Inspired by Maine’s natural beauty, generations of painters, sculptors and decorative artists have identified the state as a brilliant backdrop for the creation of visual arts, fiber arts and Maine made crafts.

There are unique arts exhibitions to be enjoyed this summer and fall at museums throughout the state, such as an exhibition featuring quilts at the Penobscot Marine Museum; the Langlais Art Trail with its sculptures shown in museums, historical societies and libraries in every part of Maine; or the exhibit at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor marking the 150th anniversary of the canoe trip Thoreau made with his Wabanaki guides through the Maine woods.

Some of the finest craftsmanship available today is on display and offered for sale by the many purveyors of Maine Made products that range from gourmet and specialty foods to carved stone, fine furniture, and jewelry inspired by Maine’s rich land and sea resources.

Visitors may purchase unique gifts by Maine craftsmen and women as well as contemporary art in the arts districts of Portland, Bath, Belfast and Kennebunkport, among others. Or, plan a trip to Monhegan Island and visit one of the many artists galleries open to the public on a daily basis.

Exhibitions featured in Maine during August and September

The Shakers, Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, (through Jan. 4)

http://farnsworthmuseum.org/exhibition/shakers-mount-lebanon-world

One of the largest Shaker communities in the world is in Mount Lebanon. This exhibition highlights Shaker art in furniture and household objects and is the first to showcase pieces from the Shaker Museum in Mount Lebanon.

Tom Burckhardt, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport (through Sept. 20)

http://cmcanow.org/exhibition/201407/tom-burckhardt-recent-work

Artist Tom Burckhardt’s recent works include abstract paintings on cast plastic as well as a large-scale wall installation comprised of individual oil paintings on discarded book pages.

Gee’s Bend Quilts, Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport, (through Sept. 7)

http://penobscotmarinemuseum.org/do-it-your-way-gees-bend-quilts-quilters-in-maine

Maine Fiber Arts: http://mainefiberarts.org/at-the-gallery/current-exhibition

The quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, were catapulted into national celebrity in 1998 when an art collector saw their quilts and organized an exhibition which began at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and travelled to nine major museums across the country including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Whitney Museum in New York City.

Bernard Langlais, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, (through Jan. 4)

www.colby.edu/academics_cs/museum/exhibitions/index.cfm

A native of Maine, the artist Bernard Langlais is known for his monumental sculptures of animals. Upon his death, Langlais’ widow donated his art collection to the Colby, which has mounted this exhibition at the college while placing his work around the state as part of the Langlais Art Trail.

Andrew Wyeth: The Linda L. Bean Collection, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Ogunquit, (through Oct. 31)

http://ogunquitmuseum.org/exhibition/andrew-wyeth-linda-l-bean-collection/

This collection celebrates the art of Andrew Wyeth, one of Maine’s best-known painters, through a collection assembled by Linda Bean of the L.L. Bean family of Freeport.

150th Thoreau-Wabanaki Canoe Tour, Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, (through December)

http://www.abbemuseum.org/exhibits/index.html

The Abbe Museum is part of the Smithsonian and is dedicated to education about the Native American Wabanaki Nation. The Wabanaki served as Thoreau’s guides through the woods of Northern Maine. This exhibition celebrates the 150th anniversary of these trips.

Encountering Maine, Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, (through Oct. 12)

http://www.bates.edu/museum/exhibitions/current/encountering-maine

This exhibition includes a diverse selection of Maine-inspired works from the late-19th century to the present and in a variety of media and styles. Works by such Maine natives as Marsden Hartley, Bernard Langlais, William Manning, Charlie Hewitt and Melonie Bennett are shown alongside works by artists who are recognized for their connections to the state, including George Hallowell, John Marin, Dahlov Ipcar, Berenice Abbott and Robert Indiana.

Museum Art Trail

Visitors and residents will also appreciate exhibits at each of the seven art museums found on The Maine Art Museum Trail on http://www.visitmaine.com includes the Bates College Museum of Art (Lewiston), the Bowdoin College Museum of Art (Brunswick), the Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville), the Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland), the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (Ogunquit), the Portland Museum of Art (Portland), and the University of Maine Museum of Art (Bangor).