Central A roostook County Cultural Directory "Whatever the future may have in store, one thing is certain; unless communal life can be restored, the public cannot adequately solve its most urgent problems—to find and identify itself " John Dewey, 1927 quoted by Lucy Lippard in The Lure of the Local senses o f place in a multicentered society, 1997 "Becoming conscious of the things we sense about places, the sights, sounds, and smells of a local spot, the everyday comings and goings, helps us get our bearings." Kathleen Mundell in Sensing Place: A Guide to Commu­ nity Culture, Maine Arts Commission, 1995 Welcome. Woodcut by Paul Carlson Central Aroostook County Cultural Directory A Guide to the Artists, Arts, Historical Organizations, and Resources in Central Aroostook County, Maine 1998 Edited by Gail R. Scott Graphic Design by William Duncan Printed in Canada by Webcom Please send all corrections to this directory in writing to : The Maine Arts Commission State House Station 25 Augusta, ME 04033 2 Central Aroostook County Cultural Directory Central Aroostook County Cultural Directory Table of Contents Preface 4 Introduction 6 Individual Artists and Groups Crafts—Contemporary 10 Crafts—Traditional 12 Design, Photography, Videography & Media 14 Literature/Creative W riting 15 Music, Dance & Theater 16 Visual Arts 19 Organizations Agricultural 21 Community Organizations 22 Performing & Visual Arts Organizations & Venues 27 Percent for Art Sites 28 Cultural Resources M a in e 29 Regional & National 31 Index 32 Preface This cultural inventory and its published direc­ dans and musical heritage, venues for the perform­ The Directory has been a community effort. It tory are part of a larger project being currently ing and visual arts, organizations, and all the myriad began in 1995 with a meeting attended by about fifty undertaken by the Maine Arts Commission to other cultural resources that help to define and people, including area schools, historical societies, support local community cultural assessments nourish the richness of life in a particular locale. In libraries, and arts organizations. From the start there throughout the State of Maine. People in identified some of these projects, a “community” is comprised was enthusiastic support for such a project to collect communities or regions work together to gather and of a city or twin cities, like Lewiston/Aubum; in and make available a document that lists the arts and disseminate information about the artists, crafts other cases, it is an entire county, like Hancock, or a cultural resources of the region. With a grant from people (both traditional and contemporary), musi- region, like Rangley, or as in our case, part of a the Maine Arts Commission, a steering group county. embarked on the work of developing and distribut­ Since Aroostook is such a large county and so ing a questionnaire that formed the basis for the culturally diverse, it was logical to divide it up for inventory. Acknowledgment and thanks extend to the purposes of a cultural assessment and inventory. the field researchers who did this work: Michele The rich Acadian culture in the St. John Valley Green contacted individual artists; David Putnam deserves (and is in the process of conducting) its went door-to-door talking with traditional artists; own inventory. Central Aroostook County, the focus Karen Sands collected entries on historical societies, of this Directory, incorporates communities in the libraries, and other organizations and set up the immediate Aroostook River valley. The region database to house and organize the information. roughly follows the course of the Aroostook River. Dena Winslow York joined the project in 1997, Ashland lies to the west, from where the river writing the introduction, contacting additional meanders through Washburn and Crouseville and individuals, and offering valuable insights. Nola then makes its distinctive double oxbow turns Belanger, Secretary at the University of Maine at through Presque Isle, Caribou, and Fort Fairfield Presque Isle, helped extensively with database and until it empties into the St. John River just across the wordprocessing tasks. Canadian border. At the Presque Isle riverbend, the The Directory cover depicts quilt blocks from the Aroostook is joined by two small tributaries, the Aroostook County Quilt #1, a project sponsored by Prestile and Presque Isle Streams, giving the town the Fabrique Shoppe in Presque Isle. Quilt squares its anglicized French name of “Peninsula.” featuring typical images of Aroostook County, Stockholm and New Sweden are the most northern including a fiddlehead fern, potato barn, chickadee, communities in the directory; Bridgewater and Mars loon, a woodsman “cruising,” a moose, a black bear, Hill the most southern. Other towns in the valley were designed by local quilters and are sold as include Mapleton, Mars Hill, Easton, and Lime­ Block of the Month kits for a Do-It-Yourself stone. With time and additional funding, we hope Aroostook quilt. Quilt #2 will feature historical that the communities in southern Aroostook will buildings of Aroostook County. We appreciate the undertake their own assessment project. Central Aroostook County 4 Central Aroostook County Cultural Directory cooperation of the Fabrique Shoppe in making these classroom activities; by businesses and civic groups worked on the original layout. Special appreication quilt blocks available to grace our cover. to create programs using local talent and expertise; goes to two people from University Relations at The Directory is meant to serve as a starting by Chambers of Commerce and town managers to UM-Presque Isle—Erin Benson, Director, for her point: a vehicle to celebrate, acknowledge, and revitalize festivals or envision new community enthusiasm and willingness to help, and William support the creativity, dedication, ingenuity, and projects in collaboration with the artists and organi­ Duncan, Director of Design and Photography, for his vision of those people and groups who enliven and zations listed. grace under pressure and his expertise in designing enrich this place called Aroostook. The process has The people of central Aroostook County wish to the book. been as inclusive as possible; there is no charge to thank the Maine Arts Commission for the grant be listed, and the Directory is free. Like any funding that made this project possible. Kathleen vehicle, this listing is not a static thing, nor is it Mundell, Community Arts Associate, gave technical Gail R. Scott meant to be exhaustive. It will grow and develop assistance and encouragement in the long process of Project Director and be revised. But most of all we hope it will be collecting the data and shaping the Directory. Mark August, 1998 well used: by schools and teachers to identify and Huff, former Commissioner from the central incorporate local cultural resources into their Aroostook region, lent support along the way and Presque Isle, Me., Presque Isle Stream. Presque Isle Stream, early postcard photograph View of central aroostook from the top of Quoggy Jo Mountain in Aroostook State Park. Photograph by Frank Appleby Preface 5 Introduction Dena Winslow York, County. The central area of all! About 400 million years deposits, and boulders. In stone tools of the magnificent Local Historian Aroostook County, which is ago (Silurian time period), addition, the lakes run in a chert (a fine grained flint) the focus of this directory, much of the sedimentary general Northwest to South­ found in the area of Aroostook County is the covers the eastern section of rock in central Aroostook east direction which was the Munsungun Lake. The chert second largest county in the the county ranging from was laid down. Many inver­ direction the glaciers moved. and tools made from it have United States, covering 6,453 Stockholm in the north, to tebrate animals were buried Although most of the rock in been found as far away as square miles. It contains two Portage Lake in the west, and and became fossilized in this the central Aroostook area is Pennsylvania, evidence that cities, fifty-six towns, one to Bridgewater in the south. environment. Toward the sedimentary, there are also it was either traded or carried hundred and nine unorga­ From a warm sea at the end of this time the Appala­ metals to be found. The that far and that it was highly nized territories, and eleven equator complete with coral chian Mountain Range as we Dudley Farm Manganese site prized. These early people, plantations. Incorporated on reefs, to turbulent volcanic know it today developed as in Castle Hill was the loca­ the first artisans in March 16, 1839, it was origi­ eruptions, to glaciers up to the ancient seas receded. tion of exploratory mining Aroostook, produced well- nally part of Washington two miles thick, central From about 345 million years activity in the 1940s and crafted stone tools which Aroostook County has seen it ago (Devonian time period) early 1950s. In 1977 a body were not only very func­ until about 13,000 years ago of ore which includes gold, tional, but incredibly beauti­ when the glaciers arrived, silver, copper, and zinc, was ful. little has changed in the land­ discovered at Bald Mountain The Aroostook and St. scape of Aroostook County. near Portage Lake and is cur­ John Rivers were major high­ During the Devonian time rently being looked at for ways in these early days. the first land plants arrived possible mining operations. Numerous artifacts along on the scene in Aroostook, Humans have lived in both waterways indicate the adding to the abundant ma­ what we know today as extensive use of these rivers rine fossil record in the area. Aroostook County for the and their tributaries by early One of these rare leafless past 12,700 years. At that people. According to plants called psilophyton was time the remains of the last DeRozier's map dated 1,699 selected as Maine's state fos­ glacier were still present.