Stier Family Gallery

The Stier Family Gallery, on the library’s lower level, hosts exhibitions that offer great variety of media, topics, and artists that educate, inform, or entertain the community. Information about our current exhibit is below, followed by information on how to apply to exhibit your work in our gallery.

Currently on Display

Local Growers:
Nourishing Our Neighbors

Photos from The Locker Project

July 1 – 31, 2026

Selected images from the exhibit
Click on an image for larger view.

Amaranth is planted at the Hurricane Valley Community farm, where 35 immigrant farming families grow food for subsistence, sale, and their communities. Ameranth is a highly nutritious, hearty green that thrives in Maine's climate and is often used in stews. Photo credit Strega Studios.
A New American Sustainable Agriculture Project Farmer Training Program graduate delivers fresh produce to Cultivating Community's office in Portland. These veggies are then hand delivered by Youth Growers High School Interns to neighbors with limited resources living in Portland Housing Authority apartments in East Bayside for free. Photo credit Billie Watson.
Roselle hibiscus seedlings. Roselle hibiscus is native to West Africa and is a culturally important crop for many New Mainers.

About the Exhibit

a woman holds up two heads of lettuce and smiles
Courtney Bowers unpacks greens from Liberations Farms she knows will be very popular at South Portland community fresh food events.

For the month of July, the Stier Family Gallery is shining a spotlight on some of the local growers that partner with  The Locker Project to nourish our neighbors. 

The Locker Project is TML’s inaugural Community Spotlight Organization. Their mission is to connect food-insecure children in Maine with nourishing food to improve their learning capacity, health and future. They take a whole-family approach to child hunger with programs that strive to be low-barrier, stigma-free and environmentally responsible. We are thrilled to be highlighting this amazing organization this summer!

 

Special Presentation and Reception

At 6:00pm, come by to hear in their own words what the Locker Project does, why, and how–and of course, hang out afterwards to ask them any questions, grab a snack and a drink, and take a look at the beautiful photo gallery showcasing their featured farm partners!

Thursday, July 2
6:00 – 8:00 pm

Information for Prospective Artists/Exhibitors

The Stier Family Gallery consists of two wall display areas (with a rail/cord hanging system) and a large display case divided into 5 segments. More detailed space plans are available in the gallery application.

  • All interested artists are strongly encouraged to make a site visit prior to submitting a proposal. Artists are able to use part or all of the gallery space available. Please note, if an artist is only using part of the space (i.e. only the display cases), another artist’s work may be displayed elsewhere in the Gallery.
  • Any interested party in utilizing the gallery must submit an application to the Library Director. 
  • Applications are accepted any time of year. Exhibits are scheduled on a “first come, first serve” basis. Please note that at times of high demand, the gallery may be scheduled months in advance.
  • Given the public viewing of the gallery, the subject matter of any show must be appropriate for children as well as adults, therefore explicit images are not permitted in gallery shows. The Library Director reserves the right to reject or remove any material(s) that seem incongruent with the public nature of the gallery. In the event that the Library Director rejects or removes any material(s) for exhibit, that decision is final.

Click here for more information or to apply!