Maine is a very special place for artists. Its ragged coast and interior woods, fields, and mountains have long provided inspiration for creative expression. Maine Art Gallery (MAG) in Wiscasset has chosen to focus its 2026 exhibition season on the ways in which imaginative individuals respond to the natural world and to the state’s place in the sustainable agriculture movement. 

The season’s first major exhibition opens May 7 with “Art to Table: Visual Sustenance.” This juried show examines our individual and communal relationships to food through works that elevate ingredients, meals, and rituals. It celebrates Maine’s role as a leader in the farm-to-table movement and as a mecca of the restaurant world. The show is now open for artists to submit work through April 12. More information about this show and the Call for Art is detailed on the website, www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org/2026-exhibits.

In “Song of the Wild: Honoring the Natural Beauty of Maine,” opening June 18, distinguished Maine artists, including Jane Dahmen and Eric Hopkins, will be showcasing a variety of visual homages to wild places in Maine: aerial views of ocean and islands, terrestrial immersion in birches and white pine groves, close-ups of insects, healing plants and amphibians, and abstract visual interpretations of Maine fields and forests. This show will be accompanied by educational programming in partnership with Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust.

In MAG’s annual “Plein Air: Paint it Maine” show, artists will create work anywhere within the state between July 11 and July 25. The exhibit opens July 30. Plein air artists from Maine are invited to enter sample images of their work in order to be accepted to participate. “The Art of Alchemy: Collage/Mixed Media Exploration,” a juried show, will run on the second floor concurrently with “Plein Air: Paint It Maine.” This exhibit allows artists the opportunity to incorporate multiple mediums in one work.  

The final exhibit of the season,“Made in Maine: Annual Members Show,” opens Sept. 10 with recent work by members. An exciting selection of esteemed early Maine Art Gallery members’ work will be included to highlight their important role in the history of the visual arts in Maine. 

Prior to the exhibition season opening of the gallery, MAG is pleased to present the annual “K-12 Wiscasset Public Schools Student Art Show.” This exhibition showcases student artwork from Wiscasset Elementary and Wiscasset Middle/High Schools.  Over 100 artworks will feature a variety of media and approaches by the community’s young, talented artists. Opening reception is Thursday, April 9 rom 4 - 6 p.m. The student exhibit runs April 9 - 12; MAG hours are 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and is generously sponsored by First National Bank.

Maine Art Gallery is grateful to Sherri Dunbar of Tim Dunham Realty for returning as a season sponsor and Ames True Value Hardware as a capital sponsor. 

Fulfilling its role as an arts education center, the Gallery will be offering an array of classes themed to complement the exhibitions. More about these can be found on the website and will be publicized soon. 

A nonprofit organization since 1958, Maine Art Gallery, located at 15 Warren Street, Wiscasset.  More information can be found at www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org and on Facebook at Maine Art Gallery Wiscasset. Email info@maineartgallerywiscasset.org or phone (207) 687-8143.