Meagan Boulter with one of her pieces of artwork. Photo:Tiffani Bourque
By Tiffani Bourque
Local artist Meagan Boulter is transforming a former hair salon in Sanford’s Upper Midtown mall into The Gray, a new art gallery showcasing regional artists and bringing fresh creative opportunities to the community.
Scheduled to open Nov. 1, the gallery will feature rotating exhibitions of artwork from artists throughout Maine and New England, along with classes and workshops for the public. The space will be open primarily on weekends and select evenings.
For Boulter, a lifelong Sanford resident, the gallery represents an opportunity to create something she believes the city has been missing.
“Sanford is really lacking in the arts department,” Boulter said, pointing to communities such as Biddeford and Lewiston, where she sees a more established and visible arts presence.
“I want it to be the hub for art here,” she said.
David Parent, a founding member of the Sanford Arts Commission and one of the artists participating in the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, shares that vision. He said the gallery fills a gap in Sanford’s growing arts community.
“Sanford doesn’t have a real art gallery right now,” Parent said, explaining that galleries serve a purpose beyond displaying or selling artwork. “It’s really a hub for the artists themselves and just helps feed the arts community.”
Parent compared the importance of an art gallery to that of a community theater, noting that both provide opportunities for artists to practice their craft, connect with others and contribute to the community’s cultural life.
Interest in the gallery has already been substantial. More than 50 artists have reached out to Boulter about displaying their work, a response she sees as evidence of the need for additional exhibition opportunities in the area.
Mandy Goodrich proudly displays her art at The Gray Art Gallery. Photo: Jason Roy
The Gray will initially feature between 17 and 20 artists at a time, with exhibitions expected to rotate approximately every three months. Boulter said the first group of artists is being selected largely in the order they expressed interest and their ability to have work ready for display.
Unlike galleries that charge artists for exhibition space, The Gray will allow artists to display their work without a hanging fee.
“It’s going to be no fee to hang, because I really want it to be inclusive,” Boulter said.
The gallery will primarily feature traditional fine arts, including paintings, drawings, mixed media and sculptures, rather than focusing on crafts. Artists will have the option of offering their work for sale, with prices determined individually by each artist. Boultre said the pieces she has seen so far range from approximately $20 to thousands of dollars.
Parent, who has worked in watercolor, photography, ink, graphite and charcoal, plans to display original artwork during the gallery’s first exhibition. His work will also be available for purchase.
“Art’s kind of meditative for me,” Parent, superintendent of the Sanford Water District, said, describing how an evening spent creating something simple can quickly turn into hours of work.
He also praised the gallery’s approach to giving individual artists their own display areas. Boulter has installed panels that allow participating artists to arrange their work according to their preferences, whether they choose to exhibit several pieces or just a few.
Parent said the Sanford Arts Commission has worked to expand opportunities for artists to display their work in public spaces, including at Nasson Little Theater and the water district office. However, he believes a dedicated gallery will provide something those locations cannot.
“Having a gallery is going to be wonderful because it’s going to give people a place, not only to display their art, but, as I said, for the arts community to gather and just share with each other,” he said.
Although this is Boulter’s first venture as a gallery owner, art has been a lifelong passion. She began creating artwork as a young child, initially focusing on portraiture before expanding into other mediums and mural work.
One of her most meaningful projects involved creating approximately 100 portraits of individuals who died by suicide, which she provided free of charge to their families. While emotionally challenging, the experience demonstrated the personal connections that art can create.
Beyond providing exhibition space, Boulter hopes classes and workshops will encourage residents to explore their own artistic styles while remaining connected through a shared creative community.
With dozens of artists already interested and its opening approaching, The Gray aims to become more than a place to view or purchase artwork. For Boulter, the goal is to establish a welcoming space for creativity, collaboration and community.
The gallery’s name also carries a message about community and inclusion. Drawing inspiration from color theory, Boulter explained that gray can incorporate different colors while maintaining its identity, a concept she hopes will be reflected in the artists and visitors who become part of the space.
“Everyone is a part of this,” she said, describing a place where individuals can contribute their own perspectives and artistic styles while remaining connected through a shared creative community.
Tiffani Bourque is a Community Reporting Fellow receiving training through the Journalism New England Career Lab to do civic reporting that provides people in towns across New England with the information they need to be engaged in their community.
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