by Maureen Littlefield

Photography C.A. Smith Photography

Last June, only three classes away from receiving my BFA from Maine College of Art, I was hired as an art intern at Maine Media Collective. Not even two weeks later, my best friend asked me to marry him. I didn’t think things could get any better. And then they did. At the close of the internship, I was asked to stay on at MMC, not as an intern, but as a full-time employee working on the company’s latest project, Art Collector Maine, an online art gallery showcasing work by Maine artists seeking higher-level exposure.

I feel a sense of pride when talking about Art Collector Maine. A year has now passed since that life-changing conversation and ACM is booming. I love working first-hand with the artists and gallery owners, and have learned so much from them. I’ve also learned a lot from Jack Leonardi, my much wiser and more experienced partner-in-crime. Jack came to Maine Media Collective with the idea of making art more accessible to buyers through a virtual gallery, and offering collectors a wider range of options than any one gallery can provide. He built this idea from the ground up, and, luckily, I got to come along for the ride. For us, ACM is a success not only because of the sales we have seen, but also because of the relationships we have formed. These artists are not our clients but our friends, and when one of their pieces sells I think we get just about as excited as they do. The high-fives and fist pounds (thanks to Jack’s high school-aged daughters) have been countless.

I now have three families: my old and ever stable one, my soon-to-be-husband and his amazing group, and Jack and the rest of the gang at MMC. When I walked through the doors last summer, I had no idea what I was becoming a part of. The creativity and loyalty in this office is overwhelming. We work hard and play hard but we do it all together, as one.

A few weeks ago, my soon-to-be-husband got amazing news: he was accepted into law school in Jacksonville, Florida. So, a week after our Maine wedding we will be moving to a much warmer part of the country. I will be leaving Maine, but not my MMC family. I will work remotely on ACM until I can come home to Maine—and all three of my families.

Maureen Littlefield

Art Collector Maine Production Manager
 

Art Collector’s Jack Leonardi, Managing Editor Rebecca Falzano, & Art Collector Maine Production Manager Maureen Mansmann in front of a painting by Brita Holmquist of Elizabeth Moss Galleries.

Brita Holmquist’s Birch Trees, 36″ x 28″, oil on linen

Elizabeth Moss Galleries