Deeply Woven

A landmark exhibition exploring Maine’s impact on the art world opens at the Farnsworth Art Museum

By Alyssa M. Tidwell

Through January 3, 2027

Farnsworth Art Museum
16 Museum Street
t: 207.596.6457
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Since the early 20th century, the state of Maine has been a part of the American art story. Influential artists like Marsden Hartley, John Marin and Charles Demuth all found inspiration in the rich history and varied landscapes of our country’s northeasternmost state. Other artists like Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keeffe spent significant time taking in the spirit of the Pine Tree State as they developed innovative new approaches to modernism and abstraction.

In celebration of this, as well as America’s 250th anniversary, the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, is hosting the yearlong exhibition MAINE: A Force Within American Art (1890–2026), drawn primarily from the museum’s permanent collection. The show features a who’s-who of iconic artists within the American fine art world, including Hartley, Winslow Homer, George Bellows, Andrew Wyeth and more.

George Bellows (1882-1925), Beating Out to Sea, 1913. Oil on plywood panel, 145/8 x 187/8 in. Farnsworth Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1945.567. Photography by Alan LaVallee.

“This exhibition brings together artists, movements and histories, often studied in solitude, and reveals their impact—both locally and nationally,” says Jaime DeSimone, chief curator at Farnsworth Art Museum. “It reframes Maine’s arts community not as a peripheral backdrop but as a driving force. This more expansive lens and new interpretive connections will deepen our understanding of how place, community and creativity intersect to shape American art history.”

Winslow Homer (1836-1910), A Girl in a Punt, ca. 1880. Watercolor on paper, 85/8 x 11½ in. Farnsworth Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1945.534. Photography by Alan LaVallee.

Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), Stormy Sea No. 2, 1936. Oil on board, 121/8 x 16 in. Farnsworth Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by gifts from Mr. Edwin L. Beckwith and Dr. Peter Sheldon, 1983.2. Photography by Alan LaVallee.

MAINE: A Force Within American Art (1890–2026) is on view through January 3, 2027, and will be accompanied by expanded programming and various other engagement opportunities for the public throughout the year. The show is curated in partnership with the Ellis Beauregard Foundation, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Hudson Museum, Indigo Arts Alliance, Maine Media, and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, along with Faye Hirsch and Theresa Second.

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), Clam Flats, 1942. Watercolor on paper, 18 x 217/8 in. Farnsworth Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1944.154. © 2025 Wyeth Foundation for American Art/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

“The story of American art cannot be told without Maine,” adds Christopher J. Brownawell, Farnsworth’s executive director. “This exhibition will demonstrate how deeply Maine is woven into the fabric of American art—past, present and future.” —