Those 12” x 12” canvases adorning the gallery walls of the Boothbay Region Art Foundation are extremely popular – and this year is exceptional! Since the show opened on Nov. 24, a.k.a. Black Friday, 87 paintings have been purchased. 

June Campbell Rose said this is the largest number of the smaller canvases to sell so quickly. “We had around 200 to start. Some of the artists did four to six paintings – we increased the number they could submit because last year we just couldn’t keep up with the demand!” 

Not surprising when you consider these masterpieces sell for $100. Who are the artists? Check out this roster: Christine Thalia Andersen, Hilary E. Bartlett, Barbara Bean, Andre Benoit, Betsy Bisson, Geoff Bladon, Maria Boord, Jane Bowman, Laurie Burhoe, Bruce Burnham, John G. Butke, Nathan Campbell, Margaret Canepa, Mark Coates, Daniel Corey, Teddi-Jann Covell, Darcy Crandall, Maria Doelp, Bill Duncan, Sandra Leinonen Dunn, Sandy Eames, June Elderkin,  Helen Farnham, Virginia Forrest, Doug Fraher, Lois A. Glaser, Livy Glaubitz, Roberta Goschke, Sarah Greenier, Frieda Hanlon, Ann Hedgcock, Pat Hoskeer, Suzanne J. Jones, Charlene Lee,  Jennifer Litchfield, Guy Louis, Nancy Lovly, Cecelia Ludwig, Bruce MacDonald, Kathleen March, Kimberleigh Martul-March, Corinne McIntyre, Matt McKee, Mark A. Mellor, Roger Milinowski, Kay Miller, Jessica Nadeau, Pauline Nadeau-Miller, Boothbay Region Elementary School seventh grade students’ montage, Franciscka Needham, Kris Neufarth, Judy Nixon, Suzanne Norton, John O'Hearn, Brooke Pacy, Betsy Palmer, Star Perkins, Susie Porter, Leecia Price, Pamela Riml, Sharon Ryan, Fran Scannell, Ludmila Schicchi, Carol Smith, Herb Smith, Sally Giddings Smith, Jane Southworth, Polly Steadman, Joyce Eames Steel, Lauren Stockwell, John Vander, Luise van Keuren, Linda Wacholtz, Jean Webster, Scott W. White and Sarah Wilde.

Oils, watercolor, acrylic paints and inks; collage, mixed media, photographs ... through the artist’s hand bring to life astronomy/night sky and constellations; nature on earth – florals, seascapes, landscapes, birds, butterflies, lobsters; boats, architecture ... robots (yes, robots. And you must meet Dante and Delilah - if they’re still there). And, alas, as Sarah Duggan pointed out, just one cat, me-ouch!

This is the show that makes it possible for everyone to own a real work of art – and by known Maine artists, to hang in our homes. In fact my art lovin’ friends, there’s a win-win-win scenario goin’ on behind the scenes. This endeavor raises money for both the Art Foundation’s  Scholarship Fund and its sponsorship of the annual K-12 Student Art Show each Mother’s Day weekend. It also benefits the local economy because the artist-participant gains 75 percent of each $100 dollar canvas sold. And that, my art lovin’ friends, is a beautiful thing. 

Art in the Square show and sale stays up until sometime in January. Many artists paint new works to replace those sold; take Maria Boord, as an example. This lady’s work is hard to keep on the walls. Case in point: Ms. Boord’s oil painting “Seagrass” had a “WET” paint sign below it, next to the information card for the painting ... that in addition to artist name, painting title, medium and price – already had a red dot sticker (code for I’m sold) on it. The painting wasn’t even dry and it was on its way out!

So you best be heading on down to 1 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor and find a work of art for someone on your holiday shopping list ... and maybe one for yourself ... like, now!