Paint Maine’s state bird, the Chickadee, on a snowy branch in this first Paint ‘n’ Sip of the new year, with instructor Erika Rosso. 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.

RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2025  Wildlife artist and Maine Master Naturalist Michael Boardman will lead a 2-hour workshop on learning to field sketch and focus on birds of prey, in honor of the Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch. We’ll work on body shapes and details specific to this awesome group of birds, with a concentration on drawing with your favorite tools. Class will be part lecture, part demo and part hands-on using mounted specimens. If time allows there may be a watercolor demo at the end. Some basic drawing skills coming in will be helpful but are not absolutely necessary. Supplies will be on hand but feel free to bring your own as well.

Bar Harbor artist Amy Pollien kicks off the 2025 People-Nature-Art series at the Gilley. Her work is based on close observation of local plants, wildlife, and geology, as well as weather, time of day, and season. These elements are combined based on a consistent interval, or module, of closed forms and a limited color palette. Her goal is to make a cohesive impression of the nearly overwhelming detail of her visual experience at a particular place and point in time. Look for trout swirling around a vase of dahlias at Echo Lake in the image here. And join us to discover more about this artist and her work. There will be a 6pm artist's reception followed by a 7pm program that will be simultaneously livecast on Zoom. All are free, but registration is required.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Work in clay to create a nature-themed pendant, brooch or lapel pin that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.  Class size is limited. All materials supplied. Students must be 14 or older. This class is taught by artist and retired educator Kathie Pratt.

Join master carver Ed Hawkes for this special two-day class to work on one of the trickiest bits of bird carving – the feet. This class is appropriate for carvers with some experience. Students must be at least 14 years old. Bring a lunch each day. All supplies will be provided except a carving knife, though those are available to borrow with advance notice. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Join master carver Ed Hawkes for this special two-day class to work on one of the trickiest bits of bird carving – the feet. This class is appropriate for carvers with some experience. Students must be at least 14 years old. Bring a lunch each day. All supplies will be provided except a carving knife, though those are available to borrow with advance notice. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Feel the love in this fun printmaking class with Juliana Ramirez, just in time for Valentine’s Day. We’ll make color prints using EZ carve, a printmaking material that is softer and easier to use than linoleum blocks. Materials will be provided – just bring an idea for a simple image you'd like to turn into a woodblock-style print. Space is limited and participants must be at least 10 years old. Reservations required.  

MDI's own Liddy Hubbell joins us in February as the Gilley's People-Nature-Art presenter. She paints Downeast Maine using bold gestural strokes and focused palettes. Much of her work develops from the natural beauty of Acadia National Park and the towns on Mount Desert Island in Maine. 

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Poet and naturalist Kristen Lindquist will be with us at the Gilley on Saturday, April 19 to teach an introductory haiku workshop. She’ll share a brief history of this intriguing art form, which originated in Japan more than 500 years ago and evolved as a nature poem. Kristen will share what makes a poem a haiku (it’s probably not what you think), and how haiku are written today in the United States. Then she will guide students through writing their own haiku.

Create your own watercolor painting of ducks, with a bright and experimental background in this fun Paint 'n' Sip with local artist Erika Rosso. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to use masking fluid, apply a wash, and use salt to create texture. Erika will demonstrate each step for students. The class is suitable for all levels of painters, ages 21 and older.

Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be served.

Join us at the Museum to meet multidisciplinary artist Richard Huck on Friday, Sept. 8 from 5 to 7pm. Rick is the creator of Huck’s Ducks, a battalion of duck-defending battleships now floating serenely in the Museum’s decoy pool.

Hors d’ oeuvres and beer and wine will be served. There is not charge to attend but registration is requested.

Make a wall hook from clay inspired by the Gilley’s exhibit “Nature’s Masterpiece: Elephant Photographs of Peter Beard,” which will in the museum’s special exhibits gallery until Nov. 4. Kathie Pratt will lead you through the process, and you’ll have something to take home with you at the end of the workshop. All materials supplied.

In this workshop we will look at the world through a filter that focuses on textures, shapes, highlights and shadows over a sometimes overwhelming range of color. It is a simpler way of looking at your subject, and captures it quickly. A selection of warm and cool toned papers will be provided, as well as pencils. There will be natural objects to choose to draw, or bring your own. Lettering, and combining drawing and text will be discussed.

No experience necessary just an interest in nature and being creative.

Taught by naturalist and artist Karen Zimmerman. All materials supplied.

Printmaker and biologist Kathleen Walsh Buchanan will be at the Gilley on Tuesday, Sept. 19, to share her collagraphic printmaking and its inspiration in the natural world. There will be a public reception at 5:30pm, followed by Buchanan's presentation at 7pm.  Both events are free, but registration is required.

“At first glance, biology and printmaking seem to have little common ground, but much of my training as a scientist has served me extremely well as an artist,” she says. “Both disciplines require skill at observing the environment, at not only looking but seeing what is going on around you. I look at biology and art as two dialects in the same language, different ways to communicate what you have learned about the nature of things, about the truth of your experience.”

A collagraph is a hand-made print generated off a printing plate that is a collage of various material. For her pieces, Buchanan starts with a sturdy backing board of plain masonite panel, then glues down shapes of Bristol paper on this board that delineate the major elements of her design. Then she paints over that paper with acrylic gel mediums to add texture and detail to the design, and to prevent the Bristol paper from being saturated with ink when it’s time to print.

Before becoming a full-time printmaker in 1999, she was educated and employed as a biologist. As an undergraduate at Tufts University, she majored in biology while nurturing her creative skills with as many studio art courses as she could fit into her schedule. After getting a master’s degree in wildlife biology at the University of Alaska she renewed her efforts at studio art with a focus on printmaking and now lives – and makes art – in Rockland, Maine.

“My connection to the natural world, my role as a mother, and my own sense of self all find expression in my images,” she says. “I enjoy looking at landscapes and their inhabitants not only as appealing composition subjects, but also as metaphors for our human experience.  Collagraph printing, with all its intricacy and subtlety, is a fascinating medium to use in the communication of these ideas.”

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach nature. Each session for 2023 is sponsored by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Learn how to identify hawks in flight, plus when, where, and how best to see them on MDI and beyond with Seth Benz, director of bird ecology at Schoodic Institute and former professional hawk watcher, in this program at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 9am to noon. Slides, handouts, discussion and topical resources are all part of this experience. Bring your curiosity and your questions!

Join master carver Steve Valleau for this unique three-class workshop to turn a stump into carved ducks. The class runs from 10am to 3pm on Friday, Sept. 22, Saturday, Sept. 23,  and Friday, Sept. 29. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Join artist Erika Rosso in a watercolor class for all ages. Experiment with the use of stipplism to create a whimsical tree in a snowy landscape.  Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

This fun class is suitable for all ages.

Join painter Mary Brooking – the Gilley’s May 2023 People-Nature-Art speaker – for this special event at the Gilley. Using acrylics, Mary will demonstrate techniques for a creating sky-scape with birds flying. Participants will observe and paint along with Mary. All materials will be provided for this “quasi-class.” Participant numbers are limited. 

Mary enjoys exploring the way colors, textures and compositional form interact with the human senses on a primitive level, testing the balance of reality and abstraction in the context of the Maine landscape. The viewer is invited to enter these spaces mentally and emotionally. Mary's work has been characterized as “expressionist landscape.“ Acrylic paint as a medium forces immediacy and speed in execution, which fits Mary's style and temperament. For Mary, there is no right or wrong approach, no “getting it” or “not getting it” about subject matter - there are only layers of thought, which may sometimes be beautiful. Mary received her B.A. in Fine Art from Hiram College in 1978, cum laude. A 20-year career in graphic design and illustration preceded her present incarnation as a fine artist in Maine.

Relax and unwind with watercolors and a glass of wine or sparkling water.  Artist Erika Rosso will help students paint a landscape inspired by Acadia, demonstrating each step for students.  Class is suitable for all levels of painters, ages 21 and older.  

Enjoy a birding expedition through William Shakespeare’s plays and poetry with artist Missy Dunaway whose independent art project “The Birds of Shakespeare”  will catalog every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's plays and poems. Dunaway will be at the Gilley on Tuesday, Oct. 10 for a 5:30pm reception and a 7pm presentation as the museum’s October People-Nature-Art presenter.

Each month, Dunaway releases a painting of one bird with an accompanying essay that analyzes how the species features in Shakespeare’s world.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature. Each session for 2023 is sponsored by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Join Missy Dunaway, the Gilley’s October People-Nature-Art presenter, for this special painting workshop to create realistic feathers. According to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, it is illegal to collect feathers from birds that are migratory and native to the United States territories. Let’s collect feathers lawfully—as paintings! In this lesson, Dunaway will guide you through an approachable step-by-step process to create a realistic painting of feathers using acrylic-ink on paper. Appropriate for all skill levels, including children, beginners, and experienced artists. Materials provided. Registration required.

A great variety of birds, during autumn, head south to escape dwindling food resources and the onslaught of winter. The majority of migrants pass over Mount Desert Island at night, unseen. But we can witness the passage of day-flying water birds — cormorants, common eiders and other sea ducks, loons, northern gannets, gulls, and more — by looking for them from shoreline vantage points. Join Seth Benz, director of bird ecology at Schoodic Institute, for an introductory workshop and field experience. We'll begin indoors at the Gilley Museum for a water bird migration primer, then carpool to the Seawall Picnic Area to see water birds on the move. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars, your curiosity and your questions!

Forty years ago, the Maine Loon Project was launched to help protect Maine’s iconic loons. Run by Maine Audubon, the project works with residents and partners statewide to promote healthy lakes, clean water, and quality habitat for loons and to understand trends in their population over time.

Join us at the Gilley to discover more about the history, status and future of this project – and how you can help!

Presenters will be Billy Helprin of Somes-Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary, and Tracy Hart and David Lamon of Maine Audubon.

No fee, but registration required.

Paint a colorful elephant in acrylics on canvas, inspired by the museum's exhibit of elephant photos by Peter Beard and animal sculptures by Dan Falt.

Artist Erika Rosso will walk students through creating their own acrylic painting modeled after one of her watercolors. All materials provided as well as tea, seltzer and juice for this family friendly Paint 'n' Sip suitable for all experience levels, and those age 5 and older.

Students will each receive their own canvas to create a painting of an elephant adorned with color and jewels. Paintings will be created using acrylics so wear clothing that you don't mind getting messy!   

Relief prints are one of the most versatile and low-tech methods for creating repeating or multiple images, and you can learn the basics in just a few hours. Award-winning printmaker Sherrie York will guide you through the process of designing, carving, and printing a single-color image using the most basic tools and materials. Where you go from there is up to you! All materials provided. 

It’s printmaking playtime with award-winning Maine printmaker Sherrie York! A single-color block print is fun, but what happens if we play with repeating patterns, overlapping images, and color? Let’s find out! We will take time in the morning to design and carve two different relief printing blocks, and in the afternoon we will experiment with combining them to create something new. Some experience with carving relief blocks is helpful, but not necessary. Bring some ideas for small, square formats. All materials provided. There will be a break for lunch (not provided).

Make a wall hook from clay inspired by the Gilley’s exhibit “Nature’s Masterpiece: Elephant Photographs of Peter Beard,” which will be in the museum’s special exhibits gallery until Nov. 4. Kathie Pratt will lead you through the process, including baking it in the over, and you’ll have something to take home with you at the end of the workshop. All materials supplied.

This is an evening class for adults only; wine will be provided along with non-alcoholic beverages.

Carve a barn swallow in this 8-week class under the guidance of the Gilley's master carver, Steve Valleau, beginning on Oct. 21 and running through Dec. 16. There will be no class the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This in-person class takes place at the Gilley from 9am-noon. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Come paint with local artist Erika Rosso and learn to work with masking fluid and watercolor to create your own painting of snow falling on rooftops at night. Erika will guide students step by step to create their painting, demonstrating how to apply washes and how to use masking fluid. Suitable for ages 5 and older.  Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Carve a barn swallow in this 8-week class under the guidance of the Gilley's master carver, Steve Valleau, beginning on Oct. 21 and running through Dec. 16. There will be no class the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This online-only class takes place at the Gilley from 1-4pm. Class size is limited and registration is required.

This is a wonderful class for beginning watercolor painters or for anyone wanting to experiment with the more playful side of watercolor.  Local artist Erika Rosso will guide students through several different exercises and paintings to explore the movement of paint and water on paper. 

Wear clothes you don't mind getting messy!  Suitable for ages 10 and older.

 Rescheduled for 2024

Join the editors and photographer who teamed up to create “Our Maine: Exploring Its Rich Natural Heritage,” a book of essays by 33 contributors that paints a vivid portrait of Maine's wild places and wild creatures, as well as of human impacts and the way the state's heritage has changed. Editors Aram Calhoun, Mac Hunter and Kent Redford and photographer Laura Zamfirescu will be at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Saturday, Oct. 28 for a 4pm reception and book signing followed by a 5pm presentation that will be livecast simultaneously with the in-person program. Free and open to all but registration required.

Northern Cardinals are one of the most stunning songbirds that increasingly grace our Maine backyards. What secrets are hiding underneath that brilliant red? How does a cardinal learn its song? What are the keys to a successful cardinal nest? Most importantly, why are they so red? The answers to all these questions (and more) will be explored at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1pm with Schoodic Institute Science Research Fellow Brooke Goodman. Brooke spent four years researching cardinals in New York, examining connections between body condition and song, urbanization and feather quality, and vegetation and nesting success. Goodman will discuss her research, and delve into the unique role Mainers now play in the northern expansion of the cardinals’ range. 

Goodman earned her undergraduate degree in zoology and applied statistics at SUNY Oswego. While there she completed her undergraduate thesis studying song performance as a predictor of body condition and plumage color in Northern Cardinals. She currently works as a Gero Fellow in Science Research at the Schoodic Institute, using bioacoustics to monitor avian community response to restoration efforts in Acadia National Park. Brooke has also spent time in Montana studying the breeding birds of the great plains with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Come play with watercolors and create a miniature landscape – or even two or three!  Artist Erika Rosso will guide you through the mixing of paint and basic methods of applying watercolor to paint a landscape of MDI mountains and ocean. You will learn wet-on-wet technique, how to make clouds, and how to layer colors to achieve variation of texture and value. Suitable for beginners and beyond.  All materials provided as well as wine, beer, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Restricted to those 21 and older.

John K. Putnam, a full-time nature and landscape photographer based on Mount Desert Island, will be the November People-Nature-Art presenter at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Tuesday, Nov. 14. There will be a 5:30pm reception followed by a presentation at 7pm that will be offered in-person as well as livecast online. All events are free but registration is required.

From 2006 to 2014, Putnam worked as a photographer in New York City producing work for publishing companies and magazines as well as photographing high-end events, all while spending every vacation traveling and photographing across five continents, 20 states, and more than 30 national parks. He moved to Mount Desert Island in 2015.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature. Each session for 2023 is sponsored by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Join art teacher Kathie Pratt to make a bird pendant or bead from polymer clay to make your very own necklace. Kathie will walk you through the steps, and you will bake off your creation and have a chance to paint it before you leave. Suitable for ages 5 and older.

Paint a colorful elephant in watercolor, on the last day of the Museum's exhibit of elephant photos by Peter Beard and animal sculptures by Dan Falt.  

Artist Erika Rosso will walk students through a step-by-step process. All materials provided as well as tea, seltzer and juice for this family friendly paint 'n' sip suitable for all experience levels, and those age 5 and older. All materials provided.

Unwind from the busy holiday season and come make a painting with us!  Join artist Erika Rosso and learn how to use watercolors to create a painting of black-capped chickadees and snow. Suitable for beginners and beyond. All materials provided as well as wine, beer, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.  Restricted to those 21 and older.

Printmaker and mixed media artist Sara Tabbert – a past Acadia National Park artist in residence – joins us from her home studio in Fairbanks, Alaska as December’s People-Nature-Art presenter at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Tuesday, Dec. 12 in an online-only presentation at 7pm. Free but registration is required.

Tabbert’s large-scale public art commissions can be found throughout Alaska and her work is housed in public collections through the state and far beyond. In early 2020, the Alaska State Museum presented a solo exhibit of her recent work.

 She has been awarded grants from the Rasmuson Foundation and the Alaska State Council on the Arts. In addition to residencies in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Italy, Tabbert has been an artist-in-residence through the National Park Service in Denali, Zion, Isle Royale, the Chilkoot Trail, and Acadia National Park. She has been selected as a 2024 resident fellow in the Windgate ITE program at the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia.

​People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature. Each session for 2023 is sponsored by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Gather as a community and enjoy the creative spirit of MDI at the Wendell Gilley Museum for the Museum's annual Community Open House & Art Show on Sunday, Dec. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m.. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

We will have a special one-day-only exhibit of art created at the Gilley in 2023, everything from bird drawings by third-graders to bird carvings by long-time carvers. There will be felted fish and birds made of butternut, linocut prints and pencil drawings, paintings and more.

This exhibit will include a special section devoted to work produced as part of the Fall HandWorks Festival collaboration with ArtWaves this year.

Free and open to all.

Artist Erika Rosso leads this special year-end Paint ‘n’ Sip for adults only on Saturday, Dec. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m. Create your own version of Misty Mountains, inspired by Japanese artist Higashiyama Shinkichi that weaves together layers of mountains fading into the mist.

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 will be provided. Each step will be demonstrated and explained, making for a fun and approachable class. The cost is $28 for museum members and $35 for non-members. Spaces are limited.

Create your own version of Katsushika Hokusai's The Wave in ink and watercolor led by instructor Erika Rosso. The Wave is a woodblock print that has inspired artists all over the world. Students will begin by drafting a painting in pencil, then applying waterproof ink pen before finishing it with watercolor paint. In essence students will be creating a template for the painting with pens, then  “coloring in" the lines using paint.

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 will be provided. Each step will be demonstrated and explained, making for a fun and approachable class. The cost is $28 for museum members and $35 for non-members. Spaces are limited.

Cyanotype, also called sun-printing, is an early photographic process that produces blue and white prints. It is usually done in bright sunlight, but can also produce beautiful images on overcast days, and can be done indoors with a specialized UV light. You’ll have a chance to try both sunlight and artificial light.

In this 2-hour workshop, we will work with 5x7 watercolor paper and will use a variety of objects, including feathers, dried ferns, evergreen branches, paper snowflakes, and chandelier prisms to make winter woodland-inspired scenes.

Jennifer Booher is an artist and photographer from Bar Harbor. She has been a Resident Artist with Acadia National Park since 2015, and artist-in-residence with the MDI Historical Society since 2018.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

In this class students will make three paintings using various techniques to create texture and patterns. These will include using tape and watercolors to create a modern piece of art; using plastic wrap to create texture; and using crayons and salt. Perfect for the person who likes to experiment and try new things. It is also great for kids or adults who like to move from project to project quickly, as we will be working on several experiments!

For adults who like to play and children age 5 and up. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Jan. 19 & Jan. 26

This is a wonderful 2-part class for beginners or watercolor painters who need to “brush” up on their color studies and technique. The fee covers both classes and all materials. It is taught by Erika Rosso.

In the first class students will be focusing on mixing colors, layering colors and creating different values. These experiments will be created in grids and labeled so that you can refer to them for future paintings. We will discover which colors are granulated, translucent or opaque and how they interact. Students will work on the values and graded washes on the first day.

On the second workshop day, students will focus on watercolor technique—how to layer color, when to allow washes to dry in between coats, and when to add color to wet washes. We will also experiment with dry brush techniques and learn when to use more saturated color. All materials supplied. This class is suitable for ages 16 and up.

Join Camp Beech Cliff's Matt Cornish at the Gilley for Getting Wild: Animal-based Game Play, on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 10:30am to noon. We’ll spend some time getting to know each other, and exploring the environment through a combination of get-to-know you games and games involving critters that crawl, hop, and soar. Whether it’s via parachute, camouflage, or more, we’ll make discoveries about our world and each other through play. This all happens outside at the Museum, 4 Herrick Road in Southwest Harbor.

Camp Beech Cliff will be with us at the Gilley the third Saturday of each month through April. Fee is $14 for non-members and $10 for members. Registration required.

Wingspan is one of the bestselling board games in the world, and the Gilley is hosting our own Wingspan Game Day on every third Saturday of our Winter Session, which runs from January through April from 1:00 to 3:30pm. This is a favorite with families.

You don't have to know anything about birds to have fun playing Wingspan, but you'll probably learn some fun facts as you play. In the game, players work to attract the best birds to their wildlife preserve habitats – forest, field or wetland – with food, nesting opportunities and other actions. No fee, but registration is required.

RESCHEDULED to Wed., Jan. 24 -- 6pm in-person reception & 7pm in-person and online presentation

The first People-Nature-Art of 2024 features Project Puffin's "Seabird Sue” Schubel, who paints decoys at Audubon’s Seabird Institute based in Bremen, Maine, but not decoys intended for hunting; her creations help attract birds to breeding colonies.

The arc of the year now sees her in the field during the spring and summer, working with researchers on the seven Maine seabird islands managed by Audubon. Fall and winter is time to send social attraction tools (sound systems and decoys) to other projects around the world. Over many years, Sue has been with Audubon as a seasonal island supervisor and researcher, a volunteer coordinator and instructor at the Hog Island Audubon Camp, and an outreach educator reaching thousands of kids in the mid-coast. Prior to settling down in a hand-built house in Maine, she lived the life of a travelling biologist/paleontologist/artist/carpenter and explored islands from Polynesia to Iceland. 

This free in-person event will be simultaneously livecast. There will be a 6pm reception for Sue before her presentation which begins at 7pm. This is rescheduled from its original date of Jan. 16 due to a storm.

Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with Seth Benz, the bird ecology director at Schoodic Institute. 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. The goal for this last Bird Chatter of the spring is to spend as much as possible of it outdoors.

Jan. 19 & Jan. 26

This is a wonderful 2-part class for beginners or watercolor painters who need to “brush” up on their color studies and technique. The fee covers both classes and all materials. It is taught by Erika Rosso.

In the first class students will be focusing on mixing colors, layering colors and creating different values. These experiments will be created in grids and labeled so that you can refer to them for future paintings. We will discover which colors are granulated, translucent or opaque and how they interact. Students will work on the values and graded washes on the first day.

On the second workshop day, students will focus on watercolor technique—how to layer color, when to allow washes to dry in between coats, and when to add color to wet washes. We will also experiment with dry brush techniques and learn when to use more saturated color. All materials supplied. This class is suitable for ages 16 and up.

Carve a puffin in this 8-week class under the guidance of the Gilley's master carver, Steve Valleau, beginning on Jan. 27. 

This class happens in-person at the Museum, from 9am to noon weekly on Saturdays. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Award-winning writer Annaliese Jakimides will teach a flash fiction workshop, using art currently on display at the museum as inspiration. “Likely, you'll surprise yourself with what bubbles up,” says Jakimides. 

“Flash fiction is known by many names, including sudden fiction, short-short stories, and microfiction. Although people often think it's a ‘new’ form of writing, it's been around for as long as we've been writing stories.”

Jakimides has placed in the World's Best Short-Short Story Contest multiple times.

Winner of the Acadia Prize in Poetry, Annaliese Jakimides has more than five hundred publications in magazines, journals, anthologies, and newspapers, and broadcast online and on radio. She has multiple Pushcart Prize nominations and has been a finalist for the Maine Literary Awards in both Poetry and Nonfiction—multiple times for each one—as well as for the Stephen Dunn Poetry Prize. Her work has also been included in art venues such as ArtWord at the Portland Museum of Art. Her essay for NPR’s vaunted This I Believe program was included in the show’s anthology and CD, curated by Liane Hansen. Jakimides’ most recent publication is the essay “I Tell Henry the Plate Is Red,” in the anthology Breaking Bread (Beacon Press, 2022).

A native of inner-city Boston, she moved to northern Maine and raised a family, growing almost all of their food and pumping water by hand. She currently lives in an apartment overlooking the copper dome of the Bangor Public Library. She is also a noted teacher of writing. In addition to working with urban environmental justice organizations and international arts groups, she has developed humanities programs for schools and discussed life through the lens of children’s literature in a variety of settings, including prisons, community centers, and libraries.

Carve a puffin in this 8-week class under the guidance of the Gilley's master carver, Steve Valleau, beginning on Jan. 27. 

This is an online-only class that runs from 1-4pm weekly on Saturdays. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Join researcher Marisa Monroe at the Wendell Gilley Museum at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 22, to learn about her work mapping and predicting when and where amphibians cross roads in Acadia National Park – and how you can help in order to prevent amphibian mortality. Learn about the different species of amphibians in the Park, how their migrations might differ, get examples from around the world on how to mitigate mortality, and review existing data for Acadia.

Spring migration is just around the corner, and while the spectacle of that is captivating, amphibian movements during the rest of the year are largely ignored by citizen science groups. In order to provide Acadia with a broad dataset from March through October, Monroe is looking for citizen scientists to help collect data in 2024 and 2025. Monroe would love to hear from attendees about amphibian movements they have observed throughout the area.

Monroe is a student at the University of Maine, Orono, in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology working on her Master of Science degree. She has been working on public lands around the West since 2015. Most recently she was based out of Boulder City, Nevada, with the National Park Service working on long-term natural resource monitoring protocols throughout the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. When not out in the field, the Oregon native spends her time birding, rock climbing, hiking, and botanizing.

This event is a reprise of her Jan. 27 presentation at the Gilley. It will take place in person and online. Free but registration required.

Come hang out Saturday night at the Gilley and get creative! Use our materials or BYOP (bring your own project) at this open-studio style community club. Each session we'll have a still life, carved bird sculptures, and a clothed model (for a limited amount of time, though more if anyone feels like volunteering here and there!). Stop by any time between 5pm and 7pm to enjoy refreshments (BYOB) and a casual, artistic atmosphere with fellow creators and crafters! 

Materials available and welcome:

Pencils, colored pencils, markers, ink, watercolor, acrylic paint, collage, gelli printing, wood carving, mixed media, crochet/knitting.

Materials unfortunately not welcome:

Oil paint, clay, particularly messy mixed media

Paper and yarn is available for use but not canvases nor crochet/sewing needles - so feel free to bring your own if that's what you'd like to work on! Charcoal and chalk pastel are welcome but not provided. 

Create your own layered nature print using natural materials and cut paper. Gelli plates are reusable and made from gelatin and allow you to create layered prints by hand.  This class is fun for all ages. Artist Juliana Ramirez will lead you through the process of inking the gelli plate, creating an image, and making your prints.  

In winter, foxes turn a beautiful shade of red that contrasts with the snow. We will be playing with this contrast to create a simple painting in watercolor of a winter landscape complete with a forest in the background and a fox in the foreground. Students will be guided step by step, beginners welcome!

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.

Join art teacher Kathie Pratt to make nature-themed beads from polymer clay. Kathie will walk you through the steps, and you will bake off your creation and have a chance to paint it before you leave. Suitable for ages 12 and older.

Feel the love in this fun printmaking class with Juliana Ramirez, just in time for Valentine’s Day. We’ll make color prints using EZ carve, a printmaking material that is softer and easier to use than linoleum blocks. Materials will be provided – just bring an idea for a simple image you'd like to turn into a woodblock-style print. Space is limited and participants must be at least 10 years old. Reservations required. Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks will be provided.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

Cyanotype, also called sun-printing, is an early photographic process that produces blue and white prints. It is usually done in bright sunlight, but can also produce beautiful images on overcast days, and can be done indoors with a specialized UV light. You’ll have a chance to try both sunlight and artificial light.

In this 2-hour workshop, we will work with 5x7 watercolor paper and will use a variety of objects, including feathers, dried ferns, evergreen branches, paper snowflakes, and chandelier prisms to make winter woodland-inspired scenes.

Jennifer Booher is an artist and photographer from Bar Harbor. She has been a Resident Artist with Acadia National Park since 2015, and artist-in-residence with the MDI Historical Society since 2018.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

In this colorful class, students will be dividing their paper into several squares with tape and using masking marker to create "foam" for their waves. They will then use watercolor to create several different colors of waves on their papers. There is some repetition and experimentation in this painting so it is great for beginners or young students just learning to paint. Fun ocean facts will also be woven into class.

For adults who like to play and children age 5 and up. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with Seth Benz, the bird ecology director at Schoodic Institute. 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. The goal for this last Bird Chatter of the spring is to spend as much as possible of it outdoors.

Join Camp Beech Cliff’s Molly Stewart at the Gilley on Saturday, Feb. 17 beginning at 10:30am to learn about the art of tracking animals. This is a terrific activity for adults, kids, and families. We’ll start inside, then head outside to see what we can find in the way of wildlife tracks and sign in the immediate vicinity.

Camp Beech Cliff will be with us at the Gilley the third Saturday of each month through April. Fee is $14 for non-members and $10 for members. Registration required.

Wingspan is one of the bestselling board games in the world, and the Gilley is hosting our own Wingspan Game Day on every third Saturday of our Winter Session, which runs from January through April from 1:00 to 3:30pm. This is a favorite with families.

You don't have to know anything about birds to have fun playing Wingspan, but you'll probably learn some fun facts as you play. In the game, players work to attract the best birds to their wildlife preserve habitats – forest, field or wetland – with food, nesting opportunities and other actions. No fee, but registration is required.

Explore the endless possibilities of using just two colors to create unique and beautiful paintings. We will first be creating a color grid to experiment with the colors Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine and then creating several "loose" paintings of landscapes to test these colors. Students will be encouraged to push their values to create dramatic contrast in their paintings. We will take a 15 minute break halfway through class. Suitable for beginner painters and beyond.

Come hang out Saturday night at the Gilley and get creative! Use our materials or BYOP (bring your own project) at this open-studio style community club. Each session we'll have a still life, carved bird sculptures, and a clothed model (for a limited amount of time, though more if anyone feels like volunteering here and there!). Stop by any time between 5pm and 7pm to enjoy refreshments (BYOB) and a casual, artistic atmosphere with fellow creators and crafters! 

Materials available and welcome:

Pencils, colored pencils, markers, ink, watercolor, acrylic paint, collage, gelli printing, wood carving, mixed media, crochet/knitting.

Materials unfortunately not welcome:

Oil paint, clay, particularly messy mixed media

Paper and yarn is available for use but not canvases nor crochet/sewing needles - so feel free to bring your own if that's what you'd like to work on! Charcoal and chalk pastel are welcome but not provided. 

Artist-Conservationist Rose Tanner joins the Gilley online for February’s People-Nature-Art presentation. Rose is an award-winning artist based in Vancouver, B.C., who loves the outdoors and studying birds. She is dedicated to portraying her subjects using traditional oil painting techniques.

As a professional artist, Rose Tanner has dedicated years to the arts and is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to develop new skills. She believes it’s her attention to their inner being that gives them their lifelike quality in her paintings. She says, "If my paintings can remind you of how extraordinary, how diverse and how truly beautiful nature is then I have done my work."

Rose travels widely to find her subjects, and she is active in supporting endangered birds and their habitat. She is a signature member of The Federation of Canadian Artists.

This is an online-only event, with Rose Zooming in from her home studio in Canada.

People-Nature-Art is monthly series brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Award-winning writer Annaliese Jakimides will teach a flash fiction workshop, using art currently on display at the museum as inspiration. “Likely, you'll surprise yourself with what bubbles up,” says Jakimides. 

“Flash fiction is known by many names, including sudden fiction, short-short stories, and microfiction. Although people often think it's a ‘new’ form of writing, it's been around for as long as we've been writing stories.”

Jakimides has placed in the World's Best Short-Short Story Contest multiple times.

Winner of the Acadia Prize in Poetry, Annaliese Jakimides has more than five hundred publications in magazines, journals, anthologies, and newspapers, and broadcast online and on radio. She has multiple Pushcart Prize nominations and has been a finalist for the Maine Literary Awards in both Poetry and Nonfiction—multiple times for each one—as well as for the Stephen Dunn Poetry Prize. Her work has also been included in art venues such as ArtWord at the Portland Museum of Art. Her essay for NPR’s vaunted This I Believe program was included in the show’s anthology and CD, curated by Liane Hansen. Jakimides’ most recent publication is the essay “I Tell Henry the Plate Is Red,” in the anthology Breaking Bread (Beacon Press, 2022).

A native of inner-city Boston, she moved to northern Maine and raised a family, growing almost all of their food and pumping water by hand. She currently lives in an apartment overlooking the copper dome of the Bangor Public Library. She is also a noted teacher of writing. In addition to working with urban environmental justice organizations and international arts groups, she has developed humanities programs for schools and discussed life through the lens of children’s literature in a variety of settings, including prisons, community centers, and libraries.

Painting snow is easy in watercolor! We just don't paint it and instead paint around the snow. Come experiment with this process with artist Erika Rosso and learn to create a snowy landscape. We will be using some masking fluid and salt to help create our image. Students will be guided step by step.

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.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it.

Class size is limited.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

Create a winter wonderland in watercolor with local artist Erika Rosso. Students will be using the white of their paper for the snow and learning how to reserve that space as they paint in trees, birds and sky. This class is more suited for older children and adults, ages 7 and up! Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided. Originally scheduled for 10:30am, the time for this workshop has been changed to the afternoon, starting at 1:30pm.

This is a two part class for anyone with some background in watercolor or who has taken the Color Studies and Technique class offered last month. We will be learning how to plan a more complex watercolor painting of two Sandhill Cranes in the snow based off of a photograph by Shixing Wen. Over the two classes, we will make a complete drawing and a color study for our painting, carefully transfer that image to watercolor paper using tracing paper, slowly lay in our lighter values in washes based on our color study, and then continue layering watercolors and begin to add details with a dry brush technique to work towards completing our painting. This class focuses on technique and planning to create a final painting. For students 16 and up.  Each class will be held from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Join Camp Beech Cliff’s Molly Stewart at the Gilley on Saturday, March 16 to learn about the ways animals adapt to survive in the winter. This will include an outdoor portion to explore and spot some of these adaptations for ourselves. Camp Beech Cliff will be with us at the Gilley the third Saturday of each month through April. Fee is $14 for non-members and $10 for members. Registration required.

Wingspan is one of the bestselling board games in the world, and the Gilley is hosting our own Wingspan Game Day on every third Saturday of our Winter Session, which runs from January through April from 1:00 to 3:30pm. This is a favorite with families.

You don't have to know anything about birds to have fun playing Wingspan, but you'll probably learn some fun facts as you play. In the game, players work to attract the best birds to their wildlife preserve habitats – forest, field or wetland – with food, nesting opportunities and other actions. No fee, but registration is required.

Join researcher Marisa Monroe at the Wendell Gilley Museum at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 22, to learn about her work mapping and predicting when and where amphibians cross roads in Acadia National Park – and how you can help in order to prevent amphibian mortality. Learn about the different species of amphibians in the Park, how their migrations might differ, get examples from around the world on how to mitigate mortality, and review existing data for Acadia.

Spring migration is just around the corner, and while the spectacle of that is captivating, amphibian movements during the rest of the year are largely ignored by citizen science groups. In order to provide Acadia with a broad dataset from March through October, Monroe is looking for citizen scientists to help collect data in 2024 and 2025. Monroe would love to hear from attendees about amphibian movements they have observed throughout the area.

Monroe is a student at the University of Maine, Orono, in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology working on her Master of Science degree. She has been working on public lands around the West since 2015. Most recently she was based out of Boulder City, Nevada, with the National Park Service working on long-term natural resource monitoring protocols throughout the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. When not out in the field, the Oregon native spends her time birding, rock climbing, hiking, and botanizing.

This event is a reprise of her Jan. 27 presentation at the Gilley. It will take place in person and online. Free but registration required.

Maine Master Naturalist Karen O. Zimmermann is the People-Nature-Art presenter at the Gilley for March. As a naturalist and artist, Karen creates not just for her own pleasure, but to share stories. By presenting small details in watercolor she invites viewers to look at all nature has to offer more deeply, taking home new insights that they may not otherwise have noticed, and to perhaps look differently at what is right under their feet and in their own backyard.

Inspired by naturalists including Maine botanist and illustrator Kate Furbush, Karen spends most days hiking, observing, learning about plants, and painting. She combines natural history notes with sketches from field observations, capturing the spirit of a living entity and its sense of place. For her, merging visual and verbal is a way to gain an understanding of the plant or animal in front of her, and its place in the world around us.

On March 26 at the Gilley, she will share how drawing is a way to deepen one’s understanding of nature, and to see details often overlooked. In addition to being a Maine Master Naturalist, Karen is a Registered Maine Guide, watercolorist, and nature journal instructor.

Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with Seth Benz, the bird ecology director at Schoodic Institute. 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. The goal for this last Bird Chatter of the spring is to spend as much as possible of it outdoors.

Come hang out Saturday night at the Gilley and get creative! Use our materials or BYOP (bring your own project) at this open-studio style community club. Each session we'll have a still life, carved bird sculptures, and a clothed model (for a limited amount of time, though more if anyone feels like volunteering here and there!). Stop by any time between 5pm and 7pm to enjoy refreshments (BYOB) and a casual, artistic atmosphere with fellow creators and crafters! 

Materials available and welcome:

Pencils, colored pencils, markers, ink, watercolor, acrylic paint, collage, gelli printing, wood carving, mixed media, crochet/knitting.

Materials unfortunately not welcome:

Oil paint, clay, particularly messy mixed media

Paper and yarn is available for use but not canvases nor crochet/sewing needles - so feel free to bring your own if that's what you'd like to work on! Charcoal and chalk pastel are welcome but not provided. 

Create your own layered nature print using natural materials and cut paper. Gelli plates are reusable and made from gelatin and allow you to create layered prints by hand.  This class is fun for all ages. Artist Juliana Ramirez will lead you through the process of inking the gelli plate, creating an image, and making your prints.  

When we take away the options of various colors, we are left with a simple task of using value to create form. A monochromatic painting uses one color in various values or shades to create an image. This makes the watercolor painting process much easier to approach. Students will be guided step by step to create an image of layered mountains and trees in the foreground, choosing one shade of blue for their painting.

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.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it.

Class size is limited.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

This 1.5-hour class, suitable for beginners, comes with a kit that includes a bird blank and paints. Tools are available to borrow. Learn the basics of this classic American art form, and leave with something you create.

Students must be at least 11 years old. Class size limited to 4.

Build a bee house for non-stinging Mason bees and leaf-cutter bees in this special workshop. In these bee houses, the cavities are 5-inch-deep drilled holes — deep enough, we hope, to be safe from a woodpecker tongue. This is a great family project. All materials provided. Participants must be at least 7. This is an in-person program led by Juliana Ramirez, the Gilley's Staff Artist.

Paint a canvas inspired by Dahlov Ipcar’s book, The Cat at Night. Students will be given a canvas that is pre-painted in black and led through a series of steps to create their own version of a cat at night. We will have copies of Ipcar’s beautiful book to browse, so students can choose the illustration they would like to paint. These paintings will be done using acrylics, so wear clothes you don’t mind getting paint on! Suitable for adults and kids ages 5 and up. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Take some time to truly engage your senses with Camp Beech Cliff's Matt Cornish as he leads participants on a short Sensory Walk to be active, connect with familiar surroundings in new ways, and see what can be discovered in nature. Our five senses can enhance our experiences of the natural world if we take the time to let them.  We’ll gather at the Gilley then head out to a local trail, stopping along the way to engage, observe and enjoy. Fee is $14 for non-members and $10 for members. Registration required.

RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 20 ...Poet and naturalist Kristen Lindquist will be with us at the Gilley on Saturday, April 20 to teach an introductory haiku workshop. She’ll share a brief history of this intriguing art form, which originated in Japan more than 500 years ago and evolved as a nature poem. Kristen will share what makes a poem a haiku (it’s probably not what you think), and how haiku are written today in the United States. Then she will guide students through writing their own haiku.

Wingspan is one of the bestselling board games in the world, and the Gilley is hosting our own Wingspan Game Day on every third Saturday of our Winter Session, which runs from January through April from 1:00 to 3:30pm. This is a favorite with families.

You don't have to know anything about birds to have fun playing Wingspan, but you'll probably learn some fun facts as you play. In the game, players work to attract the best birds to their wildlife preserve habitats – forest, field or wetland – with food, nesting opportunities and other actions. No fee, but registration is required.

Flock to the Gilley for a fun and informative few hours with Seth Benz, the bird ecology director at Schoodic Institute. 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. The goal for this last Bird Chatter of the spring is to spend as much as possible of it outdoors.

Cyanotype, also called sun-printing, is an early photographic process that produces blue and white prints. It is usually done in bright sunlight, but can also produce beautiful images on overcast days, and can be done indoors with a specialized UV light. You’ll have a chance to try both sunlight and artificial light.

In this 2-hour workshop, we will work with 5x7 watercolor paper and will use a variety of objects, including feathers, dried ferns, evergreen branches, paper snowflakes, and chandelier prisms to make winter woodland-inspired scenes.

Jennifer Booher is an artist and photographer from Bar Harbor. She has been a Resident Artist with Acadia National Park since 2015, and artist-in-residence with the MDI Historical Society since 2018.

A California native, Jennifer has taught at the University of Maine-Orono since 2000 where she has served as Director of Creative Writing, co-advisor to The Open Field, and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies.  She is an award-winning poet and author of seven books of poetry, a book of essays, and a memoir. Her work has been included in two Norton Anthologies and in The Best American Poetry 2002. In 2005 she was granted the Lynda Hull Poetry Award from Denver Quarterly, and in 2015 her book The Open Secret was awarded the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams award and was a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. For this PNA, she will be discussing her book For the Good of All, Do Not Destroy the Birds, a blend of literary criticism and memoir that recounts a life spent in the company of birds and poems, intimately attuned to the mysteries of singing.

This will be an in-person event with special host Carl Little, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it. Then, students will be shaping them around glass jars to make a decorative container.

Class size is limited.

Participants will be guided step by step through creating a watercolor of textured bubbles.

Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Students will be guided step by step to create a painting of whimsical mushrooms with watercolors and ink.

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.

Students will be guided step by step through painting robins in watercolor.

Students will take a break for stretching with the instructor, who is a certified yoga teacher. This class will be held outside if possible.

A multiple-time winner of the Maine Duck Stamp contest, Rick was born and raised on Little Cranberry Island, where he lives today lobstering, fishing and scalloping when he’s not painting. The majority of his work is of seabirds and wildlife. In his realistic style, Rick captures the mood of the sea in a way only a man who has grown up on the water can do. His pictures depict the Maine coast with astounding accuracy. His paintings have been selected for the Wildlife Art Show, Governor’s Gallery, at the Maine State House in Augusta.

This will be an in-person event, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Students will be guided step by step through painting a snail & mushrooms in watercolor.

Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it. Then, students will be shaping them around glass jars to make a decorative container.

Class size is limited.

Charlotte Rhoades Garden & Butterfly Park is full of flowers, and we’re going to get up close and personal with them! Working with a partner, we will observe the variety of flowers in the garden, notice differences among them, and share what we discovered.

For those 10 and younger; explorers age 6 and younger should come with an adult.

Explore nature at the Wendell Gilley Museum, and create your own nature journal filled with your observations in words and art.

Nature Journaling is a great way to explore nature wherever you go and to record all the wonderful things you discover. Participants will create a personal notebook to take outdoors, and use all of their senses to ask questions about what they observe.

Then they’ll write and draw (or paint) to capture the details of what they found. This is a great opportunity to find amazing details in the natural world.

Suitable for those age 9 and older.

Class size is limited.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Students will be guided step by step through painting a night sky with the Milky Way over Echo Lake.

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.

In honor of the Olympics are happening in Paris, France this summer, the Wendell Gilley Museum is sponsoring its own version of the games. Join us! There are Track-and-Field events: Can you run as fast as a crow can fly? How about a mallard? A peregrine falcon (the fastest of all the birds)? In Balance Beam find out why birds stand on one leg and find out if you can mimic a heron, owl and gull. In Rhythm Gymnastics, find out how your wingspan and wing "flaps" compare to various birds. And for Volleyball play a fish-toss game to see how successful you can be in catching fish for dinner like a bird. Participants will get a Wendell Gilley Museum "medal" to take home along with memories of a fun morning.

Paint mini foliage and ferns in watercolor in this class taught by artist Erika Rosso.  She will lead you step by step, clearly explaining each step, to create a special forest scene of your own. You’ll step away from the paintbrush for stretch breaks with Erika, who is also a certified yoga teacher. This class will be taught outside if possible. All materials provided. Space is limited.

Explore nature at the Wendell Gilley Museum, and create your own nature journal filled with your observations in words and art.

Nature Journaling is a great way to explore nature wherever you go and to record all the wonderful things you discover. Participants will create a personal notebook to take outdoors, and use all of their senses to ask questions about what they observe.

Then they’ll write and draw (or paint) to capture the details of what they found. This is a great opportunity to find amazing details in the natural world.

Suitable for those age 9 and older.

Class size is limited.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Students will be guided step by step through painting a tree strewn landscape.

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.

In honor of the Olympics are happening in Paris, France this summer, the Wendell Gilley Museum is sponsoring its own version of the games. Join us! There are Track-and-Field events: Can you run as fast as a crow can fly? How about a mallard? A peregrine falcon (the fastest of all the birds)? In Balance Beam find out why birds stand on one leg and find out if you can mimic a heron, owl and gull. In Rhythm Gymnastics, find out how your wingspan and wing "flaps" compare to various birds. And for Volleyball play a fish-toss game to see how successful you can be in catching fish for dinner like a bird. Participants will get a Wendell Gilley Museum "medal" to take home along with memories of a fun morning.

Students will be guided step by step through painting a watercolor & ink dragonfly.

Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Picture This!

Textile collage artist Elaine O’Neil will be at the Gilley to teach two classes creating art from fabric on Thursday, July 18 -- one from 10am to 1pm, and the other from1:30 to 4:30pm.

A Maine native, she now lives half the year in her home state and the other half in North Carolina.

She creates textile collage art of places and scenes that have a personal meaning to her, or special value to a community. Come make a collage of one of your special places in this workshop. Open to adults and children 8 and older. Spaces are limited and registration is required.

Explore nature at the Wendell Gilley Museum, and create your own nature journal filled with your observations in words and art.

Nature Journaling is a great way to explore nature wherever you go and to record all the wonderful things you discover. Participants will create a personal notebook to take outdoors, and use all of their senses to ask questions about what they observe.

Then they’ll write and draw (or paint) to capture the details of what they found. This is a great opportunity to find amazing details in the natural world.

Suitable for those age 9 and older.

Class size is limited.

Textile collage artist Elaine O’Neil will be at the Gilley to teach two classes creating art from fabric on Thursday, July 18 -- one from 10am to 1pm, and the other from1:30 to 4:30pm.

A Maine native, she now lives half the year in her home state and the other half in North Carolina.

She creates textile collage art of places and scenes that either have a personal meaning to her, or special value to a community. Come make a collage of one of your special places in this worshop. Open to adults and children 8 and old. Spaces are limited and registration is required.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Maine painter Gina Sawin strives to translate birds in flight to a canvas, transforming a three-dimensional image into a two-dimensional one. “If I ever really succeed,” she says, “that’s when I’ll quit painting.” Though her many fans and collectors of her work would disagree about the relative success of her painting, so far she has not quite captured the illusive feeling of flight to her satisfaction. So she paints on.

Painting large bird groups allows her to explore both formal aspects of representation in the modernist tradition, she says, and express her concerns for ecological continuity. She aims to capture the abstract patterns created by birds in a moment of flight, while keeping them in a real and distant space.

Ms. Sawin will be at the Wendell Gilley Museum as the People-Nature-Art presenter for July on Tuesday, July 23. There will be a artist’s reception at 6 p.m. open to the public, followed by her presentation at 7 p.m. which will happen in person and simultaneously livecast. Registration is required; when signing up, please indicate whether you will attend in person or online. A Zoom link will be sent to those who choose the online option when reserving space. 

This event, like all of the 2024 People-Nature-Art events, is sponsored by our friends at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Explore nature at the Wendell Gilley Museum, and create your own nature journal filled with your observations in words and art.

Nature Journaling is a great way to explore nature wherever you go and to record all the wonderful things you discover. Participants will create a personal notebook to take outdoors, and use all of their senses to ask questions about what they observe.

Then they’ll write and draw (or paint) to capture the details of what they found. This is a great opportunity to find amazing details in the natural world.

Suitable for those age 9 and older.

Class size is limited.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

In honor of the Olympics are happening in Paris, France this summer, the Wendell Gilley Museum is sponsoring its own version of the games. Join us! There are Track-and-Field events: Can you run as fast as a crow can fly? How about a mallard? A peregrine falcon (the fastest of all the birds)? In Balance Beam find out why birds stand on one leg and find out if you can mimic a heron, owl and gull. In Rhythm Gymnastics, find out how your wingspan and wing "flaps" compare to various birds. And for Volleyball play a fish-toss game to see how successful you can be in catching fish for dinner like a bird. Participants will get a Wendell Gilley Museum "medal" to take home along with memories of a fun morning.

Cyanotype, also called sun-printing, is an early photographic process that produces blue and white prints. It is usually done in bright sunlight, but can also produce beautiful images on overcast days, and can be done indoors with a specialized UV light. You’ll have a chance to try both sunlight and artificial light.

In this 2-hour workshop, we will work with 5x7 watercolor paper and will use a variety of objects, including feathers, dried ferns, evergreen branches, paper snowflakes, and chandelier prisms to make woodland-inspired scenes.  

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.

Jennifer Booher is an artist and photographer from Bar Harbor. She has been a Resident Artist with Acadia National Park since 2015, and artist-in-residence with the MDI Historical Society since 2018.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Students will be guided step by step through creating a watercolor landscape painting of Somes Sound in blues and greens.

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.

In honor of the Olympics are happening in Paris, France this summer, the Wendell Gilley Museum is sponsoring its own version of the games. Join us! There are Track-and-Field events: Can you run as fast as a crow can fly? How about a mallard? A peregrine falcon (the fastest of all the birds)? In Balance Beam find out why birds stand on one leg and find out if you can mimic a heron, owl and gull. In Rhythm Gymnastics, find out how your wingspan and wing "flaps" compare to various birds. And for Volleyball play a fish-toss game to see how successful you can be in catching fish for dinner like a bird. Participants will get a Wendell Gilley Museum "medal" to take home along with memories of a fun morning.

Paint colorful tree paths in watercolor in this class taught by artist Erika Rosso. She will lead you step by step, clearly explaining each step, to create a special forest scene of your own. You’ll step away from the paintbrush for stretch breaks with Erika, who is also a certified yoga teacher. This class will be taught outside if possible. All materials provided. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.  

Explore nature at the Wendell Gilley Museum, and create your own nature journal filled with your observations in words and art.

Nature Journaling is a great way to explore nature wherever you go and to record all the wonderful things you discover. Participants will create a personal notebook to take outdoors, and use all of their senses to ask questions about what they observe.

Then they’ll write and draw (or paint) to capture the details of what they found. This is a great opportunity to find amazing details in the natural world.

Suitable for those age 9 and older.

Class size is limited.

In-person event is at capacity.  But there is still room in the livecast.  Sign up for the online program and you will be sent a Zoom link before the program begins.

Matt is one of the world’s leading wildlife filmmakers and an Emmy-nominated and award-winning wildlife cinematographer. He has spent his professional life working in our planet’s most remote and wild places. His current project is Birds of America, a feature film with an ambitious conservation agenda that seeks to fundamentally change the way we look at and engage with the natural world in the face of climate change and habitat loss.

Discover the life cycle of a butterfly through an awesome book, finger plays, and songs. How does a small crawling caterpillar turn into a completely different looking insect?

For explorers age 5 and older with an adult.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a nature-themed bas relief that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day.

Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2-D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3-D appearance. We’ll be using polymer clay and baking it off, then painting it.

Class size is limited.

Paint a watercolor landscape in the style of Barbara Cooney, who wrote and illustrated Miss Rumphius, among many other children's books. Artist Erika Rosso will walk students through a step-by-step process. All materials will be provided as well as seltzer and juice for this family friendly paint 'n' sip that is suitable for people of all experience levels age 6 and older. All materials are provided. Space is limited and registration is required.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Join watercolor artist Erika Rosso for a three-hour plein air painting workshop at Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden in Southwest Harbor. Erika has a unique style of teaching that encourages watercolor students to play and experiment with their art. Participants should bring their own plein air set-up, including an easel or small pop-up table and chair. Driving directions and a list of needed class materials will be sent when you sign up. Sets of painting materials will be available with advance request.

Explore nature at the Wendell Gilley Museum, and create your own nature journal filled with your observations in words and art.

Nature Journaling is a great way to explore nature wherever you go and to record all the wonderful things you discover. Participants will create a personal notebook to take outdoors, and use all of their senses to ask questions about what they observe.

Then they’ll write and draw (or paint) to capture the details of what they found. This is a great opportunity to find amazing details in the natural world.

Suitable for those age 9 and older.

Class size is limited.

Students will be guided step by step to create a painting depicting a whale and a boat.

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.

In honor of the Olympics are happening in Paris, France this summer, the Wendell Gilley Museum is sponsoring its own version of the games. Join us! There are Track-and-Field events: Can you run as fast as a crow can fly? How about a mallard? A peregrine falcon (the fastest of all the birds)? In Balance Beam find out why birds stand on one leg and find out if you can mimic a heron, owl and gull. In Rhythm Gymnastics, find out how your wingspan and wing "flaps" compare to various birds. And for Volleyball play a fish-toss game to see how successful you can be in catching fish for dinner like a bird. Participants will get a Wendell Gilley Museum "medal" to take home along with memories of a fun morning.

Discover the fabulousness of feathers! How they’re built, how they function, and all the different types of feathers that birds have. We will finish by making art prints. All ages but children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

Students will be guided step by step to create a painting of northern lights and mountain silhouettes.

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.

Learn how to identify hawks in flight, plus when, where, and how best to see them on MDI and beyond with Seth Benz, director of bird ecology at Schoodic Institute and former professional hawk watcher, in this program at the Wendell Gilley Museum from 10am to noon. Slides, handouts, discussion and topical resources are all part of this experience. Bring your curiosity and your questions!

Josh carves highly sought-after bird carvings by hand with traditional tools, using oil paint to finish his pieces which are primarily made from Atlantic white cedar. His work is in collections throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan. He was commissioned by Salisbury University to create original carvings for Nobel Peace Prize Laureates including Polish President Lech Walesa and South African President F.W. de Klerk.                              

This will be an in-person event, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in clay to create a bird-themed brooch or lapel pin that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day. Class size is limited. All materials supplied. Students must be 14 or older.

Come get your feet wet and step into the magical world of watercolor with local artist Erika Rosso.  Erika will be guiding students to create a watercolor portrait of a colorful Maine puffin.  Class is suitable for all levels and ages, families and individuals welcome. 

All materials supplied as well as tea and non alcoholic beverages.

Plein Air at the Kelley Farm and Marsh features private instruction from local watercolor artist, Erika Rosso.  This coastal farm offers the opportunity to paint a serene landscape of field, marsh, water and sky.  Supplies can be provided for those that need them. This class is suitable for all levels of painters and provides an opportunity for ample one on one time with the instructor for all of your watercolor questions.  Watercolor demonstrations are also provided during class for those who are interested. 

Author Kay Tobler Liss will be in conversation with guest host Earl Brechlin about her new book, “Coming Home,” at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Friday, September 27 at 5:30pm with a book signing afterward. This event is part of Reading with Wings, an occasional series co-hosted by the Southwest Harbor Public Library and the Gilley that is free and open to all.

Students will be guided step by step to create a whimsical and nature-inspired Tree Path in watercolor by local artist Erika Rosso.

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.

This full-day workshop takes place on Saturday, Oct. 5, and runs from approximately 5:30 AM to 6:30pm. It is led by local professional photographer, J.K. Putnam, and is designed to maximize learning opportunities and provide guidance on creating the kind of images you want to create. From sunrise to sunset, you will alternate between traveling around Acadia taking photos, and classroom time where we discuss a range of topics that lead to successful, self-expressive image-making. There will also be individual instruction based on your goals and your questions.

What do I mean when I say, self-expression? Am I talking about art? To be honest I struggle with calling myself an artist. I’m uncomfortable with that title. I’m a photographer. Photographer is a very comfortable title for me. But if I want my photography to be personal, I need to express my emotions, my thoughts, and the stories I want to tell through my imagery. I want to express to you, the viewer, how I connect with the subjects that I photograph.

The cost is $150 for Museum members and $175 for non-members. Spaces are limited. Registration is required.

Bonnie Chase’s passion is combining nature, science, and local plant and found materials to create forms of art, inspired by the life that grows around her. Her creativity comes from her connection with the natural world. To create her art, Chase harvests the plants she grows in her garden and ones that grow in the wild around her home. She makes everything she uses, from dye to woven baskets, all from locally grown plant matter. She has always encouraged her students to explore the natural world through a creative lens, throughout her careers in teaching, as executive director of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Nature Center, as Master Naturalist, and leading natural history tours in Central and South America.

This will be an in-person event, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

In this workshop we will be creating botanical prints using a simple technique to reveal the colors and unique patterns that are hidden in plant materials that humans cannot visually see. 

While processing our foliage and waiting for the “magic” to appear; we will discuss the botany of leaves, the simple chemistry behind making botanical prints and various methods that can be used to alter the results. We will also construct a small booklet to showcase our prized finished prints and perhaps write about their individual stories. Students must be 15 or older.

Materials: 
~Bring a small assortment of leaves from local trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses and any flower heads that are available to you. Please gather sustainably and keep your plant material pressed between a catalogue or book pages.
~scissors 
~pencil and paper for notes
No experience needed, just a curious mind and a willingness to have fun.

Join Kathie Pratt to make a fall and nature-themed 3-D landscape. These sweet vignettes stand just 4" tall and can sit pretty on a shelf or tabletop.  We will use acrylic for the background and polymer clay for objects to give depth and dimension. Bring objects you’ve collected in nature or other items you’d like to include. Suitable for those age 12 and older.

Join Seth Benz, director of bird ecology at Schoodic Institute on a bird walk to learn about waterbird migrations.

Join master carver Ed Hawkes for this special class to create a carved feather pin. This class is appropriate for carvers of all levels, from beginners to advanced. Students must be at least 14 years old. Bring a lunch for this full-day workshop. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Ed is an avid birdwatcher and a volunteer with Acadia National Park Hawk Watch. His hours of bird observations are constant inspiration for creating his realistic wooden creations. His carvings have won numerous awards, including a first-place ribbon in the Advanced Division at the Ward World Carving Competition for his full-size common loon, as well as numerous first-place and 'Best in Show' awards at Maine carving competitions.

Paint your own Magic Tree in this fun Paint 'n' Sip taught by Erika Rosso at the Gilley. 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.

Join Seth Benz, director of bird ecology at Schoodic Institute to learn about Acadia’s Winter Birds.

This event is a combination of a brief indoor presentation followed by an easy "Causeway Forest  Stroll" just down the street from the Wendell Gilley Museum.  We'll review resident bird survival strategies, and which species come from away to spend winter in Acadia. Bring binoculars and curiosity, and dress for the weather. If you don’t have binoculars, a loaner pair is available from the museum with advance notice.

Registration required.

The title for Lucy Kalian's current body of work, ‘Witnesses’ (on exhibit at the Gallery at Somes Sound in Somesville) refers not only to the thoughtful observer, but also to woodlands, trees, and their remains that have a deeper history than most of us walking the land today. They’ve witnessed humans’ yearning and urgency regarding the turmoil currently present throughout the world. The woods bear witness to a changing ecosystem and changing ‘human system’. She always was compelled to draw, sketch and paint but did not become a professional artist until midlife.

This will be an in-person event, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Join Kathie Pratt and work in polymer clay to create a bird-themed brooch, lapel pin or pendant that you’ll be able to complete and take home that day. Class size is limited. All materials supplied. Students must be 14 or older.

Nell Parker lives with her family in a rambling 200-year-old farmhouse in rural Maine. She loves to engage with the surrounding landscape through growing her own food, celebrating the wheel of the year, and closely observing the surrounding world in the process of art-making. Her work has been shown in galleries throughout Maine and Oregon.

This will be an in-person event, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm.

People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature.

Join master carver Ed Hawkes for this special class to create a carved bird ornament. This class is appropriate for carvers of all levels, from beginners to advanced. Students must be at least 14 years old. Bring a lunch for this full-day workshop. Class size is limited and registration is required.

Students will be guided by local artist Erika Rosso, step by step, to create their own nature-inspired Winter Scene 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.

Gather as a community and enjoy the creative spirit of MDI at the Wendell Gilley Museum for the Museum's annual Community Open House & Art Show on Sunday, Dec. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m.. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

We will have a special one-day-only exhibit of art created at the Gilley in 2024, everything from bird drawings by third-graders to bird carvings by long-time carvers.

Free and open to all.