NEW AUBURN – From scenic vistas to downtown landscapes, summer sunsets to winter hikes, the kids of the Boys & Girls Clubs Southern Maine Auburn-Lewiston Clubhouse have been busy capturing the best of the best from across Androscoggin County and the surrounding Maine countryside for a year.

And on Sept. 26, more than 70 snapshots taken by the budding young photographers will go on display at the L/A Arts Community Gallery, at 221 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. The public is invited to drop by the monthlong showing and pick their favorite 13 shots, which will then be used in the first Boys & Girls Club calendar for 2009.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity for our kids,” said Andie Hannon, unit director of the Auburn-Lewiston Clubhouse. “Many of our members discovered hidden talents they never even realized they had, and others found a wonderful way to express themselves through photography.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine will celebrate 100 years of serving kids in 2009. The Auburn-Lewiston Clubhouse was founded in 1995 to meet the community’s need for after-school programming for area teens and children. The after-school program serves more than 200 area at-risk kids in first through 12th grades, and it has about 60 to 70 kids attending daily. The club’s mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to reach their full potential as caring, productive and responsible citizens.

The clubhouse partnered with L/A Arts, another local nonprofit agency that aims to help raise awareness throughout the state about the numerous performing and visual arts events taking place in Lewiston-Auburn, as well as weave arts into the fabric of the Twin Cities. Their Community Gallery opened this summer and features works by local artists.

“It’s just the type of exhibit we envisioned our new Community Gallery to host,” said Andrew Harris, executive director of L/A Arts. “It’s amazing how many artistically talented people our community includes, both young and more mature. We’re happy to provide a place in downtown where the public can enjoy their artwork.”

The yearlong photography project, which is culminating in the upcoming art show and calendar, was made possible through a grant from the Androscoggin County Weed & Seed Program. The funding was used to purchase digital photography equipment, as well as cover the initial costs for printing the calendars.

Both the framed photographs and the calendars will be for sale throughout the community. Proceeds will go toward the production of future calendars.

In addition to Weed & Seed, the club received additional support from several other area organizations and businesses – including L/A Arts, Staples and Wal-Mart.

“We’re so pleased to partner with Weed & Seed. It’s a winner for all the kids involved. And organizationally, it’s just the type of thing we like our young people being involved in,” said Robert Clark, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine.

An opening reception will be held for the Boys and Girls Club Photography Exhibit from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. The public is welcome.

L/A Arts Community Gallery is at 221 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information about the program, contact Andie Hannon at the Boys & Girls Club at 782-02446.

For more information about the exhibit, contact L/A Arts at 782-7228. The photographs will also be available for viewing on L/A Arts Web site during the exhibit dates. The address is http://www.laarts.org/