Pier Activities Planned for Families and Visitors
As the mid-coast region awakens from a very long winter and unfolds into summer, the Wiscasset Art Walk on Thursday, June 26, from 5-8pm, kicks off high summer fun. The June Art Walk, one of four scheduled during the summer, is a free, self-guided walking tour through the Village with an emphasis on enjoying community culture, art, and performance. On these evenings, artists’ studios, galleries, and shops stay open late and invite visitors in to see, hear, and experience all they have to offer.
During the June Art Walk, follow the aroma of steaming seafood and venture down to the Creamery Pier on Main St. at the bridge, where you’ll hear lively foot-tapping tunes by Wiscasset’s own Narrow Gauge String Band. The Band was formed in 1997 when five guys with a love for traditional music and catchy tunes got together to play for a picnic at the old Wiscasset Waterville Narrow Gauge Railroad. After the gig they continued to play once a week if it wasn't snowing too hard and sometimes even if it was. Their laid back style, fun and funky music, and occasional corny jokes are a sure delight for audiences. Band members play mandolin, fiddle, guitar, bass, harmonica, and vocals.
Also on the Pier, look for the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts tent where clay artists will be doing live demonstrations on the pottery wheel and will have a variety of handcrafted ceramics for sale. Meet the artists and learn about the Center's summer and fall programs at their home base across the bridge in Newcastle.
Wiscasset artist, illustrator, and graphic designer Sean Closson will be demonstrating pen and ink drawing techniques on the Pier during June’s Art Walk. Sean is a talented freelance illustrator with training in a wide variety of drawing and painting disciplines; most of his current work is done digitally with a Wacom drawing tablet and Adobe Photoshop and/or Corel Painter. Sean will be offering his unique illustrations for sale, and he’s been known to create on-the-spot portraits of patrons as their favorite action heroes!
Illustrator Sean Classon demonstrates pen and ink drawing.
The Maine Craft Shack on the Pier, with gorgeous views of the Sheepscot River, will feature small treasures to admire and purchase, all made by more than 30 local crafters. Near-by, the new Twin Bridges Regional Jail Industries Woodshop displays and sells prison-made furniture, birdhouses, and other wood items, all handsome and durable. According to Officer Naomi Bonang, Industries supervisor, “the program gives them (prisoners) self-esteem, keeps them busy and productive, and they earn a little money at the same time.”
Before leaving the Pier, be sure to take a close look at the Turner Creamery Railroad car and marvel at the reconstructed ingenuity of a bygone era.
After your Creamery Pier sojourn, stroll through the Village to enjoy Wiscasset’s artist owned galleries, artist studios, unique shops, and historic architecture; enjoy the sounds of local musicians playing on the sidewalks and in the galleries. To complete your evening, climb on board the Woodfield Farm wagon for a delightful tour of the village and the new Wiscasset Museum in the Streets landmark signs.
Major Sponsors for the 2014 Wiscasset Art Walk are the Maine Arts Commission, The First, Carleton Realty, Ames True Value, and Carriage House Gardens; sponsors include Big Barn Coffee, Carl Larrabee Insurance Agency, and Fogg Art Painting Restoration & Custom Framing.
