The Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery, the gallery portion of the Island Insitute’s store, located at 386 Main Street in Rockland, has launched a new show, “20 Miles,” celebrating Maine’s working waterfronts. The exhibit will be on display through September 27.
“20 Miles” features the work of Susan Tobey White and her series “Lobstering Women of Maine”; other artists include Abe Goodale, Andre Benoit, Val Aponik and Laurel Averill.
For centuries, Maine’s working waterfronts have served as the connection between communities and the sea. They have helped craft the state’s sense of identity; from shipbuilding to shipping, from aquaculture to lobstering, working waterfronts also play a role in Maine’s economy.
Estimates cited by the Island Institute indicate that fewer than 20 miles of working waterfront remain along Maine’s more than 5,000-mile coastline, and only 17% of them are protected by the state’s Waterfront Access Protection Program. As of 2019, the value of Maine seafood, including aquaculture and wild harvest, was just under $674 million, with the total impact on the state’s broader economy extending into the billions of dollars.
Archipelago is currently open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, visit thearchipelago.net or Archipelago’s Facebook page.