Arts & Culture

There’s always something to see and do in Greater Franklin County. In addition to being a great place to grow or start your business, it’s also a thriving cultural community, reflective of the area’s rich and creative history.

The University of Maine at Farmington’s Emery Community Arts Center serves as a major center for cultural exchange in the area. This state-of-the-art facility is a wonderful addition to the visual arts and performance arena in Franklin County, open to UMF students and community members alike.

Kingfield hosts the Kingfield POPS an organization focused on creating opportunities for local children and community members to experience music and art in Franklin County and beyond. Their annual summer outdoor concert brings people from around the state and beyond to enjoy a family-friendly evening of music and entertainment with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.

Visual artists of all genres thrive in Franklin County, with the region’s natural beauty often serving as inspiration, and their works can be found in the many art galleries and artist collectives throughout the county.

• The town of Kingfield has several galleries and museums, and hosts monthly First Friday ArtWalks. This popular local event series consists of a self-guided walking tour of local art galleries, museums, and artists’ studios, free of charge with live music and refreshments. The Schoolhouse Gallery, and the Stadler Gallery for Contemporary Art are two of the galleries on the ArtWalk.
• Sugarwood Gallery, and H. Brown Fine Art, located in Farmington, are that area’s venues for sharing art. The University of Maine at Farmington also has a seasonal art gallery dedicated to bringing contemporary art and artists to the campus and community.
• You can often find local artists exhibiting their works in restaurants and coffee shops throughout the region, a winning situation for the artists, business owners, and patrons.

Local museums are a great way to gain insight into the rich history of a region and Greater Franklin prides itself on the variety of family-friendly museums in the area.

• From Washburn-Norlands Living History Center and the Maine’s Paper and Heritage Museum in Livermore Falls to the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Rangeley and the Wilhelm Reich Museum in Oquossoc, there is a diverse mix of museums to satisfy any history buff.
• The Stanley Museum in Kingfield tells the story of the Stanley twins, inventors of the Stanley steam car.  

See a full listing of Maine museums.