Artists have been attracted for centuries to Maine’s rugged and romantic landscape. Today is no different, with museums, galleries, and studios exhibiting artists who continue to use their craft to depict Maine in all its forms and textures. Make the destinations on this list part of your itinerary the next time you’re looking to explore Maine’s arts scene.
1. Art on the Run | 51 Moose Run Lamoine, ME | 413-884-5452
Art on the Run is the studio/gallery of John Richards, an oil painter who moved six years ago from the Berkshires of Massachusetts to Lamoine, Maine. Richards specializes in realistic seascape (with a concentration on Downeast Maine) and still life paintings. The studio/gallery is where he works on his oil paintings and has approximately 40 framed paintings displayed that are for sale and ready to take home and hang.
He has studied with Andrew Orr, Christopher Pierce, and Leah Lopez. He previously exhibited at the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art, in Lenox, Massachusetts; the Southern Vermont Art Center, in Manchester, Vermont; and the John Zaccheo Fine Art Gallery, also in Manchester, Vermont. John has been painting for some 40 years.
Should you desire to see the work of John Richards or would like to bring home a memento of your visit to Acadia/Downeast Maine, please consider a visit to Art on the Run. You may call or email for an appointment.
2. Colby College Museum of Art | 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr, Waterville, ME | 207-859-5600
Founded in 1959, the Colby College Museum of Art is a teaching museum and cultural resource that serves as an educational asset to Colby College, the central Maine community, and beyond. The museum is a destination for American art and a place for engagement with local, national, and global audiences. Located on Colby’s campus, in Waterville, the museum houses a collection of 11,000 works and presents dynamic exhibitions and programs throughout the year. The museum’s presence extends downtown through the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, where visitors can explore rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and selections from the museum’s collection. The Colby Museum is always free and open to all. On campus: Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun noon–5 p.m. Downtown: Wed–Mon 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
3. Dunn Studios | Chelsea, Maine
Sandra Leinonen Dunn is a Maine artist represented by galleries throughout the state, as well as by the Cortile Gallery, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Her works are part of collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her working studio is located in Chelsea, Maine, where she lives and teaches art.
Ms. Dunn paints the Maine landscape and seascape, and has recently worked on a series of Maine lobstermen. She is also well-known for her traditional still-life compositions. Her work is representational, capturing subject matter with lyrical brushwork and intuitively mixed colors. Depending on the subject matter and source of inspiration, her pieces can look “old masterly” or convey the spontaneous brushstrokes of an Impressionist painting.
Sandra Dunn’s paintings capture a moment in time; a moment that she hopes will bring the viewer a small bit of heartfelt joy. “The only constant in life is change,” and yet, in a painting, the moment can be captured and revisited. The brilliant yellow of a daffodil petal or the sunlight on the surface of an ultramarine horizon can be frozen in time to be enjoyed over and over again — like the treasured memory of a Maine vacation.
Sandra Leinonen Dunn is represented by the following galleries:
Cortile Gallery
Provincetown, MA
Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery
Portland, ME
Lupine Gallery
Monhegan Island, ME
Art Space Gallery
Rockland, ME
Full Fathom Five Gallery
Eastport, ME
Renaissance Gallery
Farmingdale, ME
4. Gallery at Somes Sound | 1112 Main Street, Mt. Desert, ME | 207-610-4622
Established in 2010, the Gallery at Somes Sound is a fine-art gallery located on Mount Desert Island, overlooking beautiful Somes Sound, in the historic village of Somesville. The gallery represents contemporary artists of national standing, showcasing fine art and custom furniture. Tucked away on the “quiet side” of the island, this is a real treat for art enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Over the years, the gallery has carefully selected its stable of accomplished artists, offering their work in diverse subject, style, and medium. The gallery also enjoys working with clients who require assistance in choosing acquisitions for their home or business. Please visit our website to learn more about the Gallery at Somes Sound.
5. Gleason Fine Art, Inc. | 31 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor, ME | 207-633-6849
In 1985, husband-and-wife team Dennis and Martha Gleason opened their first art gallery in a Boothbay Harbor space that was little more than the size of two closets. In 2008, their son Andrew joined the family business.
After three moves, the Gleasons found their dream space — an elegant gray-and-white farmhouse with sculpture gardens fronting Townsend Avenue. Today, it feels as though the gallery has always been in Boothbay Harbor.
Gleason Fine Art consistently ranks as one of Maine’s top art destinations. The gallery has been the winner two years in a row, 2020 and 2021, of Down East magazine’s Readers’ Choice Best Art Gallery in Maine award.
The gallery’s roster of contemporary painters and sculptors numbers more than two dozen of Maine’s most highly regarded artists, including Henry Isaacs, Andrea Peters, and Kevin Beers. The inventory of 19th- and 20th-century painters includes such notables as James Fitzgerald, Andrew Winter, and Stephen Etnier. Gleason Fine Art also offers art appraisal services and collection consulting.
From its inception, the Gleasons’ goal has been to offer the finest work by established artists inspired by the beauty of Maine. Equally important is the gallery’s atmosphere, where friendliness and approachability are as highly valued as professionalism.
6. Langlais Art Preserve | 576 River Road, Cushing, ME | 207-594-5166
The Langlais Art Preserve offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore more than a dozen large-scale wooden sculptures created by Maine artist Bernard Langlais along an accessible quarter-mile path winding through meadows and woodlands. Protected and operated by Georges River Land Trust since 2017, the 90-acre site includes a seasonally open Barn Studio that offers a community art-making space, historical film, as well as Langlais’s preserved workshop, filled with his tools and smaller-scale artworks.
Beyond the outdoor sculpture path, visitors can enjoy over two miles of forested hiking trails and experience how Langlais’s vision of integrating art with the natural landscape continues to evolve through conservation efforts and new artistic programming. From April to October, the preserve hosts Creative Nature Programs for all ages — free, donation-based, artist-led workshops and walks that explore nature through a creative lens.
The Langlais Art Preserve grounds are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk in all seasons. The 2025 Barn Studio & Workshop hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in June, September, and October; and Thursdays–Sundays in July and August.
7. Littlefield Gallery |145 Main Street Winter Harbor, ME | 207-963-6005
When Kelly and Jane Littlefield built their gallery in Winter Harbor 17 years ago, they were choosing a lifestyle as well as a location: the Schoodic Peninsula section of Acadia National Park, one of the most beautiful places on the East Coast. While it may seem like “you can’t get there from here,” Littlefield Gallery has become a destination point for art lovers from all over the country and has earned a half dozen wins and nominations in the Best of Maine gallery category since 2017.
Representing several of Maine’s most distinguished sculptors and painters, including Joseph Haroutunian, Caren-Marie Michel, Roy Germon, Amy Pollien, Sarah Faragher, and Alec Richardson, the works transcend all passions — from Mary Prince’s and James Groleau’s collage to Scott Baltz’s and James Linehan’s stylized landscapes. Sculpture is an integral part of the gallery, surrounded indoors and out by pieces created by sculptors Don Best, Peter Dransfield, John Stass, Dan Miller, Dan West, Andre Benoit, Mark Herrington, and Hugh Lassen.
The gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 24 to October 15 and by appointment.
8. Maine Art Hill | 14 Western Avenue, Kennebunk, ME | 207-967-2803
Maine Art Hill is a unique art destination. We are a premier gallery celebrating over 30 years in business. We welcome you to park and explore all seven galleries in three adjacent buildings. From oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolors, encaustics, and photography to blown glass, mixed media, and metal sculpture, including the Wind Sculptures by Lyman Whitaker™, we have something for every art lover. We offer an array of shows and events throughout the seasons. Visit our website to stay informed or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
9. Portland Museum of Art | 7 Congress Square, Portland, ME | 207-775-6148
The Portland Museum of Art, located blocks from the working waterfront in Maine’s largest city, seeks to tell multifaceted stories through art. Showcasing significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine — the extensive collection highlights the rich artistic tradition of the state and its artists. Committed to its “Art for All” mission, the PMA seeks to create an inclusive space that champions open expression and makes art accessible to all. From member events, free school tours, and family activities to curator talks and tours of the Winslow Homer Studio — it’s all happening at the PMA.
10. The Willard Gallery | Willard Square, South Portland, ME
The Willard Gallery is a by-appointment gallery located in a garden cottage in South Portland’s Willard Square. Making the most of its small footprint, The Willard Gallery can create a tailored viewing experience by inviting collectors to share what works or styles they’re interested in seeing and then preparing the space accordingly for their appointment. Works from several Maine and New England–based artists are on view alongside those sourced from all parts of the United States and the United Kingdom. Make an appointment to visit the gallery (on your way to Scratch Baking Co. or Portland Head Light) or subscribe to the gallery newsletter to receive an invitation to the summer garden parties.