This year, the Boothbay Region Art Foundation (BRAF) is celebrating its 50th season of member art shows, open studio days, classes and workshops with nationally known artists, and First Friday Art Walk Tours (since 2011).

BRAF is a non-profit organization founded in 1963 to create a scholarship fund and art program for students in Boothbay, but in 1965 expanded its mission to include an open, non-juried gallery. Available to artists in the Boothbay region, and beyond, BRAF has a decades long tradition of fostering public awareness and involvement in the arts.

Today we hold the Maine Photography Show in April, which this year had over 800 entries from across the State, a vibrant Student Art Show in May for the students from all the schools on the peninsula. In June, July, August and September, our members –all 286 of them – are allowed to hang one or two pieces each month, which are celebrated at the First Friday Art Walk Tours, June through October.

October is the month BRAF holds its sole juried painting show, ArtinME! This year the show will be juried by Bob Keyes of Maine Media and the Portland Sunday Telegram.

November is given over to the Plein Air Painters of Maine, for an open, non-juried show of its members.

True to the original purpose of the Art Foundation, in December, we hold a show called Art in the Square to raise money for scholarships for students in post-secondary art programs. This year we are helping one student attend the Savannah College of Art, another attend Wentworth Institute in Architecture, and another attend Mt. Ida College in animation. The Square paintings are all 12” x 12”, and are priced at $100, no matter the artist. There is usually a line out the door on Black Friday, when we open this highly popular, and affordable, show.

BRAF member Tony van Hasselt, AWS, will be giving a watercolor workshop later this summer. Board member and former art teacher Tom Block has several books with his illustrations being published.

The public is welcome to attend open studio time on Wednesday mornings and/or discover the artist inside on Thursday mornings. In addition, we buy two memberships for the Portland Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Museum, membership cards/passes are at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library (on Oak Street) for art lovers to borrow.

BRAF is a non-profit, depending on memberships, entry fees from juried shows, and most importantly, sales to make ends meet. Our prices are significantly lower than commercial galleries because we are run by volunteers, with only one paid staff member.

This First Friday, July, 3, BRAF will hold a reception for our 50 years, the event and for the new member show, “July in Maine,” from 5-7 p.m. - complete with the Narrow Gauge String Band, wine, soft drinks, water and hors d’ouevres. BRAF has chosen this date to unveil its coloring book – who doesn't like to color? And, there's more: a winning raffle ticket will be drawn for an Emma Goldstone pastel.

The Boothbay Region Art Foundation is located at 1 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor. For more information call 207-633-2703 or visit www.boothbayartists.org.