CAMDEN, Maine — To bring awareness to food insecurity and raise money for its programs, AIO Food and Energy Assistance in Rockland has teamed up alongside the Page Gallery in Camden for a recent exhibit.
Carved by the Maine Department of Corrections Woodshop Program, 30 bowls were donated and later painted with unique designs by midcoast artists.
“Everybody recognizes food insecurity in our community and they want to help," AIO executive director Joe Ryan said. "Food drives are a great way to do that, but there's a lot of other creative ways of doing it. This is a great example of it.”
Each bowl is up for a silent auction online with proceeds going to AIO. The auction will be up and running until final bids, which are due by 6 p.m. Saturday.
Owner of the galley and artist himself Colin Page said the work put into the exhibit has been rewarding.
“A lot of the artists sell their work for a significant amount of money, so it’s really nice to be able to take this gift we have and be able to give something back," Page said.
Artist Sarah Lee says that for her, the exhibit not only gives back to the community, but supports her passion as well.
“For me, art feeds the soul. And this bowl represents feeding a community," said Lee.