Art in the Capitol

The Art 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 Art in the Capitol 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 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; Capitol and Burton M. Cross Buildings 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information about Art in the Capitol, contact Julie Horn, Visual Arts Director at vog.eniam@nroh.eiluj.

CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY

Maine Veteran Artists - On display through November 2018

Artwork by Maine veterans is proudly on display in a free, public exhibition that runs through November throughout the state capitol complex. Approximately 40 art works by 39 artists, a majority of which are hanging in the Burton M. Cross building, are presented by the Maine Arts Commission in partnership with the VA Maine Healthcare Systems of Togus. 

 Visitors, state employees, and legislators are encouraged to view the Veterans Art in the Capitol exhibition during normal building hours. Each piece of art is accompanied by an artist statement that includes quotes and stories about how art plays a key role in the quality of life for many Maine veterans.

EVENT DETAILS: In addition to honoring the Veterans in the Arts and Humanities Appreciation Day, designated by the Maine state legislature as November 1 every year, the Maine Arts Commission is hosting a special celebration for veterans on November 30, 2018, the final day of the exhibition, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Maine State House in the Hall of Flags. This event is also free and open to the public.  Learn more here>

Stunning Photographic Still Lifes by Lynn Karlin- on display at Maine State House through Dec. 2018 

Maine photographer Lynn Karlin is currently on display for the Art in the Capitol program in Augusta. The selection of 19 images from Karlin’s “The Pedestal Series” will be on display as a free exhibit, open to the public from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, in the Maine State Capitol Complex from September 1 – December 31, 2018. 

“The Pedestal Series” illuminates food in still-life compositions that at times expand past the pictorial frame. Karlin’s food assemblies use striking design elements as the artist carefully considers and chooses form, texture, patina and color. She uses only natural light for her photographs, giving her work a more painterly than photographic aesthetic, inspired by works of 17th century Dutch master painters.

Lynn Karlin lives in Belfast and specializes in photographing gardens, interiors, and food for nationally recognized magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens and This Old House. She is a graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and has received many noted awards including Outstanding Achievement in Still Life and Best in Show at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO.

The works in this Art in the Capitol show, which can be viewed as a free, self-guided exhibition, are located on both the ground floor and second floor of the State House and are available to purchase. Learn more here>

Recent Exhibitions

"Four" - May 1- August 30, 2018 

 The Maine Arts Commission is proud to present an exhibition of four talented Maine artists, who in 2016 embarked on a year-long collaborative project entitled “Four”. They joined together to support, stimulate and challenge their individual creative belief systems to delve deeper into the unknown.

They live as career artists, educators, and friends, but together have committed to a goal to generate a collaborative process-driven visual and tactile dialog, exploring the theme of the four elements (air, fire, water, earth) through the lens of the Maine environment. Their primary concerted function is to work researching and building new visual vocabulary together.

Holly Berry, Very Late Afternoon, linocut 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Holly Berry- Lives and works in Waldoboro, ME. Her work is, “…influenced by the patterns and structures found in folk-art and the decorative arts.” For her, printmaking stems from a love of making things by hand and respect for craftsmanship.

For more information about Holly and her work, visit hollyberrydesign.com

Marguerite Lawler – Lives and works in Portland, ME. In 2017 she began and body of work that focused on the impact of shadows and light on the interior landscape of Maine, but most recently it has evolved to include the coastline and islands.  

For more information about Marguerite and her work, visit margueritelawler.com

Molly Mains- Lives and works in Bridgton, ME and states that her creative process “involves a progression of focusing in and simplifying rather than a literal interpretation of nature.” Recently she’s been experimenting with gelatin monotypes to emphasize the translucency of color.

For more information about Molly and her work, visit mollymains.com

 Marguerite Lawler, Underneath, oil

Wendy Newcomb- Lives and works in Sebago, ME where she prefers early morning and late afternoon light for its golden hues and long shadows. She states that by recreating her visual experience, “…she wants to give the viewer a sense of being in that moment with her.”

For more information about Wendy and her work, visit wendynewcomb.com

Works in this exhibition can be found on both the first and second floors of the State House.   Wendy Newcomb, Spring Gorge, oil 

Molly Mains, Mountain Serenity, multimedia

If interested in purchasing any of the artwork, please contact the artist directly through their website.

Please click here to view past exhibitions.