Artists to canvas Star City
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
PRESQUE ISLE – In just a few weeks, artists will set up around the Star City and help “Paint Presque Isle.”
The third annual “Paint Presque Isle: A Fresh Paint Event and Auction” will be held Saturday, Aug. 28 as part of the seventh annual Crown of Maine Balloon Fest.
HEATHER HARVELL of Presque Isle was one of 12 artists who participated in last year’s “Paint Presque Isle: A Fresh Paint Event and Auction.” Artists canvassed the Star City and painted whatever inspired them, and then the original works were auctioned off that night. More than $5,000 was raised for the Aroostook Partners in the Arts, which seeks to enhance arts education for students in the region. Here, Harvell creates a watercolor and graphite painting of the Presque Isle Congregational Church on Church Street. The third annual “Paint Presque Isle: A Fresh Paint Event and Auction” will be held Saturday, Aug. 28 as part of the seventh annual Crown of Maine Balloon Fest.
Registration will be held from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Northeastland Hotel. As part of the $10 registration fee, artists will receive a bag lunch.
“Right now we have eight artists confirmed,” said Heather Harvell, one of the participating artists and a member of the Aroostook Partners in the Arts, host of the event. “We hope to attract even more in the coming weeks. The artists planning to attend are from Presque Isle, Fort Kent, and we have twin sisters – one from outside Bangor and the other from Canada – who are Presque Isle natives.”
The artists will choose a location within the city and create an original piece of artwork that will be auctioned off that night.
“People set up all around Presque Isle last year,” Harvell said, “and it was great.”
Last year, Harvell did some “test runs” before settling on a location.
“By mapping it out ahead of time,” she said, “it takes some of the anxiety off of doing something in one day and then putting it on display. Last year I decided to focus on dooryards because it’s very Aroostook County. There are some gorgeous ones around here … a few that I had driven by frequently and looked at. I chose to do two last year.
“I went out ahead of time and took photos and brought them back. Then I had to work with them a little bit and do a graphite sketch,” Harvell said. “The painting was all done that day but some of the sketching was done ahead of time … the structure of it … and then I finished the graphite part and then put the watercolor wash over the top of it that day. Some people enjoy the thrill of having to do it on the spot and sometimes it pushes you out of your comfort level as an artist and allows you to have some breakthroughs. The dooryards were nothing I’d ever done and the style I had never really done, but after the auction, I had a list of commissions for people who wanted their houses done.”
This year, Harvell is thinking about painting a local “horizon.”
“The thing that’s coming to me is to maybe do a different shape piece of artwork … like a panoramic, so it would be a really long piece – whether vertical or horizontal – and do one of our horizons that’s noticeable,” she said. “We live up on a hill and my daughter can see the University of Maine at Presque Isle and she calls it a castle. That horizon, especially with the windmill, is recognizable, but beautiful at the same time. I’m leaning toward something like that, and I’ll probably stick to the graphite and watercolor.”
The Paint Presque Isle event will be held rain or shine.
“It rained last year, but it was still very successful,” said Harvell. “I painted from the trunk of my vehicle. Other artists were set up with umbrellas and tents, while some sat inside a business and looked out the window and painted. The artists should definitely prepare for inclement weather.”
At 3 p.m. artists will bring their completed work back to the hotel where it will be matted by Morning Star Art & Framing.
A preview reception will be held 6-7 p.m. and the auction at 7 p.m.
“From 6-7 p.m. is when people are trickling in, enjoying some refreshments and viewing the artwork,” said Harvell. “It’s a really important time for both the prospective buyers and the artists because it gives people a chance to mingle and ask the artists about their work. It’s also a good opportunity for the artists to interact with one another; we’re trying to build a community here and it’s important for artists to have other artists to commune with.”
The artists can choose to donate all or a portion of the proceeds from their artwork to the Partners in the Arts. To facilitate bidding, organizers ask for a price range for each work. The high end represents the fair market value at gallery price, while the low end will be the “artists’ reserve,” the price below which artists will not allow the work to be sold. Should any piece not receive the requested price, the artist will take the piece at the end of the auction.
Last year’s event netted $5,300.
“All the money is used to fund art-related programs in the schools, with the goal of expanding both experience and appreciation of the arts for our local students,” said Pat Rathbun, member of the Aroostook Partners in the Arts. “Last year, Aroostook Partners in the Arts provided support for a jazz workshop with Justin Wood, a field trip to the Portland Stage Co. for Mary Trainer’s English class at Presque Isle High School, the Paul Ionesko poetry workshop at Mapleton Elementary School, and the Ian Bannon puppetry workshop at Zippel Elementary.”
Harvell said the community really responds to having a fresh piece of artwork created that day.
“Each year we’ve had people that have carried away art that’s still literally wet,” she said, “and they love it. The people who have bought the oil paintings that are still wet say the love the smell and the idea of it. That’s really what it’s about.”
“We are anxious to encourage area artists to participate in ‘Paint Presque Isle’ and encourage others to attend the auction where they can acquire original works of art in a wide range of prices,” said Rathbun. “In addition to the paintings, we’ll also be featuring a nice selection of donated pieces in a silent auction. This event provides a unique opportunity to purchase special gifts commemorating the area and local artists that are appropriate for birthdays, weddings, retirements, anniversaries, etc. Buying a fine art piece is one way to think outside the box.”
Recognizing that a lot of local residents like to watch the artists work, Harvell said she plans to place a large map at the Northeastland and label it with a pushpin in the area that the artists plan to work.
Aroostook Partners in the Arts, which organized in 1995 to work cooperatively with local schools to develop, support and sponsor high quality performing arts, visual arts and humanities experiences for school age children, typically meets at 11:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in the Turner Memorial Library community room. APA is interested in representation from surrounding towns such as Ashland, Fort Fairfield, Easton, Mars Hill and Washburn. Anyone interested in joining the group is invited to attend a meeting. Community members should contact the library or Martha LaPointe at 768-6311 for exact meeting time. FMI on the event, call 540-1754.
