The Boothbay Region Art Foundation (BRAF) unveiled its annual juried ARTinME exhibition on Oct. 4 to an exuberant packed house — proof that Maine’s art community thrives when given room to stretch. This year’s show, juried by esteemed abstract painters David Estey and Jaap Helder, showcases a stunning array of large-format works and small sculptures created by artists from across the state.
“I could not get this show out of my head,” said Estey. “I just kept thinking about all this great stuff. This is a lot of terrific work.” After much suspense, the jurors announced their selections, and the results reveal the breadth of Maine’s creative ambition.
The prestigious first place award went to Helen Fellows Matthews for “View,” an ingenious composition combining multiple gelatin prints to depict an ocean vista through a window. The jurors praised it enthusiastically: “Any one of these could stand alone as a terrific abstract painting.” Second place was awarded to John Otterbein for his playful “John’s Insect Collection,” while Laura Waller’s “OIG Giant II No. 5” secured third place. Honorable mentions were given to Debra Claffey for “Indigo Ice with Pink,” Kate Buehner for “Cracker Jacks,” and Kristin Liv Robinson for her surprising photo collage, “Moon Over Route #3.”
Over 100 works were submitted to ARTinME 2025, the only statewide juried exhibition sponsored by BRAF. Both jurors expressed admiration for the exceptional quality of submissions and the evident enthusiasm radiating from Maine’s artistic community.
The exhibition runs through Nov. 8 at BRAF Gallery, 1 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Learn more at boothbayartists.org.
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