Abigail Putnam sits beside her wooden fish collection at the Lemont Block Collective in Brunswick on Nov. 25. The bottom rows feature six groundfish species she added due to a collaboration with the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association. Laura Sitterly / The Times Record

Abigail Putnam grew up in a fishing family south of Boston and later married into one in Maine. While she always knew wildlife would be a part of her art, the speed at which it did was shocking — even to her. 

After a trip to Montana, awestruck by hovers of rainbow trout, Putnam began experimenting with pine wood, sanding, painting and finishing it with polyurethane to create various fish species, from bass to Atlantic salmon.

Her anatomically correct collection is based on first-hand observation — think science meets art — and is sold at Brunswick’s Lemont Art Collective. Each fish is labeled with its common name and a number boasting just how many creations Putnam has sold — over 300 to date. 

While the exhibit has evolved — demonstrating seasonal variations, such as two-tone brook trout scales and movement, leaping versus swimming — Putnam has never teamed up with a local nonprofit until now. 

For the foreseeable future, 20% of proceeds from the extended wooden fish collection, which includes six local groundfish species, will be donated to the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association to educate customers about the abundant and often underutilized species that call the Gulf of Maine home. 

“I spent a lot of time fishing with my dad,” Putnam said. “When MCFA reached out, I wanted to support them because I admire their work sustaining local fisheries. It’s tough to be a fisherman, but organizations like theirs make it more promising.” 

Abigail Putnam’s wooden fish collection at the Lemont Block Collective in Brunswick. The bottom rows feature six groundfish species she added due to a collaboration with the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association. Abigail Putnam photo

Stabilizing a market for groundfish

In recent years, MCFA has worked to stabilize groundfish markets by purchasing fish at a fair price through the Fishermen Feeding Mainers Program and developing value-added products such as smoked Maine pollock dip and Maine coast monkfish stew.

“We are working to develop a series of products designed for K-12 cafeterias,” said Susan Olcott, MCFA director of strategic partnerships. “The first product, a fish cake made from dab flounder (flatfish), has been a big hit with the students, and we are excited to bring it to full-scale production and work on additional products that utilize locally harvested species.” 

Abigail Putnam’s wooden fish collection at the Lemont Block Collective in Brunswick. The bottom rows feature six groundfish species she added due to a collaboration with the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association. Laura Sitterly / The Times Record

The aforementioned fishery, which predominantly consists of species of haddock and cod, nearly collapsed two decades ago due to overfishing. Thanks to conservation efforts, stocks have rebounded, but demand still lags behind supply. 

It’s easier to fish for flounder than for fishermen to get a fair price per pound. 

“Art is a way for us to communicate our work to different audiences,” Olcott said. “In this case, it presents a chance to showcase some of Maine’s groundfish species to those otherwise unfamiliar with what they look like.” 

Of the 13 groundfish distributed throughout the Greater Atlantic, from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border, some are found on (flounder) or near (haddock) the seafloor. While others (redfish and hake) only spend a portion of their time near the bottom of the ocean. 

Most of the catch harvested in the Gulf of Maine is caught by fishermen using a bottom trawl, sink gillnet and hook gear. 

For Putnam’s collection, she chose to feature the same six species on the “Fishes of MCFA” T-shirt: silver hake, monkfish, pollock, grey sole, redfish and haddock. 

“They are all common groundfish sustainably harvested by local fishermen,” Olcott said. “We are working on an information sheet that will be displayed at the Lemont Block Art Collective soon.” 

For the time being, shoppers still prefer familiar options. Commercial fish dominate sales, except for redfish, which stands out with its striking color. 

Nonetheless, the collaboration has inspired Putnam to explore local marine ecosystems and discover new species, including how to cook them and where to catch them. For example, she noted that since monkfish is firm and meaty, it doesn’t fall apart easily, making it great for roasting, soups and chowders, or pan frying. Haddock and redfish, on the other hand, are more flakey. 

Putnam’s work may prompt home cooks to try some of MCFA’s recipes, such as baked monkfish, hake fish cakes and pollock fish tacos. 

Abigail Putnam’s wooden fish collection at the Lemont Block Collective in Brunswick. The bottom rows feature six groundfish species she added due to a collaboration with the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association (MCFA). Abigail Putnam photo

Attention holiday shoppers

To attract more customers, Putnam has begun selling holiday ornaments and is also considering making magnets.

“I would never have been able to identify some of these species before,” Putnam said. “I grew up fishing, and it turns out I didn’t know much about what trawlers were catching in Maine.” 

MCFA will keep its Holiday Pop-Up Shop, located in its office at 93 Pleasant St. in Brunswick, open through Christmas. Visitors can purchase novelty items such as hoodies, winter hats, tote bags, tea towels, cookbooks, playing cards, bottle openers and more. 

Those hoping to purchase additional gifts supporting the organization can visit the online shop mainecoastfishermen.org/shop. During store hours, they can also visit the Lemont Block Collective at 150 Maine St. in Brunswick to purchase some of Putnam’s decorative groundfish.