An exhibit by members of the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset marks the gallery’s opening for the first time in over a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

An outdoor, opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 15, beginning at 4 p.m. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines will be in place, which include requiring all visitors unless eating outside to be masked, use hand sanitizer and maintain six feet of distance. Rain date for the reception is Sunday, May 16. The show continues through June 5, Wednesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In preparation for this exhibit, member artists were asked by show curators Jorge Pena and Colleen Kearney-Graffam to consider the question, “What inspires you?” They responded with an eclectic mix of works in which they share their talents and personal insights.

During the opening reception visitors will have an opportunity to bid on eight delightful birdhouses decorated by local artists and donated to the gallery to help it raise funds for its programs and building maintenance.

Another gallery fundraiser is an ongoing online auction of over 30 works of art donated by artists and collectors that continues until June 15. Visit https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/202075_fine-art-auction/  to view and bid.    

Sherri Dunbar of Tim Dunham Realty is the gallery’s season sponsor and Cromwell Coastal Properties is the sponsor of the Online Auction.

The Maine Art Gallery is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and preservation of painting, sculpture and graphic arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, and educational programs for children and adults.  More information can be found at www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org and on Facebook and Instagram at Maine Art Gallery Wiscasset.

The historic gallery, included on the National Register of Historic Places and the Wiscasset Museum in the Streets, is located at 15 Warren St., Wiscasset, just a two-minute drive or an eight-minute walk from downtown Wiscasset.

Free on-street parking. Directions: Route 1 from the north, turn right onto Federal Street /Route 218, then left onto Warren Street; Route 1 from the south -  turn left onto Federal Street, then left onto Warren Street.