|
Things to do in Lewiston
-
Bates College Museum of Art
The Bates College Art Museum was
started in 1955, initially called the Treat Gallery, and housed
in the newly built Pettigrew Building at the college. Norma
Berger, niece of artist Marsden Hartley, gave a big collection
of art works when the museum began. It was moved to the Olin Art
Center Gallery in 1986, and in 2005, was organized into four
distinct galleries; the Bates, Collection, Underground Synergy
Seminar space and the 150 Art Reader Stairwell. The museum
strives to collect the works of Maine artists, to include in the
main Marsden Hartley Memorial Collection. Marsden Hartley was
one of the state's most well known artists, and the collection
includes many of his oil sketches, personal photos, drawings and
his own collection of Coptic textiles and works by Carl
Sprinchorn and Mark Tobey; plus the marvelous writings of
Marsden about life and art. The collection has inspired others
to follow suit, and many wonderful gifts have come to the museum
this way by alumnae and Friends of the Bates College Art Museum.
In 1980, the wonderful exhibition schedule and increasing
collection has created renewed interest and recognition of the
museum's role in the college's curriculum, campus life and
community relations. When the Olin Arts Center was opened in
1986, the original Treat Gallery was changed into the Bates
College Art Museum, and the new and magnificent museum allowed
the board to organize and exhibit the examples of historical and
contemporary artworks. It was during this transformation that
the museum decided to focus on collecting works on paper, and to
increase the number of artworks by Maine artists and those
artists working in Maine that were of national and international
fame. Marsden Hartley was born in Lewiston, Maine in 1877, and
is today believed to be one of the most prolific painters of
American modernism. Like many famous artists, success didn't
find him alive, but he was one of those that were in the circle
of Alfred Stieglitz, a well known photographer, whose "291"
gallery was the hub of vanguard artists in New York City.
Marsden created a marriage of artistic and literary interests
into a special kind of work that changed when challenged by
cultural and political stimuli, many times before modern trends.
Paul Cezanne and Albert Pinkham Ryder, among the painters, Walt
Whitman, the poet and Transcendental writers like Ralph Waldo
Emerson and Henry David Thoreau had a profound influence on
Marsden. He was also drawn to the people that he had been
welcomed by and although he tried various other ideologies, he
remained faithful to religion and he included many of those
in his artworks. He did travel quite a bit, but Maine was his
home, and just before he died in Ellsworth, in 1943, he stated
he was the painter from Maine. Continuing on that base, the
museum has collected works by Carl Sprinchorn, Neil Welliver,
Jocelyn Lee, and William Manning. Other notable works include
those by; Henri Matisse, George Roualt, Paul Cezanne, Pablo Ruiz
Picasso, Mary Cassatt, Charlie Hewitt, Marsden Hartley, Alison
Saar, George Bellows, John Sloan, Anne Harris and Robert
Indiana.
-
Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary
The Thorncrag Nature
Sanctuary in Lewiston, Maine, a 357 acre wildlife preserve, set
in the midst of this sprawling city, surrounding the preserve on
three sides, as it sits atop a small hill some 510 feet above
sea level. Called the "Crag" by the local citizenry, the site
has been a favorite since the early 1800s, and belonged to the
Thorne family then. It has been utilized for many reasons since
that time, but always have been preserved. It was used by Bates
College for recreation and scientific research, a tuberculosis
sanitarium, plant for the Highland Spring Bottled Water Company,
sheep and dairy farm and homestead for the reclusive Thorne. It
has been revitalized over the years and has become a place for
many outreach programs, as well as a superb wildlife habitat for
demonstrations and forestry practices. Starting in 1986, the
preserve has used a great number of volunteers to restore the
pristineness of the land, and working with the Cooperative
Extension and Soil and Water Conservation District, new trails,
erosion control processes, wetland assessment, starting a
outreach program for environmental education, and a inclusive
Master Plan to help the community and other public learn and
realize the importance of conservation. The groups that use the
forest preserve today include the Boy and Girl Scout troops,
University of Maine wildlife biologists, garden clubs,
professional botanical societies, garden clubs, surveyors, soil
scientists, wetland engineers, environmental educators,
arborists and every school in the Androscoggin County.
-
Auburn Municipal Beach
The Auburn Municipal Beach
in Androscoggin County, Maine, is one of the best beaches in the
state, and probably one of the warmest. The town beach is a
fantastic place to spend a day at the beach, with the salt water
coming in cold salty waves, and the sun beating down on a hot 80
degree day. Rooms are available all along US 1, which runs up
and down the coast of Maine, giving you more places to stop and
visit, with magnificent views of the ocean and the rugged rocky
coastline of Maine. Close by are many white water rafting
opportunities, swimming, fishing, and every kind of boating that
you ever thought of. The campgrounds by the beach are superb,
with every breeze bringing in an exotic smell of pine and balsam
firs that proliferate the state. Chandler Brook is the place to
go whitewater rafting, and quite a few others will be joining
you there. Nearby Range Ponds State Park is another venue that
you can enjoy when the waves get too choppy, or the seaweed
keeps you out of the water for a while. Mount Giles can be seen
from the beach, and then when you have time, head up there for a
panoramic majestic view of the ocean and harbor area. Salmon
Point is another beautiful area that is well known down east,
and the Lake Auburn Dam is a great place to stroll and enjoy the
many sights and sounds of mother nature. The high's reach into
the 80s in the hottest part of summer, with the nights falling
back into the 60s after sunset, which can be some of the most
beautiful sights in the country. Since it is on the eastern
seaboard, the sunrises are going to be more spectacular than
most areas in the nation, the cool breezes turning the morning
sunrise, purple, orange, red and yellow, with the most bluest
blue you'll ever see.
|
