ArtFeeds 4th Annual Exhibition & Silent Auction

AIO's 4th Annual
ArtFeeds: Artists in Action Against
Food Insecurity
September 6–13, 2025

A partnership with AIO, the community's vibrant artists, Page Gallery, and the Maine State Correctional Facility.

Well-known local artists create their own plate or work with a wooden bowl or platter carved and donated by residents of the Maine State Correctional Facility’s woodworking program. 

An exhibition of participating artist bowls and platters will be on display at Page Gallery in Camden, September 6-13. An online silent auction will run these same dates, with a closing reception on Saturday, September 13.

All funds raised will support AIO's programs.

ArtFeeds is the result of a proud partnership between

2025 ArtFeeds Artists

ArtFeeds Background

AIO has a long tradition of harnessing the talents and innovative ideas of Midcoast Maine’s creative community to make the connection between food and art. ArtFeeds, Artists-in-Action Against Food Insecurity, is a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the community’s vibrant artists, Page Gallery and the Maine State Correctional Facility, created to highlight and raise support for AIO’s programs.  

Fifty artists have participated in ArtFeeds since its start in 2022, each artist creating their own bowl or working with a wooden bowl carved and donated by residents of the Maine State Correctional Facility’s woodworking program. 

The collection of finished bowls are part of a one week exhibition at Page Gallery in Camden, culminating with a reception and silent auction. The three silent auctions to date have raised over $80,000 to benefit AIO’s programs. 

Filmmaker David Berez and photographer Tara Rice documented artists at work and their process of creating the bowls. You can view the film at the bottom of this page. ArtFeeds was featured in DownEast which can be read here.

We are fortunate to live in a vibrant art community here in Midcoast Maine. This collaboration demonstrates what we can do when we combine the unique talents and compassion of our community members to help fight hunger.

2024 Bowls

Maine State Prison Handmade Wooden Bowls

ArtFeeds bowls were designed and handcrafted specifically for this project at the Maine State Prison in Warren, ME.

Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randal Liberty

“This partnership is personal”, says Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randall Liberty. “I grew up food insecure, I grew up with that shame and fear. No one should have to go through that. The impact of this trauma has informed my professional outlook. The Maine Department of Corrections operates within a framework of transforming lives, just like AIO. We believe in rehabilitation, humanism, and reducing stigma. We believe in being of service to the community. Residents bake, grow and harvest thousands of pounds of food specifically for the benefit of those food insecure in the mid coast.

Innovative programs and collaborative efforts, like ArtFeeds, ensure food is accessible to all, reduces stigma, and allows those incarcerated artists and farmers a pathway to personal and community redemption”, says Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Liberty. “We share in AIO’s vision to have a hunger-free community.”

Words from the Artists

I'm honored to be a part of ArtFeeds and to bring awareness to AIO. I want people to be aware that resources like this exist. Help for people in our community who need food and heating assistance is so important.

—Ileana Appleton Foster

“Participating in ArtFeeds allows me to support an important cause in the community—where I've lived nearly all my life—while doing what I love most—art!

—Caroline Dishop

The bowl is a vessel to gather around, to collect nourishing food, and to feed our families from. With my painted bowl, I wanted to honor the way AIO serves the same purpose.

—Colin Page

FAQ

  • Bidding begins on Sunday, September 6 and ends at 5:00 PM on Saturday, September 13.

  • No, all bidding is online. However, there will be assistance to set up you online bidding account at Page Gallery on Saturday, September 13. The closing reception is from 4:00-6:00pm, with closing bids by 6:00pm.

  • Nope…online bidding can be done from anywhere! Just be sure to check in on your items frequently so you are not outbid.

  • Yes, we have a flat rate of $40 for packaging and shipping. Some items may require additional packaging and insurance which will be added at the time of shipping.