craft – returns to College of the Atlantic with a dynamic indoor/outdoor event in downtown Bar Harbor, August 7 – 9. The show features a juried selection of fine handcrafted work by Guild level members of the Maine Crafts Association, […]
Shaw Contemporary Jewelry in Northeast Harbor is hosting its famous Every-other-Thursday night opening with four exceptional artists, from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 16. It is an opportunity to meet all four artists Dell Fox is a student of ancient cultures, She is inspired by Greek and Roman jewelry and the attendant ancient techniques. Her […]
The Ogunquit Art Association will hold its 72nd Annual Art Auction on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Barn Gallery, continuing a tradition that stretches back for many decades and remains the largest annual art auction in Ogunquit. Collectors and art enthusiasts from across the Eastern Seaboard travel to Ogunquit each summer for this event, where […]
Receive news and information about Maine artists and events delivered right to your inbox.