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AUBURN – The city will hold its second annual Art in the Park 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 21.
The city is also serving co-host of the state of Maine Bicentennial Parade the same day.
Art in the Park will be held at Main and Academy streets in downtown Auburn, adjacent to Community Little Theater, and will include a juried art show with cash prizes, as well as a vendor area, where artists, food trucks and other vendors from near and far will connect with people who are there to take part in the parade festivities.
“After taking last year off, we are so excited to partner with L-A Arts once again,” said Haley Warden, member of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and chairwoman of Art in the Park 2021. “Artists from across Maine are warmly invited to participate in this exceptional art event; details can be found at www.artinauburn.com.”
The juried art show features two, well-known Maine artists who will serve as judges — Auburn’s own Andy Rosen and Kate Cargile. Cargile is an Auburn resident and a long-time middle school art teacher. She works in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, appliqué quilting and papier-mâché sculpture. Rosen is an Auburn native whose artwork has appeared in national and international exhibitions, including the Portland Museum of Art (Portland, Jim Kempner Fine Arts (New York, N.Y.), Tacoma Museum of Art (Tacoma, WA), Cuchifritos Gallery (New York, NY), Pulse Art Fair (Miami, FL), & Tetra Projects (traveling exhibition) Mytilene, Greece.
Artists registered for the juried show can submit two pieces of original work (3D art is permitted). For more information about registration or vendor options, contact the City of Auburn at www.artinauburn.com.
Auburn’s public art presence growing
The city of Auburn also has announced multiple public art pieces that will be installed throughout the downtown district in the months ahead. “What began as one public art piece made possible by the Creative Communities Grant from the Maine Arts Commission (via L/A Arts and L-A Metro Chamber of Commerce) quickly evolved into three incredible pieces,” said Auburn Recreation Director Sabrina Best. “Auburn has a real appetite and excitement for public art and that’s contagious and so much fun. We are building a legacy of public art and it is a community-wide effort.”
Anniversary Park will be home to two of the new public art pieces. “The Fish,” a nine-foot stone sculpture by Maine artist Thomas Berger, is scheduled to be unveiled at the July 30 Artwalk. Following that, a piece by Auburn’s own Charlie Hewitt — an LED illuminated rose with the words “French Beauty” — will be installed sometime this fall. The third piece of public art is Hugh Lassen’s “Bud Form,” a life-sized abstract sculpture that will stand roughly six feet tall (with the ability to rotate). The sculpture will be placed in Longley Park, near the start of the bridge in one of Auburn’s busiest gateways.
Story Walk expansion
Auburn’s art-related projects for 2021 will culminate with the installation of eight additional Storywalk displays, from Longley Park to West Pitch Park. With the new displays, the Storywalk, following Auburn’s Riverwalk along the beautiful Androscoggin River, will feature a total of 16 display cases, from Bonney Park up to the falls at West Pitch Park.
July’s Storywalk theme will be a celebration of National Parks and Recreation Month. Each of the eight original displays will showcase a local park or facility, encouraging viewers to visit and enjoy local parks and trails. The eight newly-installed displays will showcase a variety of poems written by local authors.
For more information contact the Recreation Department at 207-333-6611 or Art in the Park Coordinator Haley Warden at hwarden@auburnmaine.gov.
