The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Freeport (ACAF) has launched an online gallery that showcases artwork of local Maine artists working in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, mixed media and photography. The title of the current online show is Looking Forward and it features artwork produced during the pandemic. These pieces celebrate both the time spent in the studio and the optimism of moving forward to a place of renewal. These works can be viewed at https://www.meetinghousearts.org/shop

This online gallery is being presented in the anticipation of the opening of a brick and mortar gallery at Meetinghouse Arts, which is a project of ACAF. Meetinghouse Arts will be a multi-use and multi-user arts and cultural venue that will complement existing spaces around town. It will provide a center for the community to gather, enjoy arts and cultural events, and pursue artistic growth, and will include a 200-seat performance venue and a top-notch visual arts gallery on the first floor of the First Parish Congregational Church at 40 Main St. in Freeport. Within this facility ACAF will curate local and traveling arts and cultural programming, host classes and workshops for all ages, and provide a creative hub for the Greater Freeport area. ACAF is hopeful that restoration and renovation efforts will be complete and the doors can be opened later this Spring.

The opening of Meetinghouse Arts will achieve one of the important goals identified in ACAF’s Cultural Plan for the Greater Freeport area. Plans for the renovations have been carefully developed to provide a high-quality venue that is flexible enough in its design to accommodate a wide variety of creative needs. At the same time, Meetinghouse Arts will continue to be used by First Parish Congregational Church for its Sunday services and other needs.

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ACAF is working to raise the visibility of the artistic and cultural activities that the Greater Freeport Area has to offer. It is dedicated to fostering arts and culture by enhancing artistic and cultural opportunities for all members of the community, including youth, and promoting the local arts and culture. Its goal is to build the resources necessary to meet the collective needs of Greater Freeport’s performing and visual artists and cultural groups. For more about ACAF visit FreeportArtsAndCulture.org.