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Letter from MH+D
Gilbert spoke that night on the “wondrous conversation, the peculiar collaboration” that happens between an artist and his genius. She argued that the perception of creative talent has changed over time—and that before the Renaissance, it was widely believed that genius was something that lived outside of the artist: a spirit that lived in the walls, so to speak, who would enter and inspire the artist to create their work together. Gilbert believes deeply in this notion and the conclusion that when the artist—whether a writer, painter, sculptor, or dancer—is visited by the creative spirit, she is lit up by divinity and therefore gives her audience a peek at the divine.
Settling In
ESSAY-March 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
Stumbling across an old friend in a new place is one of the happiest comforts in life. The other night, at a pub down on Commercial Street, I got together with a friend I hadn’t spoken to in six years. We had been roommates many years ago, and for no particular reason—other than she moved back to her native Maine and I to New York City—we lost contact. Seeing her familiar face in this still-unfamiliar setting was like finding a lighthouse on a stormy night at sea. All of the introductions and first-time conversations of recent weeks faded into the background as I enjoyed a relaxed exchange with an old friend. I had been granted a break from having to provide context for my life or engaging in small talk; here was someone who had shared a small space with me for a year, who knew my life story, and who could predict what I was going to say next. Despite the years between our conversations, we reconnected as if our last good-bye was yesterday. We spoke in a flurry of “Remember whens” and “Where are they nows,” condensing six years into two hours of recognizable laughter and familiar gestures. It happened in an unlikely environment—a place she has always called home, a place I am only just discovering.
Rooftop River View
THE DRAWING BOARD-March 2009
A Brunswick camp with a vegetated roof balances river views and solar orientation
Situated on a pastoral overlook on the New Meadows River, this compact two-bedroom camp’s unconventional plan and mass takes its form by balancing water views and passive solar orientation with the existing tree cover and unique zoning constraints of the site.
Greek Revival
FEAST-March 2009
by Candace Karu
Photography Irvin Serrano
Two brothers bring the traditional tastes of the Mediterranean to Portland’s Emilitsa
In the quiet morning hours, sun pouring through the front windows, Emilitsa slowly comes to life. In other restaurants, sunlight serves only to highlight small imperfections; these are places better seen at night, illuminated by the soft glow of candles or dimmed lamps. But Emilitsa, one of the newest additions to Portland’s flourishing culinary scene, basks in the unforgiving brightness like a beautiful teenager—flawless, unconsciously confident, and gazing upon a future of boundless potential.
The Month of Expectation
THE CANVAS-March 2009
by Suzette McAvoy
Susan Headley van Campen, Monica Kelly & T. Allen Lawson
A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period—
When March is scarcely here
-Emily Dickinson
The Gilded Age
CRAFT OF MAINE-March 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
Photography by Scott Dorrance
Since the Egyptians first used gold leaf to adorn tombs and coffins, artisans have sought to capture the brilliance of gold through the process of gilding. Today, the craft remains a significant component of frame making, and can be found in woodwork, signs, bookbinding, pottery, and glass. The technique involves applying a thin layer of gold (or silver) to a surface—traditionally on decorative items such as picture frames, mirrors, and furniture. On the following pages, the mediums range from candlesticks to an antique fire engine.
Though the mediums on which gilders practice their craft have expanded throughout the ages, most of the materials used in present-day gilding are the same as those from Egyptian times. Whether on a traditional frame or piece of furniture, these six Maine gilders have found distinctive ways to make everyday objects gleam.
A Many-Storied Home
MARCH 2009
by Joshua Bodwell
Photography Trent Bell
In the hills above the sea, an art-filled home full of life
Sometimes we trick ourselves into believing that our lives are pencil-straight highways moving chronologically from one thing to the next, flying across the tarmac of our days. In reality, life is more akin to an inquisitive river that forever twists and bends its way ahead—even curling back on itself occasionally.
For husband and wife Liv Rockefeller and Ken Shure, life’s curiously circuitous route has deposited them high upon a hill overlooking a swath of blueberry barrens that Ken tended as a young man and a stretch of landscape that Liv often trampled across during her childhood.
A Beacon of Green Design
MARCH 2009
by Debra Spark
Photography Trent Bell
A Rockport studio sets a standard for pre-fab sustainability
BrightBuilt Barn is a small blue outbuilding that sits atop a hill full of birch trees in Rockport, Maine. It is also an answer to the question, How green can you go? Or more precisely: What would happen if you asked some of New England’s top green builders to make the most eco-conscious structure possible, a cutting-edge building that would be beautiful, affordable, durable, sustainable, and reproducible? And what if you did all this in Maine, a state in which the challenges of heating cannot be ignored?
The Mayor of the Mill
PROFILE-March 2009
by Joshua Bodwell
Photography Trent Bell
The Biddeford developer who walks the talk
Doug Sanford is talking about Biddeford. And people are listening.
On this particular afternoon, Sanford is engaged in an animated conversation with several representatives of Saco & Biddeford Savings. He is showing them the new entrance to his North Dam Mill, a complex of three interconnected, five-story brick buildings encompassing 370,000 square feet along the edge of the Saco River.
Finicky to the Finish
by Joshua Bodwell
Photography Irvin Serrano
How one woodworker built an old soul
On a rain-whipped morning in late November, Ezra Howell is right where those who know him would expect to find him: the spray booth at the back of his shop, E.H. Fortner Woodworking. Masked and clutching a paint gun, Howell raises his index finger to signal I’ll be with you in a minute.
Moments later, he exits the painting booth. “This is the one thing I’m still struggling to let go of,” admits the lanky 35-year-old. “I don’t even really love being in the spray booth, but it’s the final step and I really like to have my hands on it.” Capable of handling nearly every task in the wood shop, Howell is assiduous about the quality of every piece that leaves his shop.
Hail to the Chief
PROFILE-March 2009
by Debra Spark
Photography Irvin Serrano
The Farnsworth’s curator balances diverse passions
Birthdays can be daunting, and birthday celebrations can be more so, leaving a “What now?” feeling in their aftermath. Rockland’s Farnsworth Art Museum turned 60 last year, and the occasion—along with the arrival of Michael Komanecky, the new chief curator—provided a chance to reflect on the museum’s history and put some of the 13,000 pieces in its permanent collection on display. “Over the years,” says Komanecky, “space had been devoted to special exhibitions and less for showing our own collection.” And so the Farnsworth mounted a number of simultaneous shows, one featuring the Farnsworth’s folk art, another its photography, still others late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century paintings, contemporary art, and work by Louise Nevelson, Alex Katz, and the Wyeth family. Now, a year later, the museum has experienced a small shake-up. The board is searching for a replacement for the most recent director—Lora Urbanelli, who moved on to a position in New Jersey—and Komanecky has added interim director duties to his list of responsibilities. “We were very sorry to see Lora go,” says Richard Aroneau, president of the Farnsworth’s board of trustees, “but there was no crisis because one of the things that Lora brought to the Museum was an extraordinary senior staff, and Michael was part of that.”
That’s Entertainment!
SPACES-March 2009
by Candace Karu
Photography Trent Bell
Stay home in style with movies, music, television, and more
Technology is changing the way we live in dramatic ways, and nowhere is this transformation more evident than in our homes. From a simple speaker dock for MP3 players to an integrated, multipurpose home-theater and entertainment system, there is an audio and video technology solution for every family and every budget.
We talked to Maine’s leading audio/video experts about some of their most interesting projects and products. We also asked them to tell us about their favorite solutions for making sophisticated new technologies both user-friendly and affordable.
On the Death of Andrew Wyeth
TRIBUTE-March 2009
by Ken Greenleaf
In losing Andrew Wyeth recently at the age of 91, Maine lost one of its most popular and loved artists. He had become a living landmark, the chronicler of a way of seeing life and land in Maine and Chadd’s Ford, Pennsylvania.
Letter from the Editor
March 2009
Several years ago I saw Kristin Richard on a television interview. She was speaking about her life post-Lance Armstrong and the healing path that she was on. Part of her recovery from the heartbreak of her divorce was to remember and to make a list of the things she loved most in life—the things that made her uniquely her, independent of her as a wife or mother. She suggested that everyone should have such a list of their own. A list of the things that bring us happiness and that make us inimitably ourselves.
Coming Home to Maine
ESSAY-JAN/FEB 2009
by Rebecca Falzano
My journey from New York City to Maine happened by way of California—specifically somewhere between Yosemite National Park and the Pacific Coast Highway. I was on a two-week summer road trip with my boyfriend, and while we were marveling at giant sequoias and monoliths, we suddenly and wholeheartedly had a bit of a realization: our lives could exist elsewhere and be perfectly okay. Of course this shouldn’t have come as life-altering news, but when you live in New York City long enough, it’s easy to become so blinded by its vitality, energy, and vibrancy—not to mention all the opportunity and possibility—that you can’t imagine life elsewhere. But after five years living there and just fourteen days on an opposite coast, it had become clear that the city we once couldn’t imagine living without would soon go on living without us. And we, and it, would be just fine.
Organic Design with Economic Sensibility
THE DRAWING BOARD-JAN/FEB 2009
A Biddeford project designed to bring nature in while being energy efficient
Architect: Caleb Johnson Architects
Square Footage: Main House - 1,800
Garage/Apartment - 1,300
Builder: Lavertu Construction
Cabinets: Derek Preble Cabinetmakers
Site: Howard Trucking
Electric: MJ Electric
Heating: Casa Pro
Windows: Eagle-Royal Windows
Rooms at the Top
FEAST-JAN/FEB 2009
A Portland restaurateur redefines the meaning of comfort food at The Front Room and The Grill Room
Chef and restaurateur Harding Lee Smith is on a mission: he’s determined to give comfort food a new image. “I’ve always been interested in high-end food that’s casual and affordable,” says the Maine native. “You should be able to go out for great food without having to worry about your credit-card balance.” Smith, who went to Deering High School and graduated from Boston University, made the conscious decision to experiment with his personal food memories when he opened the Front Room, his hugely successful Munjoy Hill restaurant in December of 2005.
Exalting the Ordinary
THE CANVAS-JAN/FEB 2009
by Suzette McAvoy
Colin Page, Denise Remy & Vivian Russe
“Cézanne made a living thing out of a teacup, or rather in a teacup he realized the existence of something alive. He raised still life to such a point that it ceased to be inanimate. He painted these things as he painted human beings, because he was endowed with the gift of divining the inner life in everything.” Wassily Kandinsky
The Art of Assemblage
CRAFT OF MAINE-JAN/FEB 2009
Ten Maine artists explore the bricolage of found objects
Artists have been making assemblages for centuries, using the materials and objects around them as vehicles of expression. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, artists such as Edgar Degas, Marcel Duchamp, Louise Nevelson, and Pablo Picasso worked with objets trouves, or found objects, regularly experimenting with scavenged pieces to give new voice to materials that had long been silenced.
Mountain Magic
JAN/FEB 2009
A Sugarloaf ski house anchors one couple to a captivating community
Ski resorts, like the people who love them, have distinct personalities. Maine is home to a host of ski areas, from the small and picturesque (think of the Camden Snow Bowl with its intimate setting and ocean views) to the large and bustling (the sprawling expanse of Sunday River comes to mind). At each one of these destinations, a mixture of elements—location, history, access, facilities, ambience—combine to create a unique experience that captures the imaginations and hearts of visitors, encouraging them to return year after year.
Snowbound Sophistication
JAN/FEB 2009
A mountain home brings the new to Newry
The roads leading to Sunday River roll and bend, wending uphill toward the rising snowcapped ridges where the canopy of sky settles like a thick blanket and the valleys below deepen and spread.
In the shadow of the resort’s eight peaks, nestled at the edge of its award-winning golf course, is the home of Hans Peter and Antje Schaefer. As with many second-home owners in area, the Schaefers, who live outside Boston, see their Newry residence not as an occasional ski getaway, but as a four-season mountain home they want to keep in their family for generations to come.
A Couple’s Commitment
PROFILE-JAN/FEB 2009
The Gleasons’ decades of dedication to Maine art
In spite of this economy, the city’s Arts District is really gaining some traction,” says Marty Gleason, sunken into a leather armchair in the back gallery of Gleason Fine Art on Portland’s Congress Street.
Beside Marty, her husband and business partner Dennis Gleason nods in agreement.
Outside, it is a bracing day, yet the street is busy. The gallery door swings open occasionally and an art browser is carried in on a gust of wind. Lucy, the little black-and-white dog asleep in Marty’s lap, rouses for a moment, only to drift quickly back to sleep. The Gleasons’ son, Andrew, a young man in his mid-twenties, helps manage the gallery and is busy fielding phone calls and emails.
The Color of Creativity
PROFILE-JAN/FEB 2009
A designer’s life of curiosity explores connections and possibilities
I’m thinking of switching from coffee to tea,” says Carol Bass, with a slight southern accent, as she settles into a wicker chair in the corner of her radiantly red living room. She then grows quiet for a moment, as though uttering this aloud has led Bass to seriously consider it for the first time.
But Carol Bass bristles with so much creative energy that modifying her caffeine intake hardly seems of consequence.
The Mountain Man Returns
PROFILE-JAN/FEB 2009
The visionary behind Sugarloaf turns his gaze on Saddleback
On an afternoon in early November, Saddleback Mountain looms like a shadow behind a ghostly shroud of fog. The silent chairlifts creak in the wind, and the bare trails snake down the mountain awaiting the promise of winter snow.
Yet the very air above this western Maine ski resort seems charged with excited anticipation. At Saddleback, this charge is even more palpable than usual, due in large part to the presence of Warren Cook, the mountain’s new general manager and chief executive officer.
Another Dog's Death
ESSAY - NOV/DEC 2008
by Joshua Bodwell
“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are stronger at the broken places.”
—Ernest Hemingway
There is a field behind my parent’s home. Beyond the field there is a wide stone wall, and beyond the wall are young, damp woods. In the field, there are several leafy clumps of trees. At the bottoms of the trees, under a carpet of pine needles, moss, and leaves, are mounds of small rocks that were piled there a hundred years ago when farmers cleared the fields for planting.
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