Join Tiny World Tours August 7-12 for a deep dive into the art history of Maine, with special experiences in the Portland, Waterville, Rockland, and Cushing areas. Our focus will be 20th century artists whose work was marked by Maine, including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Rockwell Kent, Andrew Wyeth, Alex Katz, and Bernard Langlais, as well as other American artists whose art was shaped by time in this rugged New England state. We will also visit the studios of two contemporary artists, Lois Dodd and John Bisbee.
We will also get to know cities, the countryside, and the coastline, including the specific ocean vistas, seaport neighborhoods, and farmlands, portrayed by the artists. The tour includes exceptional dining experiences, including a gourmet hyper-local meal where we will meet people leading Maine’s exciting food culture, a farm-to-table meal AT the farm, and a seafood feast at a cottage on a small island.
Day 1 (Tuesday, August 7th)
We will convene Tuesday afternoon (3:30 pm), August 7 in Portland, Maine's largest city for a stroll around the Old Port waterfront district, a private tour of the Maine masterworks in the Portland Museum of Art, and a welcome dinner at Vineland, one of the city’s famed culinary hotspots, which draws as much upon indigenous food traditions as exclusive focus on local ingredients. C & D
A private tour of the renowned collection of the Portland Museum of Art will set the stage for our Maine Art Immersion.
Days 2 & 3 (Wednesday & Thursday, August 8th & 9th)
Days 2 and 3, Wednesday and Thursday, are focused further up the coast. We travel north to the wonderful Bowdoin College Museum of Art to view its collection as well as a special exhibition which explores Homer’s relationship with the medium of photography and its impact on his artistic practice. A visit to the studio of John Bisbee will prepare us for a later visit to his latest exhibition, followed by lunch at Frontier in a renovated mill complex overlooking the Androscoggin River. We will be welcomed at the Colby College Museum of Art, and explore its extraordinary collection of Maine masterworks, including an in-depth display of native Maine sculptor Bernard Langlais, and a whole wing devoted to a retrospective survey of Alex Katz, who has been spending summers nearby since 1949.
Our visit to the Olsen House, will give insights to Wyeth’s relationship with Christina and her family, as well as the landscape and life in Maine.
The Rockland area is filled with cultural destinations, with the Farnsworth Art Museum, at its center. With a focus on Maine’s role in American art, its collection spans from the 18th century to the present has recently been re-installed. The Farnsworth explores how Rockland has been home to three generations of the Wyeth Family, and we will learn about the common themes, shared artistic traditions, and their distinct styles - Newell Convers (N.C.) Wyeth, most well-known for his book illustrations; son Andrew, who painted the iconic Christina's World (MoMA); and grandson Jamie. All have been influenced by the Maine landscape and its people since N.C. first brought his family to summer here in 1920.
Contemporary art is celebrated in Rockland at the newly opened Maine Center for Contemporary Art, where we will meet the Director and tour the exhibitions, including John Bisbee's American Steel. B & L both days
Day 4 (Friday, August 10th)
Friday, Day 4, is dedicated to artists studios! In the coastal town of Cushing, we’ll visit the studio of Lois Dodd, whose quiet paintings distill the essences of observation. At lunchtime, we enjoy a special outdoors experience is the Bernard Langlais Preserve, site of his studio and many striking outdoor sculptures sited by the artist among the fields, ponds, and rocky rises. We’ll continue on to Portland where our private coach will take us to Prout’s Neck, for a private tour of the Winslow Homer Studio where we can explore the rooms where he painted, and stand on his deck to view the rugged coast which inspired this legendary artist who shaped how we understand nature in American art.
We dine this evening at The Well in nearby Cape Elizabeth, in a charming gazebo situated on Jordan's Farm, a working farm on 122 acres of land. Ingredients are sourced locally, and most of the food comes straight from Jordan's Farm and surrounding farms. Served family-style, the menu changes on a daily basis depending on what's in season and the availability of the best ingredients.
After dinner, we'll enjoy a twilight tour of lighthouses and coastal views which have inspired artists such as Edward Hopper, Marsden Hartley, and many more, before heading back to downtown Portland.
B, L, & D
The rugged Maine coast and the lighthouses perched onshore captured the imagination of many American artists including Fitz H. Lane, Martin Heade, Sandford Gifford, Edward Hopper, Marsden Heartley, John Marin, and many more.
Day 5 (Saturday, August 11th)
Saturday, our final full tour day is devoted to Portland, Maine’s largest city, and its Casco Bay environs. In the morning, enjoy a guided trolly tour highlighting the history of the city. After lunch on your own, we'll board a lobster boat to tour the harbor, see lighthouses from the water, and even some pull some lobster traps. We'll come ashore at one of the smaller islands, a summer colony since the 1800s, where we'll see prime examples of the shingle style architecture of John Calvin Stevens. After our stroll, we'll settle on the porch of one of the cottages overlooking Casco Bay and enjoy drinks and summer seafood dinner.
B & D
Day 6 (Sunday, August 12th)
Sunday is dedicated to exploration on your own, hotel check out, and departures—but let us know if you’d like to extend your stay!
INCLUDED:
- 5 nights accommodation
- All admissions and guided tours as described in the itinerary
- Breakfast daily, other meals and beverages per itinerary (3 lunches, 2 cocktail parties, 3 dinners)
NOT INCLUDED:
- Personal expenses (phone, laundry, internet, etc.)
- Meals, beverages, and activities not indicated
- Gratuities for drivers, baggage handlers at discretion
- Travel insurance (cancellation/interruption, delay, baggage, accident & medical)
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
- Full payment is upon registration--please book now, Maine hotel rooms are scarce!
- Your travel insurance reimburses in case of cancellation for covered reasons
The total in-Maine portion cost of this experience (lodging, transportation, meals, guides, entrance fees, etc) is $2,250 per guest, based on double occupancy; single supplement charge $1,000. Participants arrange their own transportation to/from Portland, ME (airport code PWM), with opportunities for trip extensions (advice provided upon request). NOTE: There exists frequent bus service between Boston (Logan Airport) and Portland via Concord Coach Lines.
The maximum number of participants is fifteen.
* itinerary subject to change according to unforeseen circumstances / opportunities. On this itinerary, B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, C=Cocktails, and D=Dinner included.
