The Artful Interior, Maine Art Gallery’s (MAG) final exhibit of 2023, and two years in the making, is every bit the standout season finale art enthusiasts want. An eclectic mix of wood, stone, clay, fiber, metal and canvas visually excites gallery-goers and celebrates household objects that perform distinct functions.

“Coming from NYC, where people do not spend much time in their often small apartments, my mission upon arriving in Maine was to craft an uplifting, interesting and beautiful space in which to live, work, and entertain. Understanding how an object was made, meeting the human being who made that object and bringing it into my home, living with it, passing that appreciation on to the next generation ... it's a wonderful experience. A beautiful object can make a daily task more enjoyable. It connects you to the maker,” wrote Cynthia Pappas, the show’s co-curator.

In addition to functional arts for the home, the exhibit features still life and interior paintings that enhance the theme. MAG Exhibitions Committee Chair Mark Coates curated the fine arts segment of this exhibit. “The juxtaposition of handmade craft objects with still life and interiors paintings is what makes this show so engaging,” he said. Chairs, next to lamps, on rugs, set off with wall-mounted paintings show the observer how to create artful interiors in their homes.

“Michael Olszewski arranged, designed and mounted the show so that everything looks great,” said Pappas. He concerted the artists, many meeting for the first time. “Michael is always generous with his knowledge and expertise.” Olszewski was a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in 1979, the Polish Consulate Visiting Artist fellow in 1980, and received the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Arts Award in 2006. His art has been displayed across America and in Finland, Russia, and Japan. He is also displaying in this show.

Pappas, Coates and Olszewski are lifetime artists, art instructors and gallerists – each with over 30 years of experience in their fields. According to Coates, most of the craftspeople in the show are nationally known. The show’s stunning contemporary display has attracted interest from across New England including the art community in southern Maine.

Emerging artist Max Miller of Thomaston is a carpenter by day, artist by night. Miller got his start in wood turning during the pandemic when he received a lathe as a birthday gift. His relentless progression to hone and evolve his craft is visible on his Facebook page. Several of his pieces are displayed in this show and, beginning in January, at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport.

The MAG exhibit invites visitors to stroll through woven masterpieces by Sara Hotchkiss and Hillary Crowell, flip through journals bound by Joelle Webber, set your table with handmade ceramics from Diana Oliver and Karen McGann, lounge in contemporary-styled chairs by Eben Blaney, even sweep your floor with brooms made by Eric McIntyre. The still life paintings, both realist and abstract, remind us of life’s impermanence and the joy in filling it with beautiful items.

The exhibit is open Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., through Oct. 21 at MAG, 15 Warren St., Wiscasset.