About the Gallery

(Portland, ME) Richard Boyd Art Gallery an award-winning owner operated fine art gallery celebrating creativity and diversity shuttered its doors on September 30th, 2025. The gallery featured a stunning array of visual art created by a diverse group of artists and provided a welcoming space for art lovers to explore, learn, and enjoy original works of visual art.

Founded in 2006 by artist and beloved potter Richard F. Boyd a retired Nurse Anesthetist (APRN CRNA) and his wife Pamela Williamson a retired business woman Richard Boyd Art Gallery was conveniently located in the heart of the business district on Peaks Island in Portland, Maine.

Rick Boyd passed away on November 20th, 2024. In memory of her beloved husband and his contribution to the visual arts community dating back to the early 1970’s in Portland, Maine Pam continued to operate the gallery as she had done for years through Rick’s battle with dementia and cancer.

Rick moved from Pennsylvania to Maine in the 1970’s to work at Maine Medical Center. His first business Second Story Pottery was located on Exchange Street in Portland’s Old Port. In 1976 Rick purchased a home on Peaks Island and soon after closed Second Story Pottery. Through the early 1990’s his studio was located on the first floor of their home.

In the mid 1990’s, Rick had a two-story building built on the front of their property. Upon completion, he moved his pottery studio to the second floor of the building. The first floor was used for a variety of things, including storage until 2006 when Rick and Pam took part of the first floor and turned it into as Rick often said, “a very rough makeshift gallery.”

When Rick retired from Nursing in 2011, they temporarily closed the gallery for three months for major renovations re-opening it in March of 2012. Pam and Rick agreed to focus their time and money on exhibiting original works of visual art created by a diverse group of artists with a connection to the state of Maine. They decided to exhibit works from a variety of genres in a range of mediums that engage, inspire, and captivate viewers.

Since the grand re-opening in 2012, with few exceptions a new exhibit of original visual art was installed every month. Exhibitions varied from solo to group and theme exhibits so clients and visitors always discovered something new and exciting when they visited the gallery. The Gallery represented a group of established, internationally and nationally renowned, and award winning visual artists and their art.

“Rick was, and I am a lover of performing and visual art. I believe art is an international language everyone can understand. It serves as a catalyst to bring people together for creative and constructive dialog.”

In her view, visual art should be seen free of charge by anyone who enjoys art, so the gallery was open free of charge. The small commission received from the sale of art in the gallery went to help pay the overhead on the commercial building. Any bills not covered by the commission received from the sale of art in the gallery was paid out of her personal retirement account.

No artist paid Pam or Rick to view their works of art for possible inclusion in an exhibit, to exhibit their work, or represent them. There were no membership fees, and the gallery was not a pay-to-play, or vanity gallery. Most artists contacted the gallery seeking representation via word of mouth from other artists. Some artists contacted the gallery by post or email, and some just dropped by the gallery and introduced themselves. “I rarely had an open call for entry and when I did it was for a very specific exhibit like Off the Wall: Satire in Contemporary American Art.” Many of the artists were represented by the gallery from its inception.

It has been a sincere pleasure and honor to work with and represent artists, and to develop a great repour with collectors and art lovers. I will miss them dearly.”