BETHEL — The Annual Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show will hold its 15th exhibition Saturday.

The show acts as an under-the-radar venue for artists who might otherwise not feel comfortable displaying their work.

Host Janet Willie said the event usually draws 300 to 400 people throughout the day. Artwork is shown throughout Willie’s house at 18 High St. in Bethel, where the event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The show welcomes all mediums of art, and Willie said there is usually a wide range on display.

“Art is a really helpful medium for us as a person,” Willie said. “The arts is absolutely crucial for our psyche as a human being.

“Some artists come here and have one experience, and from there it really encourages them to show and share their work with other people. They graduate from the show, and that was the impetus of the show. It was to support someone who wanted to be on the common but could never do it.”

Many artists “take off” after showing their art at Willie’s house, one of the reasons she started it.

“The show has helped so many people show a piece of themselves,” Willie said.

She said in her inaugural year she had nearly 30 artists show up, and has never had fewer than that since. Some years, more than 50 have presented their work.

Willie’s idea to start the show was inspired by two different moments:

The first was doing art work for her own psyche. Willie said she made a few pieces of work and her friend encouraged her to frame them. She “naively” showed them at the Norway Art Fair, where one of her works sold.

“I showed it to the world and it made a difference for somebody,” Willie said. “I watched people really react to the art.”

The experience made her realize other people could have the same thing happen to them through their art.

The second moment was an art show she witnessed while in Greece. The Greek government had provided an opportunity for its employees to show some of their different artworks.

“The art show, combined with my other experience, created the Shy, Novice and Art Show,” she said.

The Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show is done entirely by volunteers. Willie said participants typically help with cleaning and preparations leading up to the show.

Willie said she has had artists as young as 3 and as experienced as 96 display artwork.

Willie made her way to Bethel in the late 1980s through Outward Bound.  She opened a massage therapy practice in 1991, and has lived here on and off since.

Those interested in learning more about the show can contact Willie at 207-824-3889, or visit “Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show” on Facebook.

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