BOWDOINHAM — Merrymeeting Arts Center announces the opening of its major summer exhibit, “Every Maine Lighthouse,” featuring 65 paintings by Ernest DeRaps of Richmond.

This is the first exhibit of the entire body of his work. The show will run tonight, beginning with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m., through Sept. 22.

DeRaps is a former lighthouse keeper, as well as a photographer and Coast Guardsman. After his retirement from the Coast Guard he painted all of the Maine Lighthouses.

A special invitation is extended to area teachers. The arts center hopes that teachers will be inspired to include the exhibition in their curriculum in May or in September and will arrange field trips to see it. Maine lighthouses lend themselves to many areas of study for students of all ages: optics, geography, Maine history, mathematics and engineering, art and graphic design. The arts center has several teachers eager and ready to work with teachers to design curriculum units over the summer.

There will be a series of special events during the show’s run.

The arts center gala opening on June 28 will be a chance for supporters to see it. Tickets for the evening are $10 per person, and $5 for children, seniors and veterans.

On July 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, there will be a “Lighthouse Story Time” at the Bowdoinham Public Library with Kate Cutko followed on July 18 by a lighthouse art day from 10 a.m. to noon as part of the center’s Drop In Art sessions.

On July 21, DeRaps will give a talk.

On Aug. 10, Duane Prugh will speak on “The Kennebec

Lights and the Men who Manned Them,” which will be followed by a guided tour to a Kennebec River lighthouse site on Sept. 7.

The Merrymeeting Arts Center is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays (1 to 4 p.m. Sundays after July 1). Visits can also be easily scheduled at other times by calling 370-5002.

For information, visit www.merrymeetingartscenter.org or visit us on Facebook.