Laurinda O’Connor’s ‘Open Fields,’ earned 2019 Best in Show, PSME 19th International Juried Exhibition, ‘Pastels Only.’ Courtesy image

SACO — The Pastel Society of Maine (PSME) is hosting their 2022 Open Juried Exhibition, “Pastels Only,” at the Saco Museum. This special exhibition will display works of pastel artists from Maine and beyond. “Pastels Only” will be on view from Aug. 24 through Oct. 21.

PSME, originally established in 1999 as the Pastel Painters of Maine (PPOM), promotes public awareness of pastels and creates a network for local and regional pastel artists. The general membership of PSME meets quarterly with an educational program or artist demonstration. Yearly activities include paint-outs, paint-ins, retreats, workshops, and exhibitions. The society publishes a newsletter several times a year and has a well-stocked lending library available to all PSME members.

PSME currently has a membership of about 116 from Maine and across the U.S. and Canada. Their Juried Exhibition “Pastels Only,” an annual event since 2000, includes a demonstration conducted this year by Laurinda O’Connor, the 2019 Best in Show award winner for the PSME 19th International Juried Exhibition, Pastels Only. Members are invited to participate in all shows.

For more information about the Pastel Society of Maine visit: https://www.facebook.com/pastelsocietyofmaine/ or http://pastelsocietyofmaine.org

Exhibition programs are Friday, Sept. 9 from 1 to 3 p.m., a free pastel demonstration by Laurinda O’Connor, and that same day from 4 to 6 p.m., the presentation of awards and a reception.