Approaching Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor you are greeted by lush, colorful gardens, statuary, and stone benches. Paintings of all media blend with sculpture in an atmosphere that is at once modern and classical. Exhibit rooms are open with a fresh look that lead visitors through the 19th – 21st centuries. Through style and composition the artists represented stimulate the senses, entreating a visitor’s psyche and imagination to travel through time.

This year the Gleason  family – Dennis, Martha (“Marty”) and son, Andrew – are celebrating the gallery’s 40th year in the region. Dennis, a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America for 11 years, is a specialist in 19th and 20th century art, and  gallery director. Andrew has been the gallery manager for several years, and Marty is marketing director.

Dennis Gleason estimated the gallery represents 20 contemorary artists, some single paintings, and a few sculpture artists. When considering a new artist, Marty Gleason shared what they look for, “Regionality is important, but color – definitely. We like a little more manipulation of the paint. And, although we do have realists, we prefer more painterly paintings.”

Over the past decade, buyers tastes have changed – and in a big way. Shared Andrew Gleason, “Interest in maritime art, ship portraits and the like have pretty much gone by the wayside across the board. And this is something important to point out - perspective tastes have really changed to the more modern, more colorful, splashier paintings.”

Andrew Gleason went on to note homeowners of new builds and those updating their homes favor modern trends when it comes to décor with white walls, choosing furnishings in neutral colors, and stainless steel appliances. “It’s a clean and uncluttered look that makes splashy, colorful paintings pop,” he said. “There are still people who go more for the traditional and the maritime, but we see them less and less.”

The gallery has also been selling more estate art, particularly this year. Estate art, either bought from a family member with control of the estate or sometimes given to the gallery to handle, has always played a significant role at Gleason Fine Art. Among the gallery’s estate art, is the work of the late Laurence “Lonnie” Sisson, that has regained in popularity. Andrew Gleason attributes this to the artist’s painting style that appeals to many of today’s buyers. His subjects were landscapes of New Mexico where he lived part time, and land and seascapes of Boothbay Harbor. Sisson once described his style as “...sort of surreal, semi-abstract impressionism,” during a 2012 interview with the Register’s Joe Gelarden in 2012.

Over the past year the Gleasons have been actively buying estate paintings that were created in Boothbay Harbor. These include work by Robert Henri (already sold) and two Henry Snells with the freezer and fish houses on the east side the subjects.

After 40 years, the Gleasons have seen many cycles within the art world – what’s in, what’s out, who's work is popular with younger buyers compared to their mature counterparts. But they could never have predicted how COVID-19 would increase, not decrease, sales.

“People were moving to Maine and buying art to make themselves happy because they were spending all this time at home, some working from home,” Andrew Gleason said. “And, talking with people, (they felt) Maine was a very safe place for them to be. 2021 became one of the best years we’ve ever had.”

Andrew Gleason has been shaking things up at the family gallery. The exhibition room to the right of the entrance has an open feel. There are fewer paintings on the walls lending an airy feel while others are stacked on the floor, which happens to have been a good call on Andrew’s part because several are being bought from the “display.” This room, however, is still the space for the classic art, but noted Andrew, even that has become more modern.

“I kind of mix it up, like any retail you know, you gotta keep keep things fresh,” he said. “People come in multiple times during the summer, and they often like seeing different things.”

Andrew was also behind the gallery’s new website three to four years ago. “Yes, with Andrew's strong urging we did a new website and it’s much more navigable and very simple,” said Marty. “And what a response! All of a sudden we had all of these people signing up for our newsletter, which is pretty sporadic because we're so busy.”

Speaking of being busy and different things, Dennis Gleason recalled an unusual sale regarding an unfamiliar gentleman. “He came in, found a painting, a very expensive painting, that he loved, and just snap purchased it. He had come in on a 200-foot yacht and how he got it down to the yacht we don’t know. We hadn’t really seen that before.”

And there was the discovery of a Norman Rockwell drawing in the attic of a home in Farmington. Dennis had also shared this adventure over dinner with the Antiques Roadshow appraisers when the PBS show was here June 18.

Dennis was contacted by one of three sisters seeking an appraisal of a drawing they’d found. Dennis and Andrew drove to their home and were told by one sister there was someone offering $325,000 for it in Florida. Dennis thought they could get her $350,000, so Dennis called someone he’d done business with who had a connection to a famous Hollywood director. The director insisted the Rockwell drawing be seen by an appraiser he knew in New York City.

“So, that’s what we did,” said Dennis. “We had to go pick it (drawing) up in Farmington, in a snowstorm – of course it’s in a snowstorm. We take it to the appraiser in New York City.  We stayed the night and on the way home we got the call: the drawing was sold to the director for somewhat less than we had appraised it for. So now it’s in a famous collection."

Dennis went on to reveal the “beautiful and complete study” was the final study of Norman Rockwell’s famous painting “After the Prom” that graced the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1957.

“The most interesting thing is, it was just sitting up in this house in northern Maine, right? And it's usually calls like that which usually wind up being a print or something. We immediately thought it was a print, but checked it out anyways,” continued Dennis. “Things like that must be a real thrill though. These folks were not wealthy people by any stretch of the imagination, so getting them that amount of money was a very, very big deal, absolutely.”

So what's in store for the next 10 or even 20 years?

"Well, Dennis is going out on a stretcher,” Marty said chuckling. “I think he will be here forever until then. He is the real encyclopedia of knowledge. Andrew is taking the lead more and more, and I’m already mostly at my favorite office – at home.”

As the Gleasons look forward to many more seasons here in Boothbay Harbor, so can art lovers - familiar and new. Inside and out, Gleason Fine Art embodies color, imagination, and skilled storytelling by generations of artists. The gallery is at 31 Townsend Ave., in downtown Boothbay Harbor. Contact the Gleasons by calling 207-633-6849 or visit https://www.gleasonfineart.com/