About the Speers Gallery
Kennebunk Free Library provides space for art exhibits. Exhibit materials may be organized and presented by the Library, members of the community, and not-for-profit groups within the guidelines set forth in the Exhibit Policy below. The gallery has been host to a variety of mediums including photography, textile arts and mixed media assemblages in addition to renditions in oil, pastel, pen and ink, and watercolor.
In 2011, the gallery in Hank’s Room was named the Speers Gallery in honor of Mike Speers, former Library Trustee and Friend of the Library, who was the inspiration of the Gallery.
Current Speers Gallery Exhibit
June: “Tree Stories” by Cathryn Falwell
The Speers Gallery at the Kennebunk Free Library presents “Tree Stories” by Cathryn Falwell. The exhibit will run June 2-29, 2026, with a reception on Saturday, June 6 from 1-3 pm. All are welcome.
Cathryn’s exhibit features a collection of larger drawings inspired by walking in the Maine woods and along the lake shore of her home in Auburn. She will also show selected illustrations from her children’s picture book “David’s Drawing.” She works in charcoal, print relief and cut paper collage.
Cathryn had a career in printmaking for many years and then pursued her dream of making children’s picture books. She has written and illustrated more than two dozen books and received many awards from them, including the Katahdin Award for Lifetime Achievement presented to her by the Maine Library Association in 2015. Her current work is a celebration of trees and the natural environment, and she hopes her work invites viewers to take a walk, enjoy the wonders of nature, and perhaps make drawings of their own.
Kennebunk Free Library is excited to showcase the works of this unique illustrator.
The public is invited to view the exhibit in the library’s Speers Gallery from June 2-29, 2026, at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, Maine during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs. Please check the library website for current hours and gallery access, www.kennebunklibrary.org.
Speers Gallery Artists for 2026
| January 2026 | YES Art Works, (untitled), Mixed Media |
| February 2026 | Karen Nash, “Search for Light”, Acrylics & Photography |
| March 2026 | Margaret Merrill, “My Unique Point of View”, Watercolor |
| April 2026 | Cheryl Lunde & Friends, “Perspectives”, Watercolor, Pastel, Oil, Acrylic & Weaving |
| May 2026 | Kathleen McNally, “Painting Your Memories”, Watercolor |
| June 2026 | Cathryn Falwell, “Tree Stories”, Charcoal, Collage & Relief Print |
| July 2026 | The Artists Collective, (untitled), Watercolor & Acrylic |
| August 2026 | John Shibley, “Eliot Black & White”, Photography |
| September 2026 | Kharris Brill, “Reframed Stories: Objects Reimagined to Tell New Tales”, Found Object Assemblage |
| October 2026 | Christina Smith-Krause, (untitled), Mixed Media |
| November 2026 | Cheryl Miller, “A Year of Plate Portraits: Putting a Face on the Turkeys We Eat”, Color Pencil & Marker |
| December 2026 | Richard F. duFosse, “Maine Coast” Acrylic, Oil & Pastel |
Speers Gallery Exhibit Applications, Policy, and Procedures
Dear Artists,
The Kennebunk Free Library’s Speers Gallery provides a space devoted to exhibiting artwork of local artists. Located on the lower level, the Speers Gallery offers the opportunity for the general public to appreciate the arts in a manner that reflects the Library’s mission to inspire and enable our communities to discover, learn, and connect.
We are currently inviting artists to apply to exhibit for a month in 2027. In November 2026, we will convene an art committee, consisting of members from the Library and art communities, to review the completed applications and set a monthly exhibit schedule for 2027. Please note that applications must be received by Friday, October 2, 2026.
Our application form and exhibit policies and procedures are linked below. I hope that you will consider applying to Exhibit in 2027. Please note that there is a $25.00 fee to exhibit and an additional fee of $10.00 to hold a reception. Payment is not due until the month of your exhibit. If you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to contact me via phone 207-985-2173 x103 or email at mconners@kennebunklibrary.org.
Sincerely,
Michelle K. Conners
Director
2026 Speers Application to Exhibit
Maine Children’s Book Illustrators Gallery
The KFL Maine Children’s Book Illustrators Gallery, houses original works of art from children’s books by Maine illustrators. Represented artists include Barbara Cooney, Dahlov Ipcar and Kevin Hawkes. It was created in 1995, following the expansion of the Library, and is a wonderful means of educating patrons of the richness and diversity of Maine artists. It also serves to promote literacy by presenting literature in a visual form to the young and young at heart. The Gallery is located on the lower floor in the Library and is open to the public whenever the library is open.
Pictured above is a photograph of the Maine Children’s Book Illustrators Gallery, with benches below for patrons to have a seated view of the art.