The cool and rainy weather brought dozens of art lovers to the Boothbay Region YMCA on Friday, June 29 for a special evening. Local artist Charlie Nowell helped the Y celebrate art with his show of beautiful paintings of local and familiar scenes. Several of his works were quickly snatched up by appreciative attendees. A favorite piece called "Buoy" had several people longing to purchase it before it became a birthday gift for a buyer’s mother; Charlie has since replaced it with a similar painting for anyone who desires an iconic painting of our peninsula life.  

The art opening coincided with the completion of a project to identify all of the artwork throughout the Y. Most of the collected works are from local artists, including Lonny Sisson, Pat Berger, and Carol Jensen. All of the art was donated to the Y, either directly from the artist or through bequests. Anne Wissler, a Y member and pickleball player, became interested in the art around the Y in 2022 and volunteered to gather information for a book that lists all of the works, the artists, and a brief bio about each artist. The book is available at the front desk, and artwork around the Y is now identified and can be found on both floors and in the fieldhouse.  

Nowell has been painting since he was 10 years old and has progressed to sold-out shows at galleries such as the Blue Heron Gallery. While Nowell’s early career focused on still-life painting he has been focusing on landscape painting for several years now. “I have a passion for the natural world and a love of the state of Maine,” Nowell stated. “Coastal scenes are a favorite subject for my landscape paintings. Capturing the essence of a sunrise or sunset as it lights up the sky and reflects on the water; the force of a wave as it crashes on the rocks; the play of sunlight on flowering trees and gardens. These are the things that inspire me to get up and go paint every day,” 

"I have met so many people at the Y through pickleball and it's been great fun to be able to hang a show that we can all see when we're playing on the court," said Nowell. "I'm excited to be able to share my work with my community and to reflect the beauty that is all around us on this peninsula,” 

Wissler was thrilled to volunteer to dig deeper into the background of the art scattered throughout the Y and learned so much about the individual artists that she researched. "I am fascinated by the lives of these artists and their work and how their pieces came to the Y,” Wissler stated. “One of my favorite paintings is the large two-panel piece by Lonny Sisson in the lobby. He was one of the Y's founders and one of the Y’s first Board Presidents.  He painted that piece specifically for the space. It's a great match between creativity and volunteerism, bringing beauty into the Y's already light-filled and lovely spaces."   

Allyson Goodwin, the Y's development director, has been a fan of the art since the first time she stepped into the Y in 2020. "We are fortunate to live in an artistic community and the Y reflects the talent in our region. Our Y is so much more than a ‘gym and swim’ and we are able to enhance our facility even further with all of this beautiful work.  Goodwin, an avid pickleball player, is often with Nowell and Wissler on the courts. Together they planned a way to synchronize an art opening for Nowell and the identification - and true celebration - of the Y’s collection. 

Nowells's oil paintings will be on display in the fieldhouse throughout July, and the public is encouraged to view his works during the Y's operating hours. Wissler’s book will be at the front desk, and is a treasure trove of information. We invite you to use her book as a guide as you walk the Y, discovering more about our region and the people who immortalize its beauty.