Maine Arts Journal: UMVA Quarterly

The MAJ is the official publication of the Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) and has been published since 2014 (first named the UMVA Quarterly Journal). It grew from a newsletter, which was published for many years in print form, to an online periodical in 2016, renamed the Maine Arts Journal: UMVA Quarterly. Currently 1700 readers subscribe to it. The subscription to the journal is free, and it is a great way to reach out to potential members of the UMVA, which is open to all who support the arts in Maine. The MAJ also keeps the UMVA membership and others in the Maine arts community informed of the myriad projects, chapters, creative endeavors and opportunities offered by the UMVA.

In addition to the regular features about the artists we invite and the UMVA member submissions, MAJ always includes articles by pre-eminent art writers from Maine (for instance, Edgar Beem, Stuart Kestenbaum, Carl Little, and art critic and curator Lucy Lippard). The journal’s poetry editor is Betsy Sholl, who was Maine’s Poet Laureate from 2006 to 2011. Over the years, more than 600 artists, poets, and writers (mostly from Maine) have contributed to the MAJ. We have been able to keep MAJ free and free of advertising with the support of UMVA membership dues, donations and generous support from the Rabkin Foundation, Kent Gordon, and other donors. As the UMVA is stretching and growing, the membership support is also stretched to help new chapters and interesting projects. The Rabkin funds have been a tremendous help in keeping MAJ afloat, but we are looking for new sources of support to help us continue. We have kept our crew small and expenditures low. UMVA membership dues supply less than half of our budget.

We are proud of our publication with its timely and thought provoking themes and stunning visuals. Having completed our eleventh year, we are devoted to keeping it available for all who love Maine and Maine arts. The MAJ helps us promote and advocate for the visual arts, artists, and all arts supporters.