SKOWHEGAN — “Painting an Inclusive History: Maine Women in Politics,” is an exhibition of the work of Jerri Whitman. Based in Dresden, Whitman is a longtime artist who works in oil, pastel, acrylic, colored pencil and graphite. Presently, Whitman is working to create a portrait of every woman from Maine who has been elected to the Maine Legislature, the U.S. House of Representatives, or the U.S. Senate. The first 26 of these portraits are featured in “Painting an Inclusive History” and are currently on display at the Margaret Chase Smith Library. This exhibition opened on May 20 and will close on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
On Thursday, June 20 from 4-7 p.m. there will be a public opening reception for “Painting an Inclusive History” at the MCS Library in Skowhegan. This event will be free and open to all, there will be light refreshments served, and brief welcoming remarks will be given at 5 p.m.
Nicole Potter, curator of collections at the MCS Library, shared, “We are incredibly excited to host this exhibition and to engage in conversations about the influence each of these women have had on the trajectory of our state. It has been a delight to work with Jerri Whitman and I personally cannot wait to see this project continue to grow!”
Whitman started painting the portraits included in “Painting an Inclusive History” after a trip to the Maine State House with her granddaughter in 2022. As they walked the halls, the two of them could not help but notice that the only portrait of a female elected official was that of U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, which hangs in the Hall of Flags. All other portraits feature male politicians. While this initial visit was spurred by Whitman’s original desire to paint a portrait of Gov. Janet Mills, Whitman realized she had to widen her scope.
When asked about the impact of the project and the exhibition at the MCS Library, Whitman said, “ This exhibit is the beginning of a larger body of work of women lawmakers who have paved the way in Maine. The young and old will learn about these women for many generations to come. May their history never be lost. It is an honor to have this exhibition at the Margaret Chase Smith Library. Senator Smith was the first US Congresswoman from Maine; what a wonderful legacy and example she left us.”
All 26 portraits are of women whose commitment to the state of Maine is worthy of recognition – and a portrait. Many of the portraits are those of “firsts,” including Dora Pinkham, the first woman elected to the Maine Legislature; Gov. Janet Mills, the first woman to serve as Maine’s attorney general and governor; Rachel Talbot Ross, Maine’s first African-American house speaker, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine’s first female secretary of state, and U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress and the first woman to have her name placed in nomination for president at a major political party convention. Senator Smith is the subject of two portraits included in this exhibition — one of which will stay permanently at the MCS Library.
There was a one day pop-up exhibition of the first 24 portraits at the Maine State House on March 18. It was incredibly well received by both the public and the media.
The staff of the MCS Library encourages everyone to either attend the public opening reception on Thursday, June 20 from 4-7 p.m. or visit the MCS Library before the exhibition ends in November. The MCS Library is open to the public Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and reservations are highly encouraged for visitors. To make a reservation, please call the MCS Library at 207-474-7133.
A congressional research library, the MCS Library is an archive, museum, educational facility, and public policy center devoted to preserving the legacy of Margaret Chase Smith, promoting research into American political history, advancing the ideals of public service, and exploring issues of civic engagement. The library houses the political papers, documents, honors, photographs, and memorabilia stemming from the thirty-two year congressional career of former U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith.
