BRLT to feature the art of Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade
Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition by local artists Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade in its Oak Point Farm gallery. Fraas and Slade’s show, titled "Peninsula – Waiting for Twilight," includes works on both paper and dye-painted quilts that feature landscapes with familiar Boothbay Region Land Trust trails and shoreline combined with related patterns.
The artists describe their inspiration for this exhibit, explaining, “We walk trails along the shore at the end of the day when the color drains from the landscape leaving only contrast, awaiting the dome of the night sky.”
The public is invited to meet both artists and view their work at an opening reception at Oak Point Farm on Thursday, June 4 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Collaborating artists Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade have worked together since the mid-1970s and their artwork is deeply rooted in a sense of place. As they describe in their artist statement, “It is from the specifics of a site that meaning and perceptions are engendered. Places are stories told through the remnants of history and the experiences of residents, through the luxury of wealth, the struggle for existence and the endurance of nature.” Their work explores the relationship of ornamental surface and the portrayal of landscape in quest of a sense beyond place. They have been recognized for developing techniques for printing and painting with dye on fabric, in addition to having received two Maine Visual Artist Fellowships and a National Endowment for the Arts/ New England Foundation Visual Artist Fellowship.
Fraas-Slade’s work has been selected for some of the defining touring exhibitions in the field of Art Quilts nationally. The work in this exhibit will have a direct connection to a related quilt by Fraas·Slade, "The Point," featuring a view at BRLT’s Cross River Preserve, which was acquired by the Maine State Museum and will be on exhibit in "Maine Quilts: 250 Years of Comfort and Community" opening Oct. 24 when the Maine State Museum re-opens after a significant renovation.
“Boothbay Region Land Trust is delighted to share the unique and inspiring art of Gayle and Duncan,” notes Development Director Skye Wood. “The beauty and skill displayed in their work allows us to see our nature preserves and the special places of our region with fresh eyes.”
"Peninsula – Waiting for Twilight" will be exhibited through the fall of 2026 during visitor center hours, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a m. to 4:30 p.m. Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade have generously pledged to donate 20% of each sale from this show to Boothbay Region Land Trust to support land conservation and public access.
Oak Point Farm is located at 60 Samoset Road in Boothbay Harbor. For more information regarding this show, contact Skye Wood, Development Director, at vwood@bbrlt.org or visit the artists’ website at fraasslade.com.
"Hendricks Head South" - 38”x55” - dye painted on cotton, stitched, by Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade. See it in their new exhibition "Peninsula – Waiting for Twilight" at Boothbay Region Land Trust's Oak Farm.
