Something remarkable is taking shape in Alna this summer. From July 5 to Aug.  3, the Puddle Dock Village Festival will turn the town into a stage for creativity, connection and courageous conversation.

Organized by the Damariscotta-based nonprofit Studio B, the month-long event features three solo art exhibitions and 17 public programs, all free and open to the public. But this isn’t a typical summer arts festival: In keeping with Studio B’s approach to programming, it’s built around themes like addiction, incarceration, grief and healing, told through powerful art, music and personal storytelling.

“Art opens doors to talk about difficult things,” said Peter Bruun, executive director of Studio B. “And those conversations can open hearts.”

The festival brings together more than 60 presenters and performers alongside 24 partner organizations, offering everything from musical performances and talks to quiet rituals and healing circles. Historic buildings, including the former Puddle Dock Schoolhouse and Alna Meetinghouse, serve as intimate venues.

Among the featured artists are Keith Plummer, a multimedia sculptor from Damariscotta, sharing works rooted in his family’s journey through trauma and substance use; Ed Epping of Santa Fe, who offers multimedia installations reflecting on incarceration and injustice; and Phylicia Ghee, a Baltimore-based artist who uses ritual performance to explore ancestral trauma and cultural repair.

Regional advocates see the festival as an opportunity for genuine connection.

“Studio B meets people at the crossroads of their life journey,” said Char Corbett of Healthy Kids, a partner nonprofit. “They offer connections where individuals might otherwise feel alone.”

Linda Small, director of Reentry Sisters, added: “Events like these remind people that justice-impacted individuals are community members too.”

The festival will be a space where people from all walks of life can come together through art, story and shared experience.

For the full schedule, visit puddledockfestival.org