MAINE ART benoit I know it it s at the tip of my tongue
“I know it — it’s at the tip of my tongue,” mixed media by Andre Benoit.

In an era when reality often feels weighty, the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset offers a delightful counterbalance with its upcoming exhibition “Whimsy: Flights of Fancy,” a jubilant celebration of unfettered imagination running May 1 to June 15. This curated collection invites visitors to shed the constraints of conventional perception and embrace the liberating territory where memories, emotions and dreams converge.

The exhibition, juried by artist Matthew Barter, assembles works from nearly 50 Maine-based creators who accepted the challenge to transcend traditional representational boundaries.

Among the featured artists, Andre Benoit’s mixed media constructions stand as whimsical architectural marvels of repurposed materials, while painters Sarah Fisher, Carolyn Gabbe, Stephanie Pruzansky and Sally Stanton offer distinctive visual pathways into realms of innocence and wonder. Adding a particularly intriguing element to the exhibition, beloved Maine humorist Tim Sample appears by special invitation, bringing his distinctive perspective to the gallery walls.

MAINE ART Pruzansky Secret Garden
“Secret Garden,” by Stephanie Pruzansky evokes the wonder and joy of the natural world.

The public opening reception, scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 10, promises to enhance the exhibition’s playful spirit with live music by singer-guitarist Katie Daggett, whose melodic sensibilities should provide an auditory complement to the visual feast.

The gallery continues its popular Artist Talk series with “Collage: The Sum of its Parts” at 4 p.m. June 5. This multifaceted presentation features insights and works from four accomplished practitioners of the form — Robin Brooks, Christine Covert, Jillian Herrigel and Catherine Worthington — examining how disparate elements coalesce into unified expressions greater than their constituent parts. The talk serves as both a technical illumination and philosophical exploration of collage’s unique position in contemporary artistic practice.

The Maine Art Gallery is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and preservation of painting, sculpture and graphic arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations and educational programs for children and adults. The gallery is located at 15 Warren St., Wiscasset. Throughout the exhibition’s run, the gallery maintains regular hours Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org for details.