MADAWASKA, Maine — Folks visiting the St. John Valley Chamber of Commerce office in Madawaska may notice the workspace is brighter and more colorful lately.
The cheerier vibe is due to a new art exhibit being displayed there.
The works of artist Morgan Young will be available to view and purchase at the office through the month of June.
The St. David-based artist is a chemical engineer who works at Twin Rivers Paper Company in Madawaska.
Wildlife and people are central themes of Young’s work, which are largely composed via paint and sketch mediums.
Gallery director Gerald Fongemie said he was immediately inspired by Young’s work.
“As soon as I saw her art, I knew it was different from what I had usually seen. It was very unique and has a nice free flowing style to it that I like,” Fongemie said.
As a child, Young dreamed of one day becoming an artist but began to take the subject more seriously while a student at University of Maine at Orono.
There she studied chemical engineering but took an introduction to drawing class, which stuck with her.
“My other dream growing up was that I always wanted horses so it’s kind of cool to come up here where there is so much opportunity to get land and animals and there is a good community up here,” she said.
Morgan and her husband Derek Young live in Frenchville.
“They’ve been very welcoming. I couldn’t have hoped for any better. It reminds me a lot of where I grew up in a small community where people look out for each other. I’ve been very happy up here,” Young said.
