Camden on Canvas starts today! This annual plein-air painting fundraiser, hosted by the Camden Public Library, runs August 21–23, 2026. It’s brought 21 notable New England landscape painters to Camden and surrounding communities. And for all of you who’ve asked me if there are lots of artists in my neck of the woods, a rollcall reveals that a lot of us call midcoast Maine our home.
They are (in alphabetical order) Tom Bucci, Dan Corey, Ken DeWaard, Carol Douglas, Cooper Dragonette, Stephan Giannini, Roberta Goschke, Mary Ann Heinzen, Alison Hill, Jill Hoy, Eric Jacobsen, Nathaniel Meyer, Colin Page, Scott Redfern, Björn Runquist, Matthew Russ, Doug Smith, Marianne Smith, Janet Sutherland, Greta Van Campen, Michael Vermette, Russ Whitten and Peter Yesis.
For three days, we will set up our easels outdoors and paint the Maine landscape. As of this morning, I’m planning to start on Bayview Street, somewhere near Frye, and paint the street scene from the back of my pickup truck. But of course, the cloud cover, the light, and my mood will all influence where I end up. I suggest you stop by the Camden on Canvas Information Tent outside the library’s Atlantic Avenue entrance. There you’ll find information about participating artists, with a map showing where we’re painting. The tent is open from 9 am to 5 pm Friday and Saturday, and from 9 am to noon Sunday. You can also check the Camden Public Library’s Facebook page for updates on artist locations.
I’ve been doing this event since it started, and it’s a wonderful town-wide party that just happens to feature some great painters. We landscape painters are sometimes terrific storytellers and sometimes flat-out liars; the scene that surrounds us is filtered through our individual, subjective viewpoints. If you’ve ever been curious about how that works, the best way to really understand it is to watch fresh paintings develop from blank canvas to finished work.
And you can buy them, too
On Sunday, August 23, from 1 to 3 pm, these paintings will be displayed in a special wet-paint exhibit at the historic Camden Amphitheatre. (If you’ve never been to Camden, the amphitheatre was designed by Fletcher Steele and the park by the Olmsted Brothers. Both are worth a visit even without an art event.)
These paintings will carry the energy, brushwork and immediacy of a weekend spent painting outdoors.
The weekend culminates Sunday afternoon with a Reception and Live Auction from 4 to 6 pm at the Amphitheatre. Come see the paintings, meet the artists, enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and drinks and take home a new piece of Maine landscape art.
Auctioneer Kaja Veilleux of Thomaston Place Auction Galleries will get the bidding underway at 5 pm. He’s always entertaining.
Best of all, tickets to the Reception and Live Auction are complimentary this year. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.
The proceeds are split equally between the artists and the Camden Public Library’s Campaign for the Future, making this a fundraiser that supports both working artists and an important community institution.
As Library Executive Director Kristy Kilfoyle put it, Camden on Canvas celebrates “the power of creativity and cultural enrichment.”
Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:
- New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
- New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace: