“The Verdant Line” opens May 22nd with illustrated works by @mattierosetempleton at our satellite gallery in The Commons, 15 Main Street, Belfast, Maine.
Join us from 4-7pm on Friday, May 22nd, for the opening reception of Mattie Rose Templeton’s solo exhibition, “The Verdant Line”. The exhibit will be open through mid-July with a collection of Mattie’s original illustrations and prints!
Mattie Rose Templeton, a Mainer born and raised in blueberry country, is inspired by the living and natural world that surrounds us all. Through art, she explores our connection to nature, including the undeniable fragility that is found there. And the importance for us to protect it. Art, since the beginning, has been a way to record history through visual storytelling. Mattie Rose attempts to produce art that moves the viewer beyond the piece itself, and into that storytelling place. Using an “old fashioned” ink well, with various-sized nibs, she is able to add different texture and line. She often uses a limited pallette, because she loves the drama that contrast brings. While the subject matter of her work is based in realism, there is a conceptual quality added through geometric shapes and patterns, and a certain magic that will keep the viewer asking “is this real?”
Learn more: link in bio
#maineartist #belfastmaine #nature #mattierosetempleton
Second photo courtesy of @caitbourgaultphotography
Art Camp is back for its third year, this season we are collaborating with @creativeoxfordhills and @nevaehdancecircus to provide even more opportunities for Oxford County kids. Art camp sessions run Monday-Friday from July 6th through July 17th for kids 7-14. Hands on art practices will be held in the morning and afternoon over the two weeks, as well as dance circus classes offered during the first week. The program tuition is a sliding scale with scholarships available. We’re excited to host a number of art campers this year!
Learn more at the link in the bio
Photo 3 credit: @caitbourgaultphotography
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#maineart #summercamp
We are giving away half our building!
We have space, and we want you to use it. The Lights Out Studio Incubator is an open call for an artist or group of artists who will use over 3,000 square feet of warehouse space to realize big projects this summer. This is not an exhibition opportunity or a live/work situation; it’s for people with specific goals who need a workspace to accomplish them. If that’s you, learn more at the link in the bio and apply today.
Studio Incubator Open Call will receive submissions between May 4th and June 4th, 11:59 pm. All applicants will be notified by June 12th.
Artists working in any medium may apply. A strong application will demonstrate concrete goals that align with Lights Out’s facilities.
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#studiospace #maineart #maine
We're thrilled to unveil the 2026 Norway Maine Arts Festival poster, designed by Atalie Campbell, a graphic design student at Oxford Hills Technical School! Atalie created the original illustration, design, and color approach, working within the framework of the contest developed by Lights Out Gallery's Creative Director, Karlë Woods, and facilitated in the classroom by instructor Virginia Valdes. Her design stood out among 17 submissions from students across Oxford County as part of the annual NMAF poster design contest organized by Lights Out Gallery. The contest was made possible with the generous support of Norway Savings Bank. Her design will also be available as a T-shirt for festival attendees and volunteers. Thank you to all of the students who participated, and to the faculty and adults who help support the future of arts and design.
Join us for the 55th annual Norway Maine Arts Festival on Saturday, September 12th from 10am-4pm in downtown Norway, featuring fine art and craft, music and performance, local business, talks from Maine artists and arts administrators, and community activities.
Attendance is free!
For more information visit maineartsfestival.org
Meet the Studio Incubator Jury:
Sarah Bouchard is a dedicated advocate for the arts and artists, founder of Sarah Bouchard Gallery, and co-founder of International Artists Manifest, a nonprofit that preserves and promotes collections of underrepresented artists after their passing. For over two decades, she has curated exhibitions in both commercial and alternative spaces from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon. She strives to present work in a way that creates new connections between pieces and people while offering a decidedly considered experience for the viewer.
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Ashley Page is an interdisciplinary artist based in Portland, ME. She holds a BFA in Sculpture with a minor in Public Engagement from Maine College of Art & Design. Her work centers on storytelling, representation, and intergenerational exchange. She received the Amelia Peabody Award for Sculpture in 2022 and has curated exhibitions at CMCA and ICA at MECA&D. Her work has been shown at PMA, Hunterdon Art Museum, USM Art Gallery, and the Center for Afrofuturist Studies. She is Studio and Programs Manager at Indigo Arts Alliance.
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📸: Sean Alonzo Harris
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Virginia Valdes explores illusion, denied lived experience, and humanity’s rift with the natural world. Working across installation, video, sculpture, graphic design, and photography, she has exhibited in the US and Europe at venues including P.S.1/MoMA, Lincoln Center, Stuttgart FilmWinter, Black Maria Film Festival, FotoFest, and PBS Reel NY8. A Lef Foundation grant supported her installation Wasteland at Bates Museum. She also teaches graphic design, photography, and new media.
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Reed McLean is an artist and curator from Western Maine. He holds a BFA from Alfred University. In 2021 he co-founded Lights Out, seeking to broaden the vocabulary of Maine art at home and abroad. He is the principal curator for Lights Out as well as the creator of its artist interview series, now archived at Colby College and Center for Maine Contemporary Art. His perspective is identifiable by sensitivity to alternative spaces and a rigorous approach to curation. He believes perfection is possible.
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📸: Pia-Paulina Guilmoth
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#maineart #artiststudio #opencall
Artists working in any medium may apply. A strong application will demonstrate concrete goals that align with Lights Out's facilities. Artists may apply for use of all, or part of the studio. Learn more about this opportunity at the link in our bio.
If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments, or reach out to [email protected]. We hope to hear from you soon!
The incubator is free for participating artists. Artists should expect lots of unencumbered time and space and occasional visits from other artists, curators, and community members.
The studio will be available from June 15th to October 16th. Artists may choose to occupy the studio for all or part of that time.
This is not an exhibition opportunity or a live/work opportunity. It is for artists with specific goals who need a workspace to accomplish them.
Studio Incubator Open Call will receive submissions between May 4th and June 4th, 11:59 pm. All applicants will be notified by June 12th.
Artists have access to:
24 hour access to over 3,000 sq ft of warehouse space, 15 ft ceiling in the front, sloping to 10 ft in the back, with 10’ x 10’ loading dock and side porch
A one acre, industrial lot in downtown Norway, Maine
Our woodshop, with assistance from a technician
Our office with printers, scanners, and a live model drawing setup
Heated and cooled breakroom
Possible studio assistant for 75 hours through the Maine Career Exploration Program
Studio equipment, including:
Printing press
Flat files
Work tables
Papercutter
3D Printers
Projectors
Easles
Materials such as canvas, lumber, etc. available on a case by case basis
More materials and tools are available. Artists are asked to inquire about specific interests.
We are working towards full accessibility, but because of the building’s age, it is not currently ADA accessible.
Jury:
Sarah Bouchard, Curator, Sarah Bouchard Gallery
Ashley Page, Interdisciplinary Artist
Virginia Valdes, Artist and Educator
Reed McLean, Curator, Lights Out Gallery
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#maineart #artiststudio #studiogiveaway #opencall
🎨🌊 “The Pinkies” Have Arrived at Shepard’s Farm Preserve!
We’re excited to welcome “The Pinkies,” to Shepard’s Farm Preserve’s sculpture garden. The Pinkies are a striking trio of large-scale sculptures by Maine artist Pamela “Posey” Moulton (@pamela_moulton ), now on view here in Norway, Maine!
Standing 11-14 feet tall and built on steel frames, these vibrant works are made from recycled marine plastics pulled from the ocean and coastlines. They’re bold, interactive, and impossible to ignore!
These sculptures are a powerful reminder: plastics don’t disappear. They persist, travel, and ultimately finds their way into our waters.
Hosting The Pinkies is part of an ongoing collaboration between WFLT and Lights Out Gallery, and they’ll be on display in our outdoor sculpture garden for the next two years.
While the sculptures are interactive, please do not climb on them!
Good art sparks good conversation—and we’re excited to see what conversations The Pinkies inspire here in the Maine woods.
Learn more about the art and artist at:
Photos 1-8 by @bnjmntrtmn
Photos 9-10 by @sipedan
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#posey #maineart #climateart #pinkies
Wow! We had such a great crew yesterday for our Earth Day cleanup, Our backyard is looking so much better!
We’re so grateful for our amazing community of volunteers that shows up, helps out when we ask, and most importantly reminds us why we’re doing this!
Photos by @bnjmntrtmn
Join us for our annual Clean Up Party next Wednesday, Earth Day, April 22nd from 10am-2pm!
Every year we have a big clean up party at Lights Out to prepare the grounds for the coming season. Last Year we demoed our office, And this year, it’s perfect timing because our Wednesday community day lands on Earth Day! The property is looking a bit drab from winter, and we can work together to help the spring beauty pop 🌷
Georgia will be serving up a fabulous free lunch at 1pm! See you at Lights Out next Wednesday, 10 Tannery Street, Norway, Maine.
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#earthday
We had a great time last Thursday at the Maine State House for Cultural Advocacy Day! It was great hearing from some inspiring speakers and connecting with so many folks who love and support the arts in Maine.
Thanks @culturalmaine !
