News

There is still room in the last few 1.5-hour carving classes of the season. Sign up for a spot on Thursday, Sept. 9 or Tuesday, Sept. 14 at either 10:30am or 1:30pm. These classes come with a kit including a roughed-out blank you carve, sand, paint, and take home with you. To secure your spot, register HERE.

The museum will be closed all day Tuesday, Aug. 17 as we take down Birds in Art to make way for our next special exhibit, "Light, Sky, Land and Edges." The museum will also be closed on Saturday, Aug. 21 so we can install the new exhibit, which opens Tuesday, Aug. 24. "Light, Sky, Land and Edges" is a rich artistic collaboration between painter Tracy Baker-White and poet Martha Donovan. See more about the exhibit HERE.

We apologize for any inconvenience these closures might cause, and look forward to sharing this new exhibit with you.

Sherrie York celebrates the natural world, birds in particular, with original, hand-pulled linocuts from her studio in Maine. Her work has been featured in national and international exhibitions. And now she is going to be at the Wendell Gilley Museum in person to teach, and to explore with us that special place where nature and art intersect.

On Aug. 6 and 7 she will be at the Wendell Gilley Museum teaching classes during the day and offering an evening presentation about the connection between nature, her creative process and the art she makes. "Human relationships with wild lands and wild creatures are as individual as we are, whether we see nature as a nourishing mother, a suite of resources to be exploited, or a frightening and dangerous wasteland,” she says. “When an image I create sparks a memory or reflects an experience familiar to the viewer, it provides common ground for sharing our stories and understanding each other’s perspective. And shared stories can help us not only to celebrate the beauty found in nature, but also to tackle larger issues of wildlife, water, and land conservation."

On Friday, Aug. 6 from 9am to 3pm she will lead a workshop for creating two-color prints; the fee is $40. On Saturday, Aug. 7 from 9am to noon she will lead a workshop for creating prints with one color; the fee is $20 per person.  And on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 7 pm. she will be discussing the connections between nature and art with museum director Sean Charette in “Celebrating the Natural World with Sherrie York: A Special Birds in Art presentation” This presentation will happen in person at the Gilley, and will be simultaneously livestreamed. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.

York is the sole artist from Maine represented in the stunning Birds in Art exhibition on display at the Gilley through Aug. 14, She has been Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park and the National Audubon Society, and her work is in many museums and private collections.  

To sign up for any of these events, or for more information, visit the Events page HERE.

The Museum is expanding its open hours to include Saturdays.

We'll be open the usual hours, 10am to 4pm, on Saturdays through the summer and early fall.

Reservations required, but walk-ins are welcome if room allows. We are still limiting the number of people who can be inside the museum at any one time, and we are requiring masks indoors as part of our continuing pandemic safety precautions.

Register for your visit online HERE.

This prestigious juried art show is at the Gilley through Aug. 14. Come see sculptures and carvings, block prints, and paintings of all kinds -- 60 in all.  Among them are new pieces by Maine artist Sherrie York, a friend of the Gilley who conducted a popular printmaking class here in 2020 and will be offering several classes this year; and renowned wildlife watercolorist Barry van Dusen who was our People-Nature-Art speaker in March and has taught classes for us.  They are among a wide range of accomplished contemporary artists, who offer their unique interpretations of the avian world in a variety of media. 

Maine Magazine is the official media sponsor of Birds in Art.

Birds in Art is organized by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin each year. Following the show's debut there, 60 artworks embark on a national tour to a select venues. This will be the third visit of Birds in Art to the Gilley and we cannot wait to share the exhibit with you. 

Come join Miss Amanda from the Southwest Harbor Public Library outside at the Gilley for three different Fledgling Story Times this summer. Each half-hour session will have its own birdy theme and will include three books, two songs, and chance to do some art. There will be room for up to 15 people and registration is required through the Gilley website. But there is no charge to attend, and families get to visit the Gilley afterward at no charge.

Wednesday, July 14 at 10:30am – Fun Flamingoes

Wednesday, July 28 at 10:30am – Awesome Owls

Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 10:30am – Room for Loons

Sign up by clicking HERE.

The art talk by Gary Hoyle about the work in his current special exhibit at the Wendell Gilley Museum has been rescheduled to Tuesday, June 8 at 7p.m. online via Zoom. He will share insights about his work in this presentation exclusively for the Gilley. Learn more about his exhibition at the Gilley here.
Gary's works are inspired by nature, and much of his life’s work has happened in that special place where art and science meet. Gary was the Artist for Exhibits and the Curator of Natural History at the Maine State Museum for 28 years. His sculptures and paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States, including Chicago’s Field Museum. And he has been an Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park twice. Originally scheduled for May 28, this event has been rescheduled for June 8. There is no fee to join us, but registration is required. You can register HERE.

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.