Art at Maine Audubon
Last winter’s issue of Habitat magazine focused on the connection between Maine Audubon and art. Love of the natural world and love of artistic pursuits both run deep in Maine, and the legacy of John James Audubon and his illustrations forever connects the two. This confluence encourages us to explore new and unexpected collaborations.
We are excited to announce a new event, The Nature of Craft: Maine Artisans at Maine Audubon, will take place at Gilsland Farm on Saturday, September 29, 10 am to 4 pm. This juried craft fair will include 50 fine artists and artisans, plus artist demonstrations, hands-on activities for all ages, live music, and local food trucks. We want to share the best of what Maine has to offer, so we are looking for artists and craftspeople whose work contains one or more of the following:
- Imagery of Maine’s wildlife or natural landscape
- Environmentally-friendly materials or techniques
- Products that encourage sustainable living habits
- Products handmade in Maine
Applications are now being accepted!
In the last year, we have hosted a wide range of artworks in the Gilsland Farm Gallery. We collaborated with students from the Maine College of Art (MECA) — one class that made field guides (books and content) by hand, and another that created environmental posters in the style of Chinese and Russian printed propaganda. Michele Clamp‘s watercolors of Maine birds, Cathryn Falwell’s collage art and children’s book illustrations, and currently Jada Fitch‘s beautifully detailed paintings of moths have each brightened our walls in 2018. Coming in August, local artist Michael Boardman will show some of his work from a Hog Island residency during summer of 2017. We’ve hosted workshops and demonstrations, and hope to offer more in the near future.
For art happenings beyond Gilsland Farm, the Lodges at Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary will be the site of our inaugural writing and painting retreat in September. Monson Arts and Maine Audubon have collaborated to create the Borestone Mountain Art and Writing Retreat with artist Alan Bray and writer Kimberly Ridley. Ten students in each discipline will enjoy a communal retreat away from modern distractions to focus on their individual creative work.
Simply put, Maine inspires.
