Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
An onslaught of art covered nearly every inch of Downtown Bangor on Friday. In an initiative organized by the Downtown Bangor Arts Collaborative, works from all over the state were on display in the picturesque part of the city.
Whether patrons were taking a coffee break at Giacomo’s or getting dinner at Paddy Murphy’s, groups of people with orange pamphlets mapping out the entire walk crowded the area. Within arm’s reach were artists who submitted to the event, all trying to sell their wares.
“This is one of the few things that brings this community together,” said one patron, who did not give his name. “I used to live in Boston. We used to have these kinds of things all the time. In the daytime we’d all go to these festivals and enjoy the art, and at night hit the discos.”
The walk began at 170 Park Street with Collaborative Chair Liz Grandmaison’s photography, alongside works from fellow photographers Karen Littlefield and Kathy Lena. Up Central street at the University of Maine Museum of Art, Ilya Askinazi’s haunting photography and the Todd Watts’ digital photography hung in neighboring exhibits.
But as one walked through downtown, the experience became more focused and individualized. Venues weren’t establishments that normally display or sell art. More than 20 places, including bars, restaurants and studios, such as the Charles Inn Hotel and Epic Sports store, displayed the full gamut of local art.
Families even participated and tried to sell their works. Robert Dowling, the artist behind a large and prominent painting at the Charles Inn, is the son-in-law of Betty Overlock, a tinsel glass artist whose work was featured at the Bennett Gallery on Central street.
The turnout spoke of the community’s investment in art and local business. Quite a few works sold, some priced between $300 and $400 dollars. Business was booming at eateries, especially those serving hot cocoa.
One exhibit that stood out was Randy Colbath’s tree trunk sculptures. From exhibits entitled, “Blind Eye” — a sculpture of a Catholic priest missing an eye — or “You Are What You Eat” — an oak stump filled with stones — it was evident the festival fostered art of all shapes, sizes and origins.
Another exhibit, by artist Lawton Mann, displayed at the Charles Inn, was an explosion of sharp colors forming demented yet stunning landscapes. The effort on part of all the vendors to exhibit the paintings was well noted — even the Central Street Café, a smaller establishment, filled its walls with paintings and gave each one its time in the sun.
Many patrons had questions for the artists. They took their time in asking the artists in-depth queries as to the origins of their work. Families and friends went out in scattered clusters up and down Central, Hammond and Main streets.
It was refreshing to see so many families spending their Friday looking at new art. It’s good to know that the memory of Bangor’s youthful generation will be filled with so much color.
