Join us for a special evening with poet and arts writer Carl Little at the Gilley as he shares works from his new book of verse, Blanket of the Night. Little’s poetry has appeared in a wide range of literary journals, including the Paris Review, Kennebec, Hudson Review and Maine Arts Journal. This program will be offered in person at the Gilley and online via Zoom. Please indicate how you will attend when you sign up. A zoom link will be sent the day before the program.

He is the author of two prior poetry collections: 3,000 Dreams Explained (1992) and Ocean Drinker: New & Selected Poems (2006). His poetry has also been included in several anthologies edited by Wesley McNair, as well as Local News: Poetry about Small Towns and 3 Nations Anthology: Native, Canadian & New England Writers. 

Carl lives and writes in Somesville.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required.

Peggy Clark Lumpkins has been a painter for more than 50 years and in that time has developed a distinctive style for portraying nature on canvas. She calls painting a love letter to being alive. “The clearest way for me to say how I feel about what I see is to paint it,” she says. “There are no words to say everything as clearly as I can with my brush and colors.”

She starts with joie de vivre, loving the world.  “… when you fall in love with a flower,  a cloud, or a shape, or a line in the sand … then you begin to paint.  Even before you have a canvas the paint has begun to flow.  It flows first as a sort of dance inside my being, it swirls around in there and becomes a part of me, at home with all the other paintings that make up myself.  The whole world is a painting to me.”

A native of New York City, she began making art in childhood and attended the High School of Art and Design. She began college at The San Francisco Academy of Art, then returned east for her second year at Pratt Institute. But she wanted to paint what she loved, not what her teachers desired, so she took a leave of absence and never looked back. She’s been painting ever since. She moved to Brownville, Maine in 1987 where she built a house and gardens, and raised two sons. 

“Even though I have been painting for 50 years,” she says, “I still feel like I am just getting started, rubbing my hands together in excitement for the next piece.”

Come share that excitement at the Gilley when Peggy is our People-Nature-Art presenter for April 2025. Free but registration required.

Gustav Klimt is best known for paintings such as “The Kiss” featuring people from the time when he was using a lot of gold leaf in his paintings, but he also painted landscapes in a signature style and those paintings are the inspiration for the May Paint ‘n’ Sip at the Gilley with instructor Erika Elizabeth. She will guide students step by step through the process, explaining each step along the way.

Sip on wine, tea or seltzer as part of this adults-only class, which is suitable for artists of all levels who are at least 21 years old. All materials and beverages provided.

Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with field ecologist and expert birder Seth Benz. Seth will delve into research and share current sightings and insights. Bring your own questions and curiosity, a favorite bird-related reading, or your latest observations. Depending on weather, the group might go for a bird-sighting walk outside.