Community Art 2026

The Exhibit

Inspired by our community craft groups, after-school art clubs, summer camps, and crafting afternoons, this exhibit reflects the work of many hands and includes several collaborative projects. At its heart is a spirit of participation - bringing together artists of all ages and experience levels to contribute, create, and connect through art.

A centerpiece of the exhibit is the Community Art Banner Project, an initiative imagined by our Artistic Director, Anna Woolf, as a vibrant way to unite the community through large-scale, collaborative painting. Developed with the help of Summer Assistant Lucy, each banner began as a paint-by-number design inspired by familiar Maine scenes, reinterpreted through the styles of well-known artists. Designed to be open and accessible, the project invited participants of all ages to take part, with each brushstroke adding to a shared creative vision.

The exhibit also features framed letters open to community interpretation - blank canvases waiting to be transformed with color, pattern, and personal expression. Visitors of all ages are invited to design and decorate these pieces, adding their own creative mark to the evolving installation. Participation is open to all, and everyone is encouraged to take part in shaping this welcoming, hands-on community art experience.

Another collaborative work, Circle Around, invites participants to create individual works within circular forms using markers, crayons, paint, and other materials. Focusing on pattern, color, and repetition, each piece explores concentric and interconnected designs. These individual circles are then rearranged and assembled into a larger unified composition, transforming many distinct contributions into a single, cohesive artwork.

Together, these projects celebrate creativity as a shared experience and highlight the beauty of collective expression.