NORWAY – Select pieces of Maine art spanning 19th century folk art to contemporary western Maine art from the private collection of Richard G. Durnin will be sold through silent and live auction Saturday, July 26, at the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center.

The event, a benefit for the 46-year old nonprofit Western Maine Art Group, will run from 5 to 7 p.m. The center is at 480 Main St.

Durnin was a supporter and member of the WMAG, whose extensive private art collection was exhibited throughout Maine and at the Matolcsy Arts Center during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a historian, a professor emeritus and a World War II veteran from New Jersey who spent summers in Norway, frequenting WMAG events for more than three decades. In the spring of 2007, Durnin’s estate bequeathed his entire Maine art collection to the WMAG, which enabled the group to build the capacity needed to revitalize itself and hire a full-time director.

“It was a tremendous honor for our group to take receipt of this collection last spring. With this vast and compositionally varied collection, however, came many challenges – like cleaning and restoration, creating appropriate storage and installing a sophisticated alarm system,” said WMAG Executive Director Aranka Matolcsy. “Mr. Durnin well knew the challenges of the WMAG as a nonprofit organization and left the collection to be used, at our discretion, for the preservation and development of the organization.”

The WMAG board of directors decided in May to choose a select group of art to be sold at the July 26 fundraiser to continue the group’s effort to reach sustainability as a year-round operation. There will be an outdoor sculpture garden courtyard illuminated with white lights where gourmet hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served, reserving the space inside the gallery for silent and live auctions.

A preview of paintings, some of which are historically registered with the Maine State Historical Society and the Smithsonian Museum, will be installed in Norway Savings Bank Operations Center windows for the week leading up to the event.

Tickets are $25 for an individual, $40 for a couple. A minimum reserve will be set on each piece. For tickets or more information, contact the WMAG at 739-6161 or [email protected].