The sixth annual Artists & Makers Conference will take place Thursday, April 4th from 2:00–6:30 p.m. and Friday, April 5th from 8:15 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at Point Lookout in Northport, Maine. This year’s event will kick off on Thursday afternoon with a half-day of hands-on workshops and a special evening presentation by artist Robert Shetterly around his nationally recognized "Americans Who Tell the Truth" portraits and narratives, and continue all day Friday with sessions offering practical tips and strategies to help start and grow arts-related businesses in Maine.

Have you ever thought about gaining a new source of income through growing mussels, oysters, or seaweed? The Island Institute is now accepting applications for its 2019 Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) program. Now in its fourth year, the free program helps fishermen and those from fishing communities gain the tools they need to diversify and launch their small-scale aquaculture businesses. The Island Institute is looking to work with coastal and island residents who are highly motivated to start their shellfish or seaweed aquaculture businesses within the next two years. Applications are being accepted through March 14th.

ROCKLAND—Join Archipelago to celebrate the quiet light of winter in Maine with the reception for its new gallery show on Friday, November 23rd. The Island Institute’s store and gallery will host a special artists’ reception from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., during Rockland’s Festival of Lights Celebration. The show, which includes paintings, carved wall pieces, prints, ceramics, wood folk carvings, and more from a variety of Maine artists will run through the winter.

The Island Institute has published Waypoints: Livelihoods on Maine’s Coast and Islands featuring a first-time look at a range of coastal community employment indicators. The report presents visualized data and stories about how residents make a living and how Maine’s coastal and island communities compare to the rest of the state and the nation. It is a resource for local community and municipal leaders, state and federal representatives, agency staff, and research partners who are seeking to better understand the complex factors shaping the coastal Maine workforce.

ROCKLAND — Join Archipelago on Friday, September 7th, from 5:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m., during Rockland’s First Friday Art Walk, for a second artist reception with Abe Goodale to celebrate the current gallery show, “Turning Away from the Sun.” The show, which features watercolor portraits by Goodale, also includes paintings, bronze sculptures, carved wall pieces, wood folk carvings, and a broad array of work from other coastal Maine artists.

ROCKLAND — Join Archipelago to celebrate late summer in Maine with the opening of its new gallery show, “Turning Away from the Sun,” on Friday, August 3rd. The Island Institute’s store and gallery will host a special artists’ reception from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., during Rockland’s First Friday Art Walk. The show, which includes paintings, bronze sculptures, carved wall pieces, wood folk carvings, and more, will run through October 28th.

ROCKLAND – For the second year in a row, the Island Institute will be hosting a free six-week summer lecture series that will feature authors, artists, and experts sharing insights into life on the Maine coast, as well as their perspectives, reflections, and insights on everything from art and aquaculture to modern-day challenges and connections. Lectures begin Wednesday, July 11 and will be held every Wednesday through August 15th, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Events will take place in the fourth-floor conference room at the Island Institute, 386 Main Street in Rockland, and are free and open to the public.

ROCKLAND, ME – The Island Institute recently awarded scholarships to 58 island students pursuing post-secondary education at colleges, universities, and technical schools across the United States and Canada. The scholarships, made possible by the Island Education Fund, totaled $50,900.

WATERVILLE – On May 31, 2018, the Maine Broadband Coalition will host the 2018 Maine Broadband Coalition Conference from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Thomas College in Waterville.

ROCKLAND – Join Archipelago to celebrate the opening of its new gallery show, “Turning Towards the Sun,” and the start of the summer during Rockland’s next Art Walk, Friday, June 1st, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.