The Arts in the Capitol program features work throughout the Capitol Complex and offers Maine artists an additional venue for their work. It is designed to expand the audience for Maine artists or artists working in Maine on Maine-based themes.
All exhibits are free and open to the public. Exhibitions are self-guided and may be viewed during the building hours where the exhibition is on display.
Building hours:
| Maine Arts Commission Office: | Capitol and Burton M. Cross Buildings: |
| 8:30am - 4:30pm, Mon - Fri | 8:00am - 5:00pm, Mon - Fri |
Arts in the Capitol Guidelines
For more information about Arts in the Capitol, contact Danielle Moriarty, Program Director at vog.eniam@ytrairom.elleinad
This exhibition celebrates five decades of posters from the Common Ground Country Fair, organized by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), in honor of the Fair’s 50th annual gathering.
Since 1977, the Common Ground Country Fair has been more than an annual event. It has been a gathering place for a movement rooted in organic agriculture, food justice, environmental stewardship, and the belief that communities can shape healthier futures together. Created year after year, the Fair’s posters have become some of the most visible and enduring expressions of that movement. Seen together, they offer a visual and cultural history of Maine’s organic movement and the shared values that have guided it.
The exhibition highlights the artists, farmers, activists, craftspeople, and community members whose work helped shape the visual identity of the Fair. Across 50 years, the posters trace moments of urgency and hope, resistance and celebration, continuity and change, while remaining grounded in cooperation, care, and a deep relationship to the land.
This exhibition is presented in by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Ancorum Credit Union, Maine Arts Commission, Waterville Creates, Maine Office of Tourism, and the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission.
A public reception will be held on Thursday, June 11, from 3 to 6 p.m (location TBD). The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular State House business hours.
For more information, visit MOFGA.org.
Phoebe Bly grew up in Maine during the 1970s and 1980s, raised by parents involved in the “back to the land” movement inspired by Helen and Scott Nearing. She spent her childhood in a small, hand-built cabin in the woods without electricity or plumbing, where her family practiced organic farming and experimented with wind power. This unconventional upbringing fostered a deep appreciation for the natural world and continues to shape her perspective and artistic sensibility.Bly studied photography at the Portland School of Art and the Maine Photo Workshops, working extensively in a black-and-white darkroom for several years. Following a move to Islesboro, she transitioned to oil painting, quickly recognizing it as the medium through which she could fully express herself. Largely self-taught, Bly embraces an intuitive and independent approach to her practice, one that remains unconstrained by formal training or shifting artistic trends. Guided by a belief in sincerity and emotional depth, echoing Andrew Wyeth’s assertion “one’s art goes as far and as deep as one’s love goes,” her work is grounded in genuine feeling and a lifelong connection to place.
The exhibition is free and open to everyone Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Maine State House in Augusta.
Come see Maine through an artist’s eyes—you might just fall in love all over again
Maine Excellence in Arts Education Exhibition
Burton M. Cross Building | March 16 - May 28, 2026
Annually, the Maine Arts Commission partners with Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) and Maine’s two Congressional offices to highlight exemplary high school student artists. Almost one thousand Maine student works of art were submitted this year to a national youth competition, the Scholastic Arts & Literary Awards, organized locally by MECA&D. Coming from all over the state, 177 students received regional awards through the Scholastic competition.
The 43 works on display here were selected from those Scholastic winners by a separate jury and represent the breadth of creativity of high school students from around the state. Two works, one from each Congressional district, were also selected to be displayed at the US Capitol for a year through the Congressional Art Awards program. Runners up are included in this exhibition.
All these student artists thrive through careful and dedicated mentoring from their art teachers, along with the encouragement of their friends and families. The Maine Arts Commission is honored to share this inspiring work with visitors to the Capitol Complex.
