The Turtle Gallery
Fine art, sculpture, and contemporary craft since 1982 — one of the longest-running galleries in the region, with 60-plus artists in the roster, a deep catalog, and a 207.348.9977 number that still picks up. At 61 North Deer Isle Road.
The Turtle Gallery has been operating on Deer Isle since 1982, which makes it the granddaughter of the island's art scene. The gallery shows fine art, sculpture, and contemporary craft across a roster of 60-plus artists — a mix of painting, printmaking, glass, ceramics, and works on paper. Among them: Karl Schrag, Stephen Pace, Lynn Duryea, Siri Beckman, Caitlin Johnston, Treacy Ziegler, Sandy Wadlington, and dozens more. The breadth of the roster is unusual; this is not a gallery focused on a single aesthetic.
The gallery has published artist catalogs — monographs on Mary Barnes, Mary Aro, James Groleau (Salt, Granite, Spruce), Lynn Duryea, Chris Joyce, Peter Kemble, Daniel Hodermarsky, and a book on Siri Beckman's engraving — which signals a level of institutional seriousness beyond most seasonal galleries. They also produce an artist video series, another sign of a gallery that treats its artists as subjects worth documenting over time.
The 2025 season closed as of the gallery's last website update; the team anticipated reopening the following spring. Year-round inquiries on specific artists or works are welcomed via email and phone. The gallery follows social media (Instagram, Facebook) with regular updates on artists and inventory during the off-season.
Local Tips
- The gallery is at 61 North Deer Isle Road — a short drive north from the village, easy to find with a map.
- Off-season inquiries work: email person@turtlegallery.com or call 207.348.9977 for information on specific artists or works.
- The artist catalog collection is worth asking about — they've published serious monographs on several artists in the stable.
- Instagram (@theturtlegallery) and Facebook are actively maintained through winter.
- The roster is large enough that a first visit benefits from checking the website gallery in advance to identify which artists you most want to see.
Connected To
- Deer Isle Artists Association — the nonprofit member gallery in the village; the DIAA and Turtle Gallery together anchor the island's gallery landscape
- Haystack Mountain School of Crafts — multiple Turtle Gallery artists are Haystack-affiliated; the school and gallery share overlapping communities
- Greene Ziner Gallery — another established studio/gallery on Deer Isle showing serious ceramics and craft work
- Frederica Marshall Studio — nearby teaching studio; reflects the depth of arts practice the Turtle Gallery is embedded in