AIO Food & Energy Assistance announces the opening of the 5th Annual ArtFeeds: Artists In Action Against Food Insecurity exhibition and online silent auction, taking place September 17-26, 2026 at Page Gallery in Camden. The event will showcase a collection of wooden bowls and platters, shaped and donated by Maine State Correctional Facility’s industries program, and decorated by well-known Maine artists. Each artist interprets sharing food and fighting food insecurity in their creative style on each bowl. 

The exhibition opens on Thursday, September 17 (also Camden's Art Walk); the online silent auction also opens on September 17 and runs the length of the exhibition, culminating with a reception on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 4 - 6 p.m., at Page Gallery (final bids due by 5 p.m.). The exhibition is free and open to the public. All funds raised from the online silent auction will go to support AIO’s programs. 

“This partnership is very important to me,” said Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randall Liberty. “My brothers and I grew up food insecure, as did many of my friends and family. No Mainer should ever go hungry. The Maine Department of Corrections operates within a framework of transforming lives, just like AIO. We believe in rehabilitation, dignity, respect and reducing stigma. We believe in being of service to the community. Residents enthusiastically bake, grow and harvest thousands of pounds of food specifically for the benefit of those who are 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”, said Commissioner Liberty. “We share in AIO’s vision to have a hunger-free community.”

“Each year the timing of this auction lines up with the season when apples ripen on trees in my neighborhood,” said Colin Page. “I love seeing bright red fruit hanging from trees, ready to be picked and turned into pie, chutney, cider, or eaten straight off the tree. It makes me think of the generous bounty provided by AIO, an offering to those in need. This year the bowl I created reminds me of this connection—a feeling of being cared for.”

"My Mother was a single parent and was going back to college to finish her degree as a forty-something," said participating artist Hélène Farrar. "We didn't have a lot of money in those years and I remember how much we appreciated (and needed) the offerings at the local food bank. It is my pleasure to give back in this small way but holds so close to my heart.”

“I am excited to be invited to participate in the 2026 ArtFeeds: Artists In Action Against Food Insecurity,” said Grace Hager. “My work takes inspiration from the natural world and its cycles. For ArtFeeds, I am drawing inspiration from nature’s summer beauty and bounty: flowers and fruits that fill gardens and fields. In looking to nature, I hope to channel an abundance mindset, that the rhythms of the land provide balance toward a good life.”

2026 participating artists include Hannah Berta, Susie Brandt, Gideon Bok, Beth Bull, Sophie Cangelosi, Marsha Donahue, Carol Douglas, Dan Dowd, Ingrid Ellison, Melanie Essex, Hélène Farrar, Kathleen Florence, Linden Frederick, Brenda Free, Grace Hager, Stew Henderson, Alissa Hessler, Eric Hopkins, Rachel Houlihan, Alexis Iammarino, Nathaniel Meyer, Tara Morin, Elizabeth O’Reilly, Colin Page, Jennifer Peppe, Nina Poole, Polly Ryel, Carol Sloane, Michael Stasiuk, Jay Stern, Karen Talbot, Simon van der Ven, Laura Waller, residents from the Maine State Correctional Center and two high school students: Chloe Egan and Ava Pease. 

Artists’ creative process and artist statements are being shared on AIO’s social accounts: @aiofoodpantry (Instagram) and @AIOFoodpantry70 (Facebook).

Links to all artists’ works, bidding instructions, and additional information about AIO Food & Energy Assistance can be found at www.aiofoodpantry.org/artfeeds.

AIO Food & Energy Assistance is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing vital assistance to individuals and families in need. Through their various programs, including food, energy, weekend meals, and diaper assistance, AIO strives to alleviate the hardships faced by vulnerable community members. By fostering community engagement, collaboration, and support, AIO empowers individuals to achieve self-sufficiency and overcome adversities.