At the 7th  annual Governor Janet Mills Opioid Response Summit in Augusta on July 10, Maine Governor Janet Mills presented Lincoln County resident Peter Bruun, co-founder and director of Studio B, with the prestigious Governor’s Award, honoring his extraordinary contributions in using art and storytelling to support community well‑being, justice, and the state’s fight against substance use disorder. 

“Peter Bruun is renowned for his ability to use art and story to bring people together, share experiences, and build hope,” Governor Mills said at the summit. Over the past year, Bruun spearheaded “19 Towns, 19 Stories,” an initiative across Lincoln County that brought art, music, and narrative programming to each town composed of International Overdose Awareness Day events in all 19 Lincoln County towns entered on remembrance, connection, and recovery. 

Bruun’s work as artist, curator, educator, and activist spans decades. His current leadership of the Puddle Dock Village Festival in Alna continues this trajectory: the month-long series of exhibitions and events explores trauma, justice, incarceration, recovery, and resilience. The festival received statewide attention after being featured in the Portland Press Herald. 

“This award is not just a celebration of Peter’s leadership—it’s an affirmation of Studio B’s mission,” said Leigh Perkins, Board President. “His deeply personal, deeply communal work shows what’s possible when art and story are used to address pressing social issues.” 

Bruun’s path reflects both personal loss and public purpose. Over thirty years, he has directed gallery and educational programs, founded the nonprofit Art on Purpose, and created the New Day Campaign—a statewide arts-activism initiative in Maryland sparked by the death of his daughter to addiction, driving stigma reduction and healing through art. 

Studio B, co-founded by Bruun in 2022 as a rural Maine nonprofit, continues this legacy. With projects like the Puddle Dock Village Festival, it brings community-centered programming into under-resourced places, using art and story to explore opioid recovery, incarceration, trauma, and self-care. The festival runs through August 3; the current exhibition by Ed Epping closed July 24, and on July 26–Aug. 3, Phylicia Ghee’s video installation on ritual self-care is on view. 

Peter Bruun’s leadership has helped shape a new chapter in Maine’s cultural and civic dialogues. His Governor’s Award signals both recognition of what he’saccomplished and hope for what lies ahead. 

For more information about Studio B, the Puddle Dock Village Festival, contact Peter Bruun at peter@bruunstudios.com or 207‑800‑1640, or visit puddledockfestival.org.