wooden bird carvings
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Celebrate  Nature,  Art  and  Creativity  in  Maine.

Wendell Gilley delighted in helping others find connections with nature and creativity. Our Museum sustains his legacy through vibrant art exhibitions and a wide range of hands-on creative and educational programs for all ages.


Watch a video about Wendell Gilley.
 

Woodburning

In this beginner-friendly two-hour class, you’ll learn the basic techniques of decorative woodburning and will create an image of a feather to take home. Using a pen-like burning tool, you'll start by practicing mark-making techniques to explore options and possibilities with the wood burner.  Then you will create an image of a feather by copying a design from nature or making up your own design. All materials provided. Students must be at least 8 years old.

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Paint 'n' Sip: Robins in Watercolor

Our monthly evening paint ‘n’ sip workshops bring instructor Erika Elizabeth to the Gilley for a fun evening of learning and art. Students are guided step by step through the process of painting, with plenty of explanation and instruction along the way.

Each month has a different theme and inspiration painting. The subject for June is Robins in Watercolor. 

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.

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Carving and Woodburning a Bird for Beginners

Learn basic skills in wood carving and woodburning in this two-hour class to create a small piece of avian art you can finish during the workshop and take home with you. Registration is required and class sizes are limited. Participants must be at least 11 years old.

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Birds in Art

Birds in Art is a prestigious juried international exhibit that debuts every September at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum and features more than 100 works of the 1,000+ submitted annually, all themed around the wonders of the avian world. When it closes at the Woodson, sixty works of art are chosen for a traveling show and it is that show — featuring new paintings, sculptures, and works on paper created by contemporary artists — that is coming to the Gilley in 2025. The exhibit will be featured from when we reopen on May 28, through Aug. 9.

This Birds in Art is an especially exciting collection of work. Using a range of mediums including watercolor, acrylic, oil, wood, and bronze, the artists depict the beauty, spirit, and habitat of birds through approaches that are both classic and innovative.

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wooden bird carvings

News

Winter Session Ends May 3

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Classes canceled but Museum is open

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Winter Session starts Jan. 10!

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Closed until Jan. 10

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Job Opening: Director of Development

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Events

Carving Workshop: Decorative Mourning Dove with Josh Brewer

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Pen-and-ink Workshop with Mattie Rose Templeton

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People-Nature-Art with Mattie Rose Templeton

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People-Nature-Art with Becky Keefe

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Carving Demonstration by Master Carver Larry Barth

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People-Nature-Art with Carver Larry Barth

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People-Nature-Art with Fred Michel

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People-Nature-Art with Sculptor David Smus

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Painting Technique Class: Drybrush Bumble Bee

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Flower Drawing with Amy Pollien

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Poetry Reading with Christian Barter

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Family Paint 'n' Sip: Magical Night Sky with Mountain Silhouettes

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Woodburning

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Carving and Woodburning a Bird for Beginners

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Feather Illustration with Missy Dunaway

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Plein Air Painting at Seawall

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Plein Air Painting at Charlotte Rhoades Park & Butterfly Garden

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Puffin Program & Boat Trip

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Full-day Nature Photography Workshop

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George Archibald: Helping the Rarest of Cranes

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Felting Workshop: Landscape with 3-D Trees

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Reading with Wings: Haiku & Hope Eco-poetry Workshop

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Reading with Wings: Haiku & Hope Eco-poetry Reading @ the SWH Library

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Nature Journaling

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Textile Art with Elaine O'Neil

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Full-day Printmaking Workshop with Sherrie York

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People-Nature-Art with Printmaker Sherrie York

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Flash Fiction with Annaliese Jakimides

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Paint 'n' Sip

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Paint 'n' Sip

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Paint 'n' Sip: The Wave in Ink & Watercolor

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Paint 'n' Sip: Puffins

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Paint 'n' Sip: Magical Mushrooms in Ink & Watercolor

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Paint 'n' Sip: Robins in Watercolor

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Community Open House & Art Show

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Haiku Workshop with Kristen Lindquist

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