NORWAY — Frost Farm Gallery will hold a First Friday reception Oct. 2 for its exhibit “Swift River Treasures: Original Naturalist Works by Betsy Bell.”

There will also be a meet-and-greet from 5 to 8 p.m., with acoustic music provided by Brad Hooper, in the historic David W. Frost farm, 272 Pikes Hill.

“My artist grandfather gave me a sketchbook for my first birthday. I sold my first painting when I was in my early teens. Art has always been a part of my life,” said Bell in a recent conversation at the gallery. “I have spent most of the last 35 years as a homemaker, mother and caregiver; even so, I always found time and resources for art.”

Bell lives in a 180-year-old farmhouse in the mountains of western Maine. “‘Swift River Treasures’ combines my passion for making art with my enjoyment of being an amateur naturalist. I take so much delight in living here in the Swift River valley and learning about the treasures I find around me. For me, the art-making process is a way of capturing and sharing the beauty I see,” she said.

Bell has a bachelor-of-arts degree in studio art from the University of Maine at Augusta. Her work is in public and private collections in many parts of the country.

Hooper will perform music from “Midnight at the Hilltop Hotel,” a compilation of original songs that have been around for as long as 20 years. Reviewers compare his work to artists such as John Prine, Arlo Guthrie and Steve Earl.

The event is free. The exhibit and sale will continue at Frost Farm Gallery through Saturday, Oct. 31. First Friday art openings at Frost Farm Gallery are in conjunction with the Commons Art Collective, McLaughlin Garden and Painted Mermaid Gallery. For more information, call 743-8041.