Autumn, with its waning light, is a perfect time to display fine art that portrays evening or night. For its last exhibition of the 2024 season, the Maine Art Gallery chose autumn to present the work of more than 55 current Maine artists and several of their predecessors who set about to capture the magical realm of nocturne.

Nocturne is a theme that American artists, influenced by James McNeil Whistler’s nocturne series, began exploring in the late 1800s. Depicting the world at night is not only about what you see; it is also about what is obscure, represented in a tonal spectrum ranging from stark to subdued to suppressed.

This exhibition also explores the work of Maine's photographer poet, Kosti Ruahomaa, whose often surreal, and occasionally abstract, nighttime images illustrate what Andrew Wyeth--a close friend of the photographer--once characterized as “being present at some intimate moment caught at the instant of revelation.” The Penobscot Marine Museum was generous with help and access to their photographic archives.

”Nocturne” runs from Sept. 12 to Oct. 20. A reception with live music by Jud Caswell will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The gallery thanks season sponsor Sherri Dunbar of Tim Dunham Realty, capital sponsor, Islebrook Villages at Wiscasset, and Nocturne exhibit sponsor J. Edward Knight Insurance.

The gallery is located at 15 Warren St., Wiscasset, with free on-street parking. From the north on Route 1, turn right onto Federal St./Route 218, then left onto Warren St. From the south on Route 1, turn left onto Federal Street, then left onto Warren Street. From Main Street shops, it’s an easy 8-minute walk.

More information can be found at www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org and Maine Art Gallery Wiscasset/Facebook.