By Rebecca Dow

Art is timelessly important. Musings of the mind through graphic, tactile, melodic and other sensory forms historically play a significant role in keeping the world fun. To have a keen eye requires nothing more than an appreciation for that which exists beyond the limits of our own understanding.

On February 2, I travelled down the streets of Portland in search of galleries that might feature local or international illustrations. My exploration proved fruitful, as I had the pleasure of viewing two fine shops: Mainely Frames & Gallery, and the Grant Wahlquist Gallery (located at 541 Congress St, Portland; and 30 City Center, Second Floor, Portland—respectively).

Interior shot of Mainley Gallery Entrance. Photo by Rebecca Dow

Mainely Frames & Gallery is a two-level gallery owned by Leo Pelletier. However, the business is soon to be passed down to a Mr. Dan Perry. Perry has worked under Pelletier for roughly four years. According to him, and implied by the workstations on each floor, “Everything’s been packaged by us, we make all the prints.” In other words, they put extra value into everything sold by framing each piece of art themselves. Regarding content, most of the works on display are maps — including original antiques, hand-colored from as far back as the 1600s. To acquire content, Pelletier attends online and in-person auctions all over the country.

He travels a lot, looking to add to his collection. Pelletier sells not only maps of Maine and the New England area, but of various locales all over the world, from Holland to the continent of Africa, and even the coast of San Francisco. When asked about themes in the artwork sold, Perry stated that, “The tie that binds . . . everything is region. Basically, we try to sell art that means something to people’s families . . . both in terms of the artwork and the maps.”

The upstairs front portion of Mainely Frames & Gallery is quite homey. There is a couch and a coffee table located here, as well as a small kitchen space just past the front counter. Past the kitchen, there exists a stairway lined with more framed maps, leading further down into the second level. Here, another workspace can be seen, as well as multiple landscape depictions of coastal cities and towns. To the right of the stairwell is another room with additional seating, brighter lit than the initial downstairs room; it has a far greater depth, too.

Buddy the Cat, their mascot! Photo by Rebecca Dow

Here resides the bulk of Pelletier’s non-map compositions: pleasant portraits, still life paintings, cityscapes, animals, prints of better known works and a selection of framed photography. Lastly, a beautiful, fluffy gray cat roams the store; his name is Buddy and he’s the honorary host of the establishment. He has free reign, and greets customers warmly.

The second gallery that I visited is less advertised than Mainely Frames & Gallery. Grant Wahlquist has purposefully chosen to be discrete with his Gallery’s marketing, catering to those who stumble upon it by chance, or through intentional search. “If they’re coming through the door, they made an effort to find [my] space,” says Wahlquist.

Being a second floor gallery, the mystique is enhanced; upon entrance one is presented with a crisp, snow white interior markedly different from the red brick exterior of Portland’s multistory buildings. The atmosphere inside allows one to easily analyze the featured works; attention is allowed to gravitate to each piece in an unobstructed way due to the nature of the blank walls.

According to Wahlquist, the type of art he presents is “all contemporary work. I tend to focus on emerging artists . . . or people who are more in the middle of their careers.” This is good news for those looking to get a foot in the door artistically. He goes on to mention that he does get some of his artwork from friends, but most are discovered via blog posts online. The displays in his gallery often rotate every 6-7 weeks, and cover a vast array of media — film, sculpture, digital design, paint, etc. For future exhibitions, Wahlquist plans to feature photographer Kate Green and Bill Albertini, a 3D digital sculpture artist.

Interior shot of Grant Walquist Gallery entryway. Photo by Rebecca Dow

This next exhibition will be showing from mid-March through the end of April 2018. Having lived in LA, New York, and San Francisco, Wahlquist has been exposed to many high-traffic areas, and has noticed that some galleries can be a tad standoffish. This is not at all his mentality. “We need to welcome everybody who comes through the door,” he states. “The most fun thing for me is figuring out how to hang a show in a way that really looks interesting . . . and draws connections between different works that an artist has made.” To further add to the shop’s appeal, the Grant Wahlquist Gallery has a mascot, an adorable dog named Bibi.

It’s truly refreshing to be in an area with such a genuine love and appreciation for the arts. I hope that if ever you have time to spare, dear reader, you’ll scout the land yourself and hunt for hidden gems among the old city’s cobble and brick. There is so much to see, so many wonderful people to meet, and so much creativity in the world. Let it be your muse; a muse that nurtures and fuels your own expression of self for all to witness.