The Union of Maine Visual Artists opens two exhibitions in May and has announced details for its major summer show at the Bangor Public Library.
“Celebrating Hope,” a group exhibition of work by 20 UMVA members, opens with a reception May 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Oak Street Lofts Gallery in Portland and runs through May 29. The show brings together works in charcoal, acrylic and oil paints as well as photography, collage, sculpture and assemblage — all 8 by 8 inches or smaller — exploring how artists find hope in uncertain times. Jane Dahmen served as juror. Gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. A performance of ekphrastic poetry in response to the exhibition will be held May 23 at 4 p.m. at the Oak Street Lofts Gallery, 72 Oak St., Portland. Participating poets include Annaliese Jakimides, Gregg Harper, Lily Brown and Maureen Thorson.
“It’s the Small Things” opens May 4 at the Camden Public Library’s Picker Room Gallery, with an artists’ reception May 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. The show celebrates art in small sizes, reflecting moments, places or acts of creation that evoke joy and solace.
Looking ahead, UMVA’s largest exhibition of 2026, “Dreaming at Dawn,” is scheduled for Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 at the Bangor Public Library, spreading across three gallery spaces — the Cyr Gallery, the Stairwell Gallery and the Lecture Hall Gallery. The show will feature painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and more, with between 60 and 70 pieces selected. Peter Walls will serve as juror. Exhibition coordinators are Shanna Compton and Sally Stanton. A call for submissions will open in mid-May.
Also in member news: photographer C E Morse’s exhibition “Beyond Recognition” is on view through May 23 at the Prince Memorial Library, 266 Main St., Cumberland Center. Painter Deborah Jellison opens “Passages” with a reception May 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Rock & Art Shop, 36 Central St., Bangor.
Learn more about the UMVA at www.theumva.org.
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.