Jacqueline Crucet
Jacqueline Crucet, gallery manager for the Maine Art Gallery.

The Maine Art Gallery announces the hiring of Jacqueline Crucet as Gallery Manager following a landmark year that saw attendance and sales nearly double, plus secured funding for historic building restoration.

Crucet brings extensive experience managing exhibitions, community programs, and nonprofit partnerships, with proven skills in strategic planning and revitalizing cultural spaces.

“I am delighted to join Maine Art Gallery — one of the longest running arts organizations in the state — and to work alongside the Board, Artists, Volunteers, and Community Partners to strengthen MAG’s role as a vibrant center for visual art that supports artists and creates community,” Crucet stated. She holds a BA in American Studies and a master’s in Public Administration.

Crucet replaces Kerry Hadley, who retires after five years guiding project management and development. The transition coincides with leadership changes including Richard Riese completing his three-year term as Board President, with Kay Liss assuming the role. New officers include Vice President Jonathan Lavan, Treasurer John Sawyer, and Secretary Sarah Fisher. Three new board members were approved: artists Christine Aston and Emily Hopkins of Lincolnville, and photographer/graphic designer/editor David Griffin of Alna.

The 2025 season’s centerpiece was a three-month centenary exhibit of Joseph Fiore works, held in partnership with Maine Farmland Trust. The exhibition, paired with juried members shows Made in Maine and Plein Air: Paint it Maine, generated strong art sales for both organizations while opening new audiences. The season also included a K-12 student show and the juried exhibition Whimsy: Flights of Fancy.

Programming featured artist talks, painting classes, discussions about collage, conversations about Fiore’s work with curator David Dewey and former Joseph A. Fiore Art Center residents Michel Droge and Jude Valentine, a concert by Fiore’s jazz musician daughter, and a sold-out Eastern calligraphy class with Kichung Lizee.

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. Visit www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org for details.