Photographs, woodwork and weaving
among First Friday’s exhibits
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
The Wintergreen Arts Center will join several other locations in Presque Isle to celebrate the First Friday Art Walk on March 1. This month’s featured exhibit at the center is by Frank Grant.
THE STAR CITY’S CENTENNIAL is the focus of this month’s featured art exhibit at Wintergreen Arts Center in Presque Isle. Photographs by Richard P. Grant depicting scenes from 1959, such as this one, will be on display at the Barresi Financial Gallery through the end of March.
“‘My Brother’s Centennial’ is the title of the photo exhibit that will be on display during the month of March at the Barresi Financial Gallery at Wintergreen Arts Center, 149 State St.,” said Grant.
Grant honors the memory of his late brother by exhibiting photographs taken by Richard P. Grant in 1959 during Presque Isle’s 100th anniversary celebration.
“Richard graduated from Presque Isle High School in 1959 and became a photographer to earn money for his college tuition. The unique medium-format photographs that he took during the many centennial festivities include many faces that local folks may recognize. The Keystone Cops are depicted arresting clean-shaven men (including the chief of police) who were in violation of the centennial mandate that they should grow a beard,” said Grant.
Other well-known landmarks are also shown in the various photographs.
“The State Theater, demolished in the early 1960s, is captured in two rare photos. Also featured are rare photos of Eddie’s Market and the Feeder Farm,” said Grant.
“My Brother’s Centennial” opens at Wintergreen on Friday at 6 p.m., in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk.
Morning Star Art & Framing’s featured artist of the month for March is master chainsaw wood carver Bob Johnson.
“Bob, a local Maine Guide with log camps in Narrows Pond and a log house on Hanson Lake, has built over 50 log cabins. He transports people in his float plane to secret hunting and fishing locations. He also has a maple sugar operation and flies the blimp by remote control at the old Loring site and sells Christmas trees he planted years ago on his back 40,” said Brian Brissette, owner of Morning Star, 422 Main St., Suite B.
Brissette encourages everyone to “stop in and see his chainsaw carved fish, listen to music performed by Peter Parker and the crew and enjoy the Art Walk.”
Morning Star will also feature Edith Katherine Grenier, an art teacher with SAD 20 who’s also enjoyed weaving in Aroostook County for the past 40 years.
“Her weaving consists of floor rugs from discarded jeans to scarves made from silk, mohair and alpaca. Her color combinations are truly amazing,” said Brissette.
In her spare time, Grenier enjoys playing the fiddle, gardening, riding her horse and in the winter mushing with her dog.
