Art in action: BHPL fundraiser showcases local artists

Ninety artists will create over 100 paintings during the week-long ‘Paint the Peninsula’ art auction

Bruce McMillan shares “Still That Yellow House,” a 2025 painting made last year in Stonington for BHPL’s annual arts fundraiser. Photo courtesy of Blue Hill Public Library.

July 7, 2026

By Staff

BLUE HILL—More than ninety artists will create over one hundred paintings during the Blue Hill Public Library’s week-long “Paint the Peninsula” art auction, which starts on July 13.

According to a press release, the “much-anticipated annual event” showcases the work of local and seasonal artists, “including newcomers,” in an online auction from July 13-18. A closing reception will be held at the library on July 18 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Final bids may be placed during the reception, the release said. Last year’s auction yielded over $50,000 in revenue and raised almost $34,000 for the library.

Alessandra Gross, Jerry Rose, and Paul Trowbridge painting on location during the 2025 ‘Paint the Peninsula’ event. Photos courtesy of Blue Hill Public Library.

Paintings will be available for viewing online, or in-person at the library throughout the auction. The release said that by “offering a broad range of painting styles and points of view, Paint the Peninsula Week is a great opportunity to start buying local art or add to an established collection.”

Paint the Peninsula is the library’s largest fundraiser event, the release said, and proceeds support both the library’s operating budget and the local arts community. Members of the public can place bids on the auction website.

For more information, call the library at 374-5515 or visit www.bhpl.net.