David Speiser, whose stunning bird photographs are on exhibit at the Gilley through Aug. 20, is selling his works and donating all of the proceeds to the museum.

The images comprise a show called Birds in Focus: Maine and the Beauty of Birds. Mr. Speiser’s knowledge, talent and keen eye have resulted in works that capture moments of incredible intimacy in the lives of their avian subjects.

The images for sale are photographic prints on paper that have been face-mounted to polished sheets of acrylic. This produces a wonderful luminous effect, further enhancing the images.  

The larger prints, at 16x24, sell for $1,200 and the smaller ones which are 12x18, sell for $800.

For more information, please contact museum director Sean Charette at sean@wendellgilleymuseum.org.

In this class, conducted online via Zoom, students will be carving a life-size American kestrel in basswood under the guidance of carver-in-residence Steve Valleau. Cornell’s All About Birds describes kestrels as gracefully buoyant in flight, and small enough to get tossed around in the wind. They occupy habitats ranging from deserts and grasslands to alpine meadows, and are most likely to be seen when they are perching on utility wires along roadsides, in open country with short vegetation and few trees.

Students will receive blanks that have been roughed out; all the materials needed for this carving, except a mount, will be provided.

Fee for the class is: $90 for members or $110 for non-members, plus a $30 materials fee for everyone. For students whose materials must be mailed, there will be an additional $20 fee for shipping. Local students may pick up their materials at the museum.

Steve recommends students start by thinking about how they want the bird mounted, then collect images (Google images, nature magazines) to help visualize the project. 

This class runs eight weeks on Saturdays, from Oct. 22 to Dec. 17; there are two sessions: 9am to noon, and 1 to 4pm. To ensure your materials reach you by the class start date, please sign up by Oct. 8.

Join Maine printmaker Sherrie York at the Gilley on Saturday, Oct. 1, in a class to create vibrant one-color prints using EZ carve, a printmaking material that is softer and easier to use than linoleum blocks. Materials will be provided – just bring an idea for a simple image you'd like to turn into a woodblock-style print. Space is limited and participants must be at least 10 years old. 

There will be two three-hour classes: 9am-noon and 1 to 4pm. Cost is $35 per person for non-members, and $28 for members. Registration is required.

Sherrie’s art is currently on display in the Gilley’s Special Exhibit Room in an exhibit called Moments & Reflections and will be on display through Dec. 17.

She is an award-winning artist whose work is frequently chosen for Birds in Art, a prestigious annual juried art show. Her work has also been featured in other national and international exhibitions, including the Society of Animal Artists’ Art & the Animal, and in 2019 a major exhibition of her work was hosted at the Museum of American Bird Art in Massachusetts.

She has been an invited artist on projects of the international Artists for Nature Foundation and has been Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park, the National Audubon Society, and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Her work is in many museum and corporate collections.

This workshop is designed to help you unlock your creativity and leave with some works in progress, and to have some fun along the way. Get inspired by pieces from the museum's permanent collection and current exhibitions, with writer and artist Annaliese Jakimides. Her prose and poetry have been published in magazines, journals, and anthologies; broadcast on NPR and Maine Public; and included in art venues such as ArtWord at the Portland Museum of Art. She will provide some background about this type of writing — ekphrastic writing — plus techniques, and prompts to get you going. But ultimately you choose your path.