May 8, Wiscasset Elementary School presented an evening of art and music for students, families and the community. The Art Show featured work from all students in grades K-5. The hallways bristled with excitement for the many amazing works from all of our students.

Art teacher Liz Proffetty displayed hundreds of pieces of student work using many different media. A highlight was the hall that featured art representing the timeline of man.

Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum has launched the fundraising campaign “Finish Coach 9 to the Nines” which aims to raise $120,000 to complete the construction of its new coach.

Maybe it was the rainy weather, maybe the need for good cheer. Whatever the reason, folks were elbow to elbow at the opening of Maine Art Gallery’s (MAG) “Whimsy: Flights of Fancy” exhibit on Saturday, May 10. Everyone seemed to be smiling and laughing. Some humorous words from Tim Sample, noted Maine humorist, added to the gaiety.

The Center for Teaching and Learning hosted Kim Bernard, a nationally-recognized sculptor and installation artist, as a visiting-artist on Friday, May 9. While instructing a course at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in 2023, Ms. Bernard presented about her “recycled, kinetic, interactive art installations” that she created in Maine communities, with a special emphasis on “transforming plastic waste into sculpture using her portable recycling machines.”

"Spring Arrivals - Three Centuries of American and European Art"  will open on Saturday, May 24, at the Wiscasset Bay Gallery in celebration of the gallery's 41st season.

Featuring works by prominent 19th and 20th century American artists as well as European realists, impressionists and modernists, the exhibition will include a diverse array of subject matters from marine paintings, city views, genre scenes to landscapes.

Open the door to the 40th Student Art Show at Boothbay Region Art Foundation, and enter a world of exploration through color, technique, history, and imagination that has led to some thought-provoking work. All (approximately) told, 450 works of art are displayed! Yes, you’ll be there for a while … and not even realize time is passing!

Midcoast-based anti-trafficking organization Friends of Thai Daughters is celebrating its 20-year anniversary and is inviting friends old and new to a free video screening Saturday, June 14 at the Harbor Theater, 185 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor to mark the occasion.

Golden Oak will be returning to The Waldo Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m., with support from Keenan Hendricks (Rigometrics).

The Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset is offering classes in June and July for all skill levels — even for those individuals who have yet to discover their inner talent. Space is limited, so you are encouraged to check the website for complete details and sign up soon.

Local author and former Alna resident Joan Gregoire will give a presentation on her recently published book, "The Lydessy: Lydia Keene’s 1899 Voyage Around the World in her own words," chronicling her grandmother’s historic voyage on a merchant schooner in 1899. Stormy seas and high winds, becalmed in extreme heat, shipwreck, and being one of only three women on a ship full of robust sailors, stories of this adventure give a wonderful insight into life aboard ship at the end of the 19th century.

On Monday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Coastal Senior College “Village Volunteers” Steve and Mary Gifford will lead Coastal Senior College members on an expedition in South Thomaston along Route 131, a one-mile walk in the Georges River Land Trust’s Riverview Hayfields Preserve. Afterwards, the group will visit the Finnish Heritage House and the Finnish Congregational Church to learn about the Finnish community in the Midcoast.

The Skidompha Strummers, ukulele ensemble of Skidompha Public Library, will offer a “Springtime and Ukuleles” concert in the library’s atrium on Thursday, May 8 at 4 p.m. All are welcome, and the concert is free.

Songs chosen for this program depict aspects of life that can make people happy: dancing, peaceful places, love, affection, family, friendship, nature, food, and making music. Most are songs that many people know, but some will be new.

River Arts of Damariscotta is pleased to announce a call for artists for an upcoming Members’ Show. Running from May 27 through July 5, all current and new members are invited to submit one piece for this non-juried exhibition. This is a great time to become a member and join the River Arts’ community.

The featured Artist of the Month this May and June at the Southport Memorial Library is Ramone Hanley-Warren. Her two-month show is called "Breathe, See, Paint." 

Ramone states: "I am drawn to the salt marshes and tidal areas especially, but not always. Certainly the natural world around me and all the beauty it encompasses is what tells me to breathe, see, paint."

"The Penguin Lessons" - (PG-13; 1 hour, 50 minutes) - Inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down. Final showtime Thursday, May 1 at 2 p.m.

"Whimsy: Flights of Fancy," the upcoming show at the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset, will surely lighten your day. With an invitation to let their imaginations soar, the exhibiting artists liberated themselves from traditional notions of representation in order to take a journey into the world of emotion, memories, and dreams.

The first weekend in May is pottery weekend in Maine! The annual Maine Pottery Tour, set for Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This beloved event invites pottery enthusiasts, art collectors, and curious adventurers alike to experience the creativity and craftsmanship of Maine’s thriving pottery community.

The Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro has announced audition dates for its upcoming community theatre production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," the Tony and Drama Desk Award winning musical comedy. Auditions for the show will be held at the theatre on Sunday afternoon, May 4 and the evening of Tuesday, May 6.

What do spelling bees, trains, and video games have in common? Each is featured in a free family movie at Harbor Theater during the month of May! The Free Family Films are sponsored by the towns of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport.

Join us at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3 to celebrate all our students’ achievements as the school year winds down. Free and open to all.

Maine State Historian Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. will present an illustrated talk about the old meetinghouses of Maine at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at Puddle Dock Village School, 275 Head Tide Road in Alna.

Shettleworth will explore the cultural and architectural heritage of Maine’s preserved 18th century meetinghouses. Alna’s nearby 1789 meetinghouse will be open to visitors following the presentation, with docents available to answer questions.