Boothbay Region Art Foundation has 150 12” X 12” canvases by 50 local and regional artists in its 2016 Art in the Square Show and Sale — and at $100, each we’re talking affordable art! This much anticipated show opens on Friday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m.

Some of the artists include Tony van Hasselt, Bob Rose, Jennifer Litchfield, Mark Mellor, Maria Boord, Bruce MacDonald and June Elderkin.

The Art in the Square Show & Sale is one of the most popular shows at the Art Foundation — and that’s a good thing as it’s a benefit for the foundation’s scholarship fund — awarded annually to a Boothbay Region High School grad college bound to study the visual arts — and the annual student art show held each May.  

“Twenty-five percent of each sale goes toward the benefits,” BRAF’s June Campbell Rose explained. “Many of the artists will paint additional squares throughout the show running Nov. 25 - Jan. 10!”

Some artists, like Maria Boord, will paint scenes across two squares. This year there is a triptych by Frieda Hanlon of Damariscotta entitled “Star I, Star II and Star III.”  Artists are also from East Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Trevett, Edgecomb, Wiscasset, Waldoboro, New Sharon, New Harbor, Bristol, Bremen, Windham, Orono and points north!

There will be an open House and reception for Art in the Square on Saturday, Dec. 3 coinciding with the date of this year’s Harbor Lights Festival.  

The region is alive with visible signs of the spirit of the holidays in the form or lights of white to multi-colors and some ideas for their use in decoration are unique to be sure.

“Everyone was talking about lighting up the town, a Festival of Lights, and I thought of ‘Starry Night’  Lights ... stars ... the moon ...,’” said June Campbell Rose. “I thought what if we painted it for the window on 12 x 12 squares and add lights behind it? It just seemed perfect. ”

She presented her idea to the BRAF board of directors and it was unanimously approved. Nine members —Mark Mellor, Angie Blevins, Tom Block, Bob Rose, Sally Giddings Smith, Jennifer Litchfield, Sarah Wilde, Tony van Hasselt, and June — painted “The Starry Night” — but not together. And this is where it gets really interesting.

June printed out a copy of the painting and drew three rows of four squares on it, assigning a square, or squares, to each artist. The nine took home a copy of the “blueprint,” broke out their acrylic paints and the rest is now BRAF history! Wilde said it was an incredible idea and an amazing experience.

“My square was in the lower left, a tree,” WIlde said. “It was like being in a van Gogh painting ... so much rhythm and movement ... It was a challenge to paint but when we put it together it was quite spectacular!”

“It was fun to do,” van Hasselt said. “We assembled the squares and poked holes through the canvas to put in the lights. My squares are the two at the top in the middle near June’s moon.” 

All nine artists had their squares at the gallery within a week and van Hasselt, Campbell Rose, Wilde, Smith and Bruce Burnham completed the assembly/installation.

“And it worked!  We did it,” June said. “I’m hoping we can do something collaborative again next year too.”

Smith agreed, saying, “It’s the first cooperative effort we’ve tried in a very long time. And, I think it worked!”

Be sure to stop down to the BRAF and see “Starry Night” surrounded by blue lights in the left front window of the gallery. 

Inspired by the collaboration, Bob Rose painted another larger work of a shooting star for the right side window at the gallery.

Art. Affordable art, that is.  It’s all there — in the square — at the BRAF at 1 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor open Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.