Marsha H. Donahue paints to protect. The artist was active in the Campaign for Katahdin Lake that successfully added the lake to Baxter State Park in 2006, and, more recently, in the effort to create the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. “These two efforts blended the role of artist and conservator for myself and many other artists in being able to educate the public about the unique quality of Maine and in being able to protect and share it,” says Donahue, who owns North Light Gallery in Millinocket. In 2016 she received a leadership award from the Maine Natural Resources Council for work done on the national monument campaign. The painter uses oils and watercolors in her landscapes, which often depict the Katahdin region. “Visual art is a powerful communicator, especially when you are taking people to places few have discovered,” she says. “Many of us who have been away and come back realize the value of the deep green woods and cooling waters and want to share it to create a more peaceful world.” Her hope, Donahue says, is that people will fall in love with Maine’s natural beauty and want to preserve it. Her gallery and studio in Millinocket also displays other artists’ work and hosts classes and community events. “I am proud of North Light Gallery, where I promote the works of others and myself, allowing artists a dignified living and giving the public the opportunity to discover and support them,” she says.