Award-winning poet Christian Barter explores nature and human nature in his verse, and he’ll discuss that with us as the Gilley’s People-Nature-Art presenter for December.

He has served as poet laureate of Acadia National Park, and works on an Acadia trail crew planning and overseeing construction and rehabilitation of hiking trails.

His first book The Singers I Prefer was a Lenore Marshall Prize finalist; his second, In Someone Else's House, was the winner of the 2014 Maine Literary Award for Poetry; Bye-bye Land, a book-length poem, will be published by BOA Editions in early 2017 as the winner of the Isabella Gardner Prize. HIs poetry has appeared in Ploughshares, Georgia Review, The American Scholar, Epoch and other magazines and has been featured on Poetry Daily, Verse Daily and The Writer's Almanac.  Christian has held the Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University and been a fellow at Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony. 

There is no fee to attend this Zoom event, but registration is required. You will receive a Zoom link after you register.

The museum is open:

Thursday, Dec. 9, from 10am-4pm;

Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10am-4pm;

Thursday, Dec. 16, from 10am-4pm;

Saturday, Dec. 18, from 10am-4pm.

Our last day open to the public for 2021 is Saturday, Dec. 18. After a short break the museum will reopen to the public on Saturdays throughout the winter, beginning on Jan. 15.

Woodcarver and naturalist Wayne Robbins seeks to share his passion for the sea and to inspire faithful stewardship of the Earth’s fragile ecosystem through his art.

He joins the Gilley as the first People-Nature-Art presenter of 2022 on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7pm via Zoom.

He says that the sea’s breathtaking beauty and its infinite varieties of flora and fauna are constant reminders that we must respect and help sustain the lifeblood of our planet. 

Raised on the coast of Maine, he was inspired as a youth to capture the essence of nature in wood. His appreciation of the innate beauty of wood helps him design pieces that maximize the beauty and grace of both the medium and the subject. He chooses from a variety of native and exotic woods. By selecting a wood that complements his subject, a synergy results that informs and guides his creative process. Then he uses various combinations of oils and waxes to give the sculpture an “almost wet” look.

Each sculpture is unique and identified for its species, numbered, dated and signed by the artist. collections around the world.

The Wendell Gilley Museum welcomes visitors of all ages and strives to create a safe and hospitable environment. Because many of our visitors cannot receive a vaccine against Covid-19 – including those with conditions that put them at high risk, and all children younger than 12 – we ask that everyone wear a mask while on museum property. This will be our policy for the season. We look forward to seeing you, and offer our thanks in advance for helping us create the safest possible experience for everyone.