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.

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.

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.

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.

News
Winter Session Ends May 3
Read moreClasses canceled but Museum is open
Read moreWinter Session starts Jan. 10!
Read moreClosed until Jan. 10
Read moreJob Opening: Director of Development
Read moreEvents
Carving Workshop: Decorative Mourning Dove with Josh Brewer
Pen-and-ink Workshop with Mattie Rose Templeton
People-Nature-Art with Mattie Rose Templeton
People-Nature-Art with Becky Keefe
Carving Demonstration by Master Carver Larry Barth
People-Nature-Art with Carver Larry Barth
People-Nature-Art with Fred Michel
People-Nature-Art with Sculptor David Smus
Painting Technique Class: Drybrush Bumble Bee
Flower Drawing with Amy Pollien
Poetry Reading with Christian Barter
Family Paint 'n' Sip: Magical Night Sky with Mountain Silhouettes
Woodburning
Carving and Woodburning a Bird for Beginners
Feather Illustration with Missy Dunaway
Plein Air Painting at Seawall
Plein Air Painting at Charlotte Rhoades Park & Butterfly Garden
Puffin Program & Boat Trip
Full-day Nature Photography Workshop
George Archibald: Helping the Rarest of Cranes
Felting Workshop: Landscape with 3-D Trees
Reading with Wings: Haiku & Hope Eco-poetry Workshop
Reading with Wings: Haiku & Hope Eco-poetry Reading @ the SWH Library
Nature Journaling
Textile Art with Elaine O'Neil
Full-day Printmaking Workshop with Sherrie York
People-Nature-Art with Printmaker Sherrie York
Flash Fiction with Annaliese Jakimides
Paint 'n' Sip
Paint 'n' Sip
Paint 'n' Sip: The Wave in Ink & Watercolor
Paint 'n' Sip: Puffins
Paint 'n' Sip: Magical Mushrooms in Ink & Watercolor
Paint 'n' Sip: Robins in Watercolor
Community Open House & Art Show
Haiku Workshop with Kristen Lindquist