To see Maine’s most industrious food producers means heading beyond blueberry barrens and sandy shoals. Beneath the briny waters of Mackerel Cove is a thriving lobster industry — or so it seems.

Bailey Island artist Dennis Wilkins often walks from his home on Abner Point to Glen’s Lobsters to buy critters. On this quarter-mile loop, he and photographer Stephen Black decided to paint local lobstermen to shed light on the industry’s challenges.

In 2021, nearly 1,000 square miles of the Gulf of Maine were deemed off-limits to traditional lobstering to protect the imperiled North Atlantic right whales.

“And it’s not just regulations,” Wilkins said. “Climate change is threatening what lobstermen have leaned on for decades: an understanding of the sea. Pressures from within and outside the industry have caused the perfect storm.”

The exhibition features six lobstermen: George Coffin, Chuck Leeman, Bernie Johnson, Clayton Gilliam, Brandon Wyman and Craig Rogers.

The project began last June when Wilkins received permission to photograph the men at Glen’s Wharf. He dedicated 50-60 hours to each 2-by-3-foot oil-on-canvas portrait.

The men’s expressions, whether smiling or stoic, were what Wilkins aimed to capture: “faces marked by an industry and weary for its future.” He deemed the project a success, given the reactions at the unveiling ceremony.

On Father’s Day, the Orr’s Island Schoolhouse was packed with visitors eager to view the exhibition.

Chuck Leeman smiled when asked where he planned to hang the portrait, hinting that it would become an heirloom passed on to his children.

“The job’s not what it used to be,” Leeman said. “But it’s all we know. We’ve got to keep up the work and take things year by year.”

Craig Rogers grew up in Mackerel Cove, so close to the shore he could skip a rock from his front porch. He began lobstering at 8 years old.

Rogers said the industry is facing serious problems and predicted a steep decline over the next decade. Knowing this, he said he encouraged his kids to go to college and pursue more reliable careers.

“We’re controlled by people who don’t know our industry,” Rogers said. “Now, there are so few processing plants we have to haul lobster to Canada before it can enter the marketplace. It seems like we’re stifled at every turn.”

Reminiscing, Rogers said the career forced him to be self-motivated — to get going even on 15-degree days — and independent — to take advantage of what he has learned.

“New lobstermen can’t take their eyes off the screen,” he said. “Before all this tech, we used to navigate using landmarks and our knowledge of the sea. My leg up is what’s not on the digital charts — the knowledge you only learn through experience.”

Wilkins gathered the crew outside the schoolhouse to take a group photo resembling Rembrandt’s painting “Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild.” He plans to create a 4-by-6-foot painting as a gift for the town hall next June.

Harpswell Town Administrator Kristi Eiane said she was pleased by the idea and looks forward to seeing the final product.