The Gilley is launching a monthly series to bring painters, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to share how nature impacts their art and their approach to making it; and how their art affects their approach to the natural world. 

This is our passion – using art of all kinds to help people connect with nature in some way. So we’ve put together a diverse group of really interesting and creative people to share how they do it.

Join us March 9 for the launch of a fantastic new monthly series that explores the connections between art and nature! First up is renowned wildlife artist Barry van Dusen. He's an internationally respected and award-winning wildlife artist who prefers to work in the field, even with difficult subjects such as wild birds. Over the years, he has filled countless sketchbooks with hundreds of drawings done on location. Birds, he says, were his gateway to a passion for nature, which he’s been able to combine with artistic talent to create a career that has taken him all over the world.

The Wendell Gilley Museum is honored to host Birds in Art from June 11 through Aug. 14, 2021. It will include a new piece by Maine artist Sherrie York, a friend of the Gilley who conducted a popular printmaking class here in 2020. An international juried show, the exhibition includes work by a wide range of accomplished contemporary artists, who offer their unique interpretations of the avian world in a variety of media. 

Back on July 12, 1981, the Wendell Gilley Museum opened its doors to the public for the very first time, with a celebration that included Wendell and his wife Addie, who was responsible for saving most of the carvings that make up the core of the museum's collection of Wendell's work. Ever since then, we've worked to preserve and promote Wendell's legacy, share and teach the skills he elevated to an art form, and help people connect to nature through art.

Throughout this year we'll celebrating with special events. We hope you'll join us.