Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with field ecologist and expert birder Seth Benz. Seth will delve into research and share current sightings and insights. Bring your own questions and curiosity, a favorite bird-related reading, or your latest observations. Depending on weather, the group might go for a bird-sighting walk outside.

Ray “Bucky” Owen, former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW ) and a longtime conservationist, teacher, and outdoorsman, will share insights on three successful conservation projects in Maine on Saturday, April 19, at the Wendell Gilley Museum in a program co-sponsored by Downeast Trout Unlimited.

“Three Restoration Projects in Maine: Bald Eagles, the Penobscot River, and American Chestnuts,” is a free program offered in person only. Registration is required at www.wendellgilleymuseum.org. 

Mr. Owen spent 31 years as a faculty member at the University of Maine in wildlife ecology, including chairing the Wildlife Department for a decade. In 1993, he was appointed Commissioner of MDIFW during the governorship of Angus King. During his tenure there he launched the Quality Fishing Initiative, a program that made sweeping changes to how Maine's wild native brook trout were managed. He also served as chair of the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, chair of the Orono Land Trust, and chairman for the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission. He was a U.S. delegate to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, and a key player along with his wife, Sue, in the Penobscot River Restoration Project to remove dams and restore eleven species of migratory fish to the waters of the Penobscot, working closely with the Penobscot Nation.

Mr. Owen was awarded the prestigious Lee Wulff Award from Atlantic Salmon Federation in 2009.  In 2024 he received the Common Good Award from this alma mater, Bowdoin College, where he studied biology. He later earned a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Illinois. 

Paint a colorful red-winged blackbird in watercolor in this fun Family Paint ‘n’ Sip.

Artist Erika Elizabeth will walk students through a step-by-step process. All materials provided along with tea, seltzer, juice and snacks. This family-friendly paint ‘n’ sip is suitable for all experience levels, and those age 6 and older. All materials will be provided. Space is limited, and preregistration is required.  

Join artist Kathie Pratt for an afternoon of nature-themed art with mini canvases, polymer clay, natural materials, and more.  Get creative, get crafty, have fun! Adults and families welcome; children under 12 please bring an adult. All materials provided, but you are welcome to bring your own natural materials to include in your art.

Special family pricing available.

Join us for a special evening with poet and arts writer Carl Little at the Gilley as he shares works from his new book of verse, Blanket of the Night. Little’s poetry has appeared in a wide range of literary journals, including the Paris Review, Kennebec, Hudson Review and Maine Arts Journal.

He is the author of two prior poetry collections: 3,000 Dreams Explained (1992) and Ocean Drinker: New & Selected Poems (2006). His poetry has also been included in several anthologies edited by Wesley McNair, as well as Local News: Poetry about Small Towns and 3 Nations Anthology: Native, Canadian & New England Writers. 

Carl lives and writes in Somesville.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required.

Peggy Clark Lumpkins has been a painter for more than 50 years and in that time has developed a distinctive style for portraying nature on canvas. She calls painting a love letter to being alive. “The clearest way for me to say how I feel about what I see is to paint it,” she says. “There are no words to say everything as clearly as I can with my brush and colors.”

She starts with joie de vivre, loving the world.  “… when you fall in love with a flower,  a cloud, or a shape, or a line in the sand … then you begin to paint.  Even before you have a canvas the paint has begun to flow.  It flows first as a sort of dance inside my being, it swirls around in there and becomes a part of me, at home with all the other paintings that make up myself.  The whole world is a painting to me.”

A native of New York City, she began making art in childhood and attended the High School of Art and Design. She began college at The San Francisco Academy of Art, then returned east for her second year at Pratt Institute. But she wanted to paint what she loved, not what her teachers desired, so she took a leave of absence and never looked back. She’s been painting ever since. She moved to Brownville, Maine in 1987 where she built a house and gardens, and raised two sons. 

“Even though I have been painting for 50 years,” she says, “I still feel like I am just getting started, rubbing my hands together in excitement for the next piece.”

Come share that excitement at the Gilley when Peggy is our People-Nature-Art presenter for April 2025. Free but registration required.

Gustav Klimt is best known for paintings such as “The Kiss” featuring people from the time when he was using a lot of gold leaf in his paintings, but he also painted landscapes in a signature style and those paintings are the inspiration for the May Paint ‘n’ Sip at the Gilley with instructor Erika Elizabeth. She will guide students step by step through the process, explaining each step along the way.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with field ecologist and expert birder Seth Benz. Seth will delve into research and share current sightings and insights. Bring your own questions and curiosity, a favorite bird-related reading, or your latest observations. Depending on weather, the group might go for a bird-sighting walk outside.

Many artists travel widely in search of new subjects, while others spend their entire artistic lives much closer to home. Andrew Wyeth did all of his work in two small areas of Maine and Pennsylvania, and Claude Monet spent the last four decades of his life painting the gardens right out his back door.

Nature artist Barry Van Dusen has done his share of traveling, but he, too, continues to find abundant inspiration nearby – many of his paintings feature subjects observed out the windows of his studio in central Massachusetts.  In this one-hour illustrated talk, Barry takes you along in his explorations of nature “Out the Studio Windows.”

Barry is a renowned and award-winning wildlife artist whose work is regularly exhibited in New England, and his work has gained a wider audience through his participation in prestigious annual national exhibitions such as Birds in Art (Wausau, Wisconsin) and Art of the Animal Kingdom (Bennington, Vermont).  In Europe, too, his art has found a receptive audience.  He regularly exhibits with the Society of Wildlife Artists (London) and his work has been exhibited in France, Holland, Ireland and Scotland.

This is an online-only presentation and is offered free of charge, but reservations are required to get the Zoom link. This program will not be recorded and there will be no recording available afterward.

A storied ceramicist based in England, Kate Malone is known for making public art and studio pottery, and for her innovative glaze research. She has developed an unmistakable and highly regarded style.

Observations of nature, its fruits and vegetables and nature in the abstract are the overriding influences in Kate’s work. In addition to her exploration of nature, Kate has spent her career pioneering glazing techniques via research and experimentation in the chemistry of glazing. The sophistication of her glazes has led to some interesting collaborations with prominent architects and designers, working on inspiring public art projects in hospitals, schools, parks and libraries.

Join us online to hear more from this artist about her work, it’s nature inspirations, and what’s next as part of this online-only People-Nature-Art event. People-Nature-Art is a series of free monthly programs that feature an artist whose work is inspired by nature. It is partially sponsored by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

The Wendell Gilley Museum is pleased to once again co-host the Acadia Birding Festival in 2025, the festival’s 26^th year of offering stellar birding trips and speakers on Mount Desert Island. As usual, the Gilley will be hosting and recording presentations, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Museum.

All sign-ups for the Acadia Birding Festival go directly through the festival website at www.acadiabirdingfestival.com, and the schedule and other information can be there as well.  Anyone who is a paid attendee of the Acadia Birding Festival receives free entry to the Museum for the duration of the festival.

The Wendell Gilley Museum is pleased to once again co-host the Acadia Birding Festival in 2025, the festival’s 26^th year of offering stellar birding trips and speakers on Mount Desert Island. As usual, the Gilley will be hosting and recording presentations, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Museum.

All sign-ups for the Acadia Birding Festival go directly through the festival website at www.acadiabirdingfestival.com, and the schedule and other information can be there as well.  Anyone who is a paid attendee of the Acadia Birding Festival receives free entry to the Museum for the duration of the festival.

The Wendell Gilley Museum is pleased to once again co-host the Acadia Birding Festival in 2025, the festival’s 26^th year of offering stellar birding trips and speakers on Mount Desert Island. As usual, the Gilley will be hosting and recording presentations, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Museum.

All sign-ups for the Acadia Birding Festival go directly through the festival website at www.acadiabirdingfestival.com, and the schedule and other information can be there as well.  Anyone who is a paid attendee of the Acadia Birding Festival receives free entry to the Museum for the duration of the festival.

The Wendell Gilley Museum is pleased to once again co-host the Acadia Birding Festival in 2025, the festival’s 26^th year of offering stellar birding trips and speakers on Mount Desert Island. As usual, the Gilley will be hosting and recording presentations, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Museum.

All sign-ups for the Acadia Birding Festival go directly through the festival website at www.acadiabirdingfestival.com, and the schedule and other information can be there as well.  Anyone who is a paid attendee of the Acadia Birding Festival receives free entry to the Museum for the duration of the festival.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration painting. The subject for June is Robins in Watercolor. 

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

The Gilley is teaming up with the Southwest Harbor Public Library to bring writer and filmmaker Maggie Dewane to town for a two-part eco-poetry event featuring her new book, “Haiku & Hope: 50 States of Climate Change” as part of Reading with Wings, an occasional series co-hosted by the library and the museum. This two-part event will be in person only on Tuesday, June 17 and Wednesday, June 18.

Ms. Dewane will start at the library on June 17 at 6 pm with a poetry reading and a discussion about “Haiku & Hope,” an exploration of each state via haiku, both as it is currently and in an imagined future that confronts the environmental threats each state faces. The author hopes this juxtaposition will spark dialogue. The book also includes a narrative section that delves into the climate context, complemented by the author’s personal journey and the moments of inspiration that led her to write each poem. The library will have copies of the book available for purchase that night. Registration is required. Admission is free. Register HERE.

The following day, Wednesday, June 18, Ms. Dewane will teach a plein air haiku workshop at the Museum from 1:30 to 3:30 pm Free but registration is required.
 

Join us for a plen air haiku writing workshop at the Gilley as part of “Haiku & Hope: 50 States of Climate Change,” as part of Readig with Wings which is an occasional series co-hosted by the museum and the library. This workshop will be taught by writer and filmmaker Maggie Dewane, the author of "Haiku & Hope." The book includes two haiku for each state, one inspired by its present and the second in an imagined future affected by climate change. The workshop runs from 1:30 to 3:30pm. It is free, but registration is required.

This is the second part of Reading with Wings: Haiku & Hope. Ms. Dewane will start at the library on Tuesday, June 17 -- the day before the workshop -- at 6 pm with a poetry reading and a discussion about “Haiku & Hope.” The author hopes the juxtaposition of the two poems about each state will spark dialogue. The book also includes a narrative section that delves into the author’s personal journey and the moments of inspiration that led her to write each poem. The library will have copies of the book available for purchase that night. Registration is required. Admission is free. Register HERE.

 
 

Sherrie York evokes nature – birds in particular – in award-winning hand-pulled linocuts from her home studio in Bristol, Maine. Her prints have been featured in national and international exhibitions. And now she is going to be at the Wendell Gilley Museum in person to explore with us that special place where nature and art intersect as the museum’s People-Nature-Art presenter for June on Tuesday, June 24. There will be a 6 p.m. artist’s reception followed by her presentation at 7 p.m. which will be in person and simultaneously livecast. Both in-person and online attendance is free, but registration is required.

In her linocuts, she strives to represent the interactions of living things both as a moment in time and as a reflection of the wider experience of life on earth. “Human relationships with wild lands and wild creatures are as individual as we are,” she says. “When an image I create sparks a question or reflects an experience familiar to the viewer, it provides an opportunity to share our stories and understand each other’s perspective. Through these stories we celebrate the beauty found in nature, and find common ground to address larger issues of environmental and cultural stewardship.”

People-Nature-Art is a free monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature. It is sponsored in part by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Maine master printmaker Sherrie York returns to the Gilley on Wednesday, June 25, to teach a full-day workshop using multiple colors. The class is suitable for advanced beginners to intermediate printmakers and runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Bring a lunch. Class size is limited, and registration is required. 

Materials will be provided – just bring an idea for a nature image you'd like to turn into a woodblock-style print. Participants must be at least 10 years old. The cost is $69 per person for non-members, and $56 for Museum members.  Register at www.wendellgilleymuseum.org.

This special workshop follows Sherrie’s People-Nature-Art presentation on Tuesday, June 24, a free offering in which she talks about her artistic process and her work’s connection to nature.

Expert needle-felter and storyteller Hillary Dow of Binding Tales will lead this workshop at the Gilley, leading participants through the process of creating a felted landscape with 3-D elements including trees. All materials and tools will be supplied; all of the wool we will use is sourced from Maine fiber farms, fairs and festivals.  Born and raised in the western mountains of Maine, she now lives with her family in Hampden. She creates children's books that are illustrated with her own unique works of art created by needle felting.

For 53 years George Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, has been working to help the most endangered of the world’s 15 species of cranes. Among them are the four white cranes — the whooping cranes of North America; and the Siberian, red-crowned, and black-necked cranes of Asia. His efforts, and those of the International Crane Foundation have led to population increases for each of these four species.

In 1971, he and a fellow ornithology student at Cornell University, Ron Sauey, shared a passion for cranes and envisioned an organization that would combine research, captive breeding and reintroduction, landscape restoration and education to safeguard the world’s 15 crane species. In 1973, with the generosity of the Sauey family – who rented their horse farm to Ron and George for $1 a year! – the International Crane Foundation “hatched” in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Since then, the foundation has developed unique collaborations and led effective community-based conservation programs, important research projects and innovative captive breeding and reintroduction efforts throughout the world on the five continents where cranes live.

Come to this special talk to hear from George Archibald himself about his work and that of the International Crane Foundation to save the four species of white crane. It will begin with an in-person reception at 6pm. The presentation, both in-person and online, will begin at 7 p.m.

This program is free and open to all, but space is limited reservations are required. The presentation will be livecast simultaneously. When you sign up, please indicate whether you will be attending in person or online.

Explore nature journaling in this workshop on Wednesday, July 9, from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Scientists, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts all utilize nature journaling, a skill that is accessible to anyone. Under the guidance of Maine Master Naturalist Karen Zimmermann, and using observation artistic abandon, participants will walk away with a small nature journal of their own. All materials will be provided. Cost is $21 for Museum members and $29 for non-members. Registration required.  

Textile collage artist Elaine O’Neil will lead students through the process of creating art from fabric, on Thursday, July 10 from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

A Maine native, she now lives half the year in her home state and the other half in North Carolina.

She creates textile collage art of places and scenes that either have a personal meaning to her, or special value to a community. Come make a collage of one of your special places in this workshop. Open to adults and children 8 and older. Spaces are limited and registration is required. All materials will be provided.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration-painting. For July, we'll use watercolor and ink to create a painting of Magical Mushrooms.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration-painting. For August we'll be painting the iconic puffin, a top draw for birders who visit Maine and for artists too.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration painting. In September we'll be making our own versions of Katsushika Hokusai's The Wave in ink and watercolor

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Award-winning writer Annaliese Jakimides will teach a flash fiction workshop, using art currently on display at the museum as inspiration. “Likely, you'll surprise yourself with what bubbles up,” says Jakimides. 

“Flash fiction is known by many names, including sudden fiction, short-short stories, and microfiction. Although people often think it's a ‘new’ form of writing, it's been around for as long as we've been writing stories.”

Jakimides has placed in the World's Best Short-Short Story Contest multiple times.

Winner of the Acadia Prize in Poetry, Annaliese Jakimides has more than five hundred publications in magazines, journals, anthologies, and newspapers, and broadcast online and on radio. She has multiple Pushcart Prize nominations and has been a finalist for the Maine Literary Awards in both Poetry and Nonfiction—multiple times for each one—as well as for the Stephen Dunn Poetry Prize. Her work has also been included in art venues such as ArtWord at the Portland Museum of Art. Her essay for NPR’s vaunted This I Believe program was included in the show’s anthology and CD, curated by Liane Hansen. Jakimides’ most recent publication is the essay “I Tell Henry the Plate Is Red,” in the anthology Breaking Bread (Beacon Press, 2022).

A native of inner-city Boston, she moved to northern Maine and raised a family, growing almost all of their food and pumping water by hand. She currently lives in an apartment overlooking the copper dome of the Bangor Public Library. She is also a noted teacher of writing. In addition to working with urban environmental justice organizations and international arts groups, she has developed humanities programs for schools and discussed life through the lens of children’s literature in a variety of settings, including prisons, community centers, and libraries.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration-painting. This listing will be updated with the month’s inspiration piece once it has been chosen.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration-painting. This listing will be updated with the month’s inspiration piece once it has been chosen.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Award-winning writer Annaliese Jakimides will teach a flash fiction workshop, using art currently on display at the museum as inspiration. “Likely, you'll surprise yourself with what bubbles up,” says Jakimides. 

“Flash fiction is known by many names, including sudden fiction, short-short stories, and microfiction. Although people often think it's a ‘new’ form of writing, it's been around for as long as we've been writing stories.”

Jakimides has placed in the World's Best Short-Short Story Contest multiple times.

Winner of the Acadia Prize in Poetry, Annaliese Jakimides has more than five hundred publications in magazines, journals, anthologies, and newspapers, and broadcast online and on radio. She has multiple Pushcart Prize nominations and has been a finalist for the Maine Literary Awards in both Poetry and Nonfiction—multiple times for each one—as well as for the Stephen Dunn Poetry Prize. Her work has also been included in art venues such as ArtWord at the Portland Museum of Art. Her essay for NPR’s vaunted This I Believe program was included in the show’s anthology and CD, curated by Liane Hansen. Jakimides’ most recent publication is the essay “I Tell Henry the Plate Is Red,” in the anthology Breaking Bread (Beacon Press, 2022).

A native of inner-city Boston, she moved to northern Maine and raised a family, growing almost all of their food and pumping water by hand. She currently lives in an apartment overlooking the copper dome of the Bangor Public Library. She is also a noted teacher of writing. In addition to working with urban environmental justice organizations and international arts groups, she has developed humanities programs for schools and discussed life through the lens of children’s literature in a variety of settings, including prisons, community centers, and libraries.

Poet and naturalist Kristen Lindquist will be with us at the Gilley in April and again in November to teach an introductory haiku workshop. She’ll share a brief history of this intriguing art form, which originated in Japan more than 500 years ago and evolved as a nature poem. Kristen will share what makes a poem a haiku (it’s probably not what you think), and how haiku are written today in the United States. Then she will guide students through writing their own haiku.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration-painting. This listing will be updated with the month’s inspiration piece once it has been chosen.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Gather as a community and enjoy the creative spirit of MDI at the Wendell Gilley Museum for the Museum's annual Community Open House & Art Show on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m.. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

We will have a special one-day-only exhibit of art created at the Gilley in 2024, everything from bird drawings by third-graders to bird carvings by long-time carvers.

Free and open to all. No registration required; just drop by!

Get started with nature journaling in this workshop at the Gilley on Saturday, April 29, from 10:30am to noon. Scientists, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts all utilize nature journaling, a skill that is accessible to anyone. Using real scientific practices and artistic abandon, participants will walk away with a small nature journal of their own. All materials will be provided. This workshop will be taught by Camp Beech Cliff's Matt Cornish.

“Nature journaling is a wonderful way to engage observational skills, curiosity, and creative thinking,” he says “Regardless of age, people need nature. People also need the time and space to slow down, notice the world around them, and hopefully experience wonder.”

The class meets in person at the Museum. Cost is $10 for museum members and $15 for non-members. Registration required.  

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it. Then, students will be shaping them around glass jars to make a decorative container.

Class size is limited.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it. Then, students will be shaping them around glass jars to make a decorative container.

Class size is limited.

Paint Maine’s state bird, the Chickadee, on a snowy branch in this first Paint ‘n’ Sip of the new year, with instructor Erika Rosso. She will guide students step by step through the process, explaining each step along the way.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2025  Wildlife artist and Maine Master Naturalist Michael Boardman will lead a 2-hour workshop on learning to field sketch and focus on birds of prey, in honor of the Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch. We’ll work on body shapes and details specific to this awesome group of birds, with a concentration on drawing with your favorite tools. Class will be part lecture, part demo and part hands-on using mounted specimens. If time allows there may be a watercolor demo at the end. Some basic drawing skills coming in will be helpful but are not absolutely necessary. Supplies will be on hand but feel free to bring your own as well.

Bar Harbor artist Amy Pollien kicks off the 2025 People-Nature-Art series at the Gilley. Her work is based on close observation of local plants, wildlife, and geology, as well as weather, time of day, and season. These elements are combined based on a consistent interval, or module, of closed forms and a limited color palette. Her goal is to make a cohesive impression of the nearly overwhelming detail of her visual experience at a particular place and point in time. Look for trout swirling around a vase of dahlias at Echo Lake in the image here. And join us to discover more about this artist and her work. There will be a 6pm artist's reception followed by a 7pm program that will be simultaneously livecast on Zoom. All are free, but registration is required.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Work in clay to create a nature-themed pendant, brooch or lapel pin that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.  Class size is limited. All materials supplied. Students must be 14 or older. This class is taught by artist and retired educator Kathie Pratt.

Experiment with wet-on-wet watercolor paintings in this fun class that takes place over two consecutive Saturdays at the Gilley with instructor Erika Elizabeth. This class will be focused on landscape and discovery within wet-on-wet watercolor.  Class size is limited and registration is required. Class fee ($58 for members and $72 for non-members) covers both classes.

Create a painting of a landscape in a monochromatic color palette that still gives depth and character to your painting in this second Paint 'n’ Sip of the new year, with instructor Erika Elizabeth. She will guide students step by step through the process, explaining each along the way.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Experiment with wet-on-wet watercolor paintings in this fun class that takes place over two consecutive Saturdays at the Gilley with instructor Erika Elizabeth. This class will be focused on landscape and discovery within wet-on-wet watercolor.  Class size is limited and registration is required. Class fee ($58 for members and $72 for non-members) covers both classes.

Feel the love in this fun printmaking class with Juliana Ramirez, just in time for Valentine’s Day. We’ll make 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 8 years old. Reservations required.  

Join Downeast Audubon at the Gilley for a fun evening of Wingspan, one of the world's most popular board games. Wingspan is a bird-themed board game where players compete to attract birds to their wildlife reserves. It boasts beautifully crafted (and scientifically accurate) cards for more than 150 bird species, paired with gentle yet strategic gameplay. Whether you're a birder looking to dive into the gaming world or a gamer eager to learn more about birds, this game has something for everyone. 

For those new to Wingspan, don't fret! Downeast Audubon board member James Longo will be on hand to give a tutorial and go over the gameplay, ensuring everyone gets off to a flying start. 

Drinks and snacks provided.
Please sign up to ensure we have enough game boards available.

MDI's own Liddy Hubbell joins us in February as the Gilley's People-Nature-Art presenter. She paints Downeast Maine using bold gestural strokes and focused palettes. Much of her work develops from the natural beauty of Acadia National Park and the towns on Mount Desert Island in Maine. 

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Award-winning Maine bird carver Joshua Brewer leads this special 5-week workshop at the Gilley. You will learn to carve and paint a bufflehead decoy, with hands-on training. All materials provided but you are welcome to bring your own tools as well. Bring a lunch. Class meets from 10am to 4pm on 5 consecutive Thursdays.

Josh is a master carver who makes a living doing what he loves, carving birds out of cedar. Collectors love it too – the Little Deer Isle artist’s work is in high demand and he mostly works on commission. We are thrilled to have him teaching a class at the Gilley.

The New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of “Ornithography,” Jessica Roux” is the featured speaker at the first Reading with Wings event of 2025. Reading with Wings is a collaborative program of the Southwest Harbor Public Library and the Wendell Gilley Museum, offered at no charge to all. This event will be via Zoom only. Free to all, but registration is required.

“For centuries, cultures around the world have looked to birds for meaning, often relying on these creatures to teach moral lessons, illuminate history, foretell victory, or warn of doom,” says Roux in the introduction to “Ornithography” which explores the way humans have revered, feared, and spun tales about birds through the centuries.

Ms. Roux will join us online from Nashville, Tenn. to share tales from the book and her process in creating it. “Ornithography” includes 100 entries, each dedicated to a specific bird species, showcasing Roux’s enchanting artwork alongside fascinating lore and historical significance of each.

She is also the author/illustrator of “Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers,” and “The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms.” She is the illustrator of many more books including “Jane Austen’s Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels,” and the Folklore Field Guides for children including “A Natural History of Dragons,” “A Natural History of Mermaids,” and “A Natural History of Fairies.”

Award-winning Maine bird carver Joshua Brewer leads this special 5-week workshop at the Gilley. You will learn to carve and paint a bufflehead decoy, with hands-on training. All materials provided but you are welcome to bring your own tools as well. Bring a lunch. Class meets from 10am to 4pm on 5 consecutive Thursdays.

Josh is a master carver who makes a living doing what he loves, carving birds out of cedar. Collectors love it too – the Little Deer Isle artist’s work is in high demand and he mostly works on commission. We are thrilled to have him teaching a class at the Gilley.

Award-winning Maine bird carver Joshua Brewer leads this special 5-week workshop at the Gilley. You will learn to carve and paint a bufflehead decoy, with hands-on training. All materials provided but you are welcome to bring your own tools as well. Bring a lunch. Class meets from 10am to 4pm on 5 consecutive Thursdays.

Josh is a master carver who makes a living doing what he loves, carving birds out of cedar. Collectors love it too – the Little Deer Isle artist’s work is in high demand and he mostly works on commission. We are thrilled to have him teaching a class at the Gilley.

Paint Somes Sound in blues and greens in this Paint ‘n’ Sip with instructor Erika Elizabeth. She will guide students step by step through the process, explaining each step along the way.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Create your very own wool 3D Octopus with needle felting fiber artist and instructor Hillary Dow!

We will use wool sourced from Maine fiber farms to learn basic needle felting techniques as you transform the puffy piles of wool into eight tentacles on a 3D octopus! 

This project may be slightly challenging for those who are brand new to needle felting, but everyone in the class will be provided multiple visual aids (video clips and still images) to accompany the live instruction. The additional instructional tools are intended to support you if additional time is necessary to work at a slower pace. The repetitive nature of the eight-tentacle design is perfect for developing basic felting techniques.

All materials and tools provided.

Award-winning Maine bird carver Joshua Brewer leads this special 5-week workshop at the Gilley. You will learn to carve and paint a bufflehead decoy, with hands-on training. All materials provided but you are welcome to bring your own tools as well. Bring a lunch. Class meets from 10am to 4pm on 5 consecutive Thursdays.

Josh is a master carver who makes a living doing what he loves, carving birds out of cedar. Collectors love it too – the Little Deer Isle artist’s work is in high demand and he mostly works on commission. We are thrilled to have him teaching a class at the Gilley.

Join Downeast Audubon at the Gilley for a fun evening of Wingspan, one of the world's most popular board games. Wingspan is a bird-themed board game where players compete to attract birds to their wildlife reserves. It boasts beautifully crafted (and scientifically accurate) cards for more than 150 bird species, paired with gentle yet strategic gameplay. Whether you're a birder looking to dive into the gaming world or a gamer eager to learn more about birds, this game has something for everyone. 

For those new to Wingspan, don't fret! Downeast Audubon board member James Longo will be on hand to give a tutorial and go over the gameplay, ensuring everyone gets off to a flying start. 

Drinks and snacks provided.
Please sign up to ensure we have enough game boards available.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it. Then, students will be shaping them around glass jars to make a decorative container.

Class size is limited.

Jennifer Steen Booher is an artist and conceptual photographer who lives on Mount Desert Island, where she has been exploring and studying the intertidal zone for over 20 years. She is fascinated by the way science and history intersect within issues like ecosystem dynamics, climate change, and marine debris. As her understanding deepens, she has been experimenting with ways to address the drama and poetry she finds in these specialized fields.

Working in multiple media, including still life photography, cyanotype, and drawing, she teases apart the complex interactions underlying biological and cultural consequences of change in the local climate. And although they draw on verified and reliable data, the resulting images are rooted in curiosity and exploration. She never lost that childhood delight in poking around in seaweed on muddy knees, filling her pockets with shells and stones and sticky things, and incessantly asking, “Why?”

Join us at this Gilley for this free and fabulous monthly event to learn more about Jenn and her art.

There will be a 6pm reception followed by a 7pm program that will be simultaneously livecast on Zoom. No charge, but registration is required.

People-Nature-Art is a free monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Award-winning Maine bird carver Joshua Brewer leads this special 5-week workshop at the Gilley. You will learn to carve and paint a bufflehead decoy, with hands-on training. All materials provided but you are welcome to bring your own tools as well. Bring a lunch. Class meets from 10am to 4pm on 5 consecutive Thursdays.

Josh is a master carver who makes a living doing what he loves, carving birds out of cedar. Collectors love it too – the Little Deer Isle artist’s work is in high demand and he mostly works on commission. We are thrilled to have him teaching a class at the Gilley.

Bring some bloom to the gloom of mudseason by painting paperwhites (a type of narcissus) with their little while blooms as part of this monthly Paint 'n' Sip.with instructor Erika Elizabeth. She will guide students step by step through the process, explaining each step along the way.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Join Downeast Trout Unlimited and the Wendell Gilley Museum for a fun fly-tying workshop for students of all experience levels. There will be options for beginning, intermediate and advanced students age 8 and older. Veteran fly tyers Bob Bechtold, Mike Elkavitch and Al West will be on hand to guide students through the process with demonstrations and lots of hands-on help.

Beginners will learn the Maple Syrup and Wooly Bugger flies, while intermediate students will tackle the Golden Retriever and Marabou Micky Finn. Advanced students will learn the Marabou Black Ghost and Orange Stimulator flies.

All materials will be provided. Class size is limited. This workshop is four hours long, so bring a snack or lunch.

Join Downeast Audubon at the Gilley for a fun evening of Wingspan, one of the world's most popular board games. Wingspan is a bird-themed board game where players compete to attract birds to their wildlife reserves. It boasts beautifully crafted (and scientifically accurate) cards for more than 150 bird species, paired with gentle yet strategic gameplay. Whether you're a birder looking to dive into the gaming world or a gamer eager to learn more about birds, this game has something for everyone. 

For those new to Wingspan, don't fret! Downeast Audubon board member James Longo will be on hand to give a tutorial and go over the gameplay, ensuring everyone gets off to a flying start. 

Drinks and snacks provided.
Please sign up to ensure we have enough game boards available.

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration-painting. This listing will be updated with the month’s inspiration piece once it has been chosen.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.