Littleton artist receives ‘Golden Apple Award’ for volunteerism

  LITTLETON, Maine — Local artist Frank Sullivan is this year’s recipient of the “Golden Apple Award” presented by the Maine Education Association. This award has been given annually since the 1980s to recognize individuals or groups who have demonstrated a strong commitment to local schools or children of the community. The awards and reception were held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on May 19. The event also recognized educators and student scholarship recipients.
    Sullivan was nominated by Susan McMann, a Wellington School teacher who is a member of the Maine Teachers’ Association and vice president of Houlton’s Star Bright Children’s Theatre.
She said, “Frank is a devoted parent and a tireless volunteer on behalf of children in our school system and community. For three years he volunteered for project Story Boost, (a reading program within the district), coming into pre-K and kindergarten classrooms to read to selected students who otherwise may not have been exposed to individual reading time at home.”
This year Sullivan has also worked with middle school children at Southside School in Houlton and volunteered his services for the Arts and Agricultural Southern Aroostook Soil and Water program.
Besides the volunteer work within the district, Sullivan has been on the board of the Houlton Star Bright Theatre, a children’s theatre group that originated in the ‘60s at Houlton’s Ricker College. He has spent countless hours in set productions, prop creation, graphic designs for brochures, posters, T-shirts and publicity. He is also a committee member of the Star Bright Drama Club and organizes special workshops with children in the community who are interested in prop and set designs. His most recent workshop involved 40 students.
“For the 2011 Star Bright Theatre production of ‘An Allagash Haunting,’” Frank created and painted the entire set — a Maine woodlands backdrop, which truly showed his professional talents,” said McMann. “This year’s production of ‘Gooney Bird Green and Her True Life Adventures’ presented a new challenge and with paint he turned foam board panels into a realistic classroom, complete with a chalkboard, bookshelves, a globe and a border featuring cursive writing,” she added.
Sullivan has directed students in two Readers’ Theatre productions, one of which was aired on WHOU and he provides art classes for the K-3 students at Wellington School. This program is supported by funds from the parent-teacher club. He instructs the students on the techniques of beginning art skills several times during the year. Without his willingness to assist with this program, the students would not receive art instruction until they attended Houlton Jr./Sr. High School. He has also video-taped the annual Stage Adventures presentation for the school.
Sullivan is originally from the Boston area. He was a graphic designer, art director and illustrator for several years before moving his family to Littleton in 2006. Since relocating to the area he has converted a potato house into an art studio, calling it the Rainbarrow Studio. He teaches classes at Northern Maine Community College and the Wintergreen Art Center in Presque Isle and offers private lessons at his studio.
Sullivan has won numerous awards for his artwork and his paintings hang in collections throughout the United States. His work can be found at several Maine galleries and at the Courtyard Café and Visions on Main Street in Houlton.
He captures the landscape of Aroostook farms, their buildings and other Maine settings for most of his paintings.
More information can be found on his website: www.rainbarrowstudio.com.