Enfield artist captures Katahdin for travelers State program commissions rest stop project

MEDWAY – June Grey hadn’t seriously thought about painting Mount Katahdin before the new rest areas on Interstate 95 were built. She thought it was too cliched for an artist living in Maine to paint such a familiar landmark.

Yet, Grey’s paintings of the mountain are the first site visitors encounter when they step inside the buildings on either side of the interstate. The large acrylic painting on the I-95 north rest area depicts the mountain in spring while the painting in the other building captures Katahdin covered in fall foliage.

The 49-year-old Arlington, Mass., native painted a total of six pictures of the mountain for the rest areas. The four smaller ones are about 2 inches by 41/2 inches, with two in each rest stop. The larger paintings measure 31 by 36 inches.

“Katahdin is something I swore I would never paint – it’s so overdone,” she said. “Then, when I was asked about this project, I thought it could be a wonderful opportunity for me as an artist. I tried to approach the work and depict the mountain as if I was looking at it for first time – the way tourists might see it.”

The Enfield artist changed her mind about painting the mountain when she was asked to submit a proposal to the Department of Transportation under the Percent for Art program. Since the law passed in 1979, 1 percent of the construction or renovation budget for public buildings has been set aside for the purchase of original works of art. That includes every structure paid for with state funds from the State House to schools to office buildings to rest stops.

Grey is best-known for her small paintings, some of which measure just 1-by-2 inches.

She said she enjoyed the challenge of creating the larger works and chose to paint views of the mountain that were easily accessible. The fall painting shows Katahdin from Sandy Brook Pond while the early spring view is from the north side. The four smaller paintings of the mountain are views from Patten, the Golden Road, Baxter State Park and the scenic overlook on I-95 north.

“I don’t know of too many other artists who can say their work is in a rest area,” Grey said with a laugh. “That rest area is so cozy, it could have a moose head hanging on the wall and a fireplace. It’s kind of funny when people ask me where they can see my work and I say, ‘You can see it in a rest area.’ ”

The work of hundreds of Maine artists can be seen around the state in public buildings including the Houlton Tourist Center, that has a bronze cast sculpture of a moose by Glenn Hines of Houlton on the counter, according to Paul Faria of the Maine Arts Commission.

More than 1,200 works of art have been purchased since 1979, he said. State offices and buildings account for 20 percent of the total and the university and technical college projects make up another 20 percent. Public schools account for the remaining 60 percent.

Many travelers who stop at the Medway rest areas may get their first lingering view of Mount Katahdin when they see Grey’s paintings. The artist’s work may show tourists who’ve only seen the mountain in summer, what it looks like blanketed in snow. It may give them an idea of what awaits them once they leave the Interstate and state roads behind.

Grey thought that when she completed the MDOT commission, she’d be finished with Katahdin. Now, she’s not so sure.

“When I drive to Lincoln from my house in Enfield, off in the distance I can’t help but notice it,” said the artist. “It’s always the same, but it’s always different at the same time. The light is different than it was the day before or the clouds are in a different place. It engages a person. I probably will paint it some more.”

Penobscot Indians, for whom the mountain is sacred, might observe that while Grey captured the mountain in her paintings, the mountain captivated the artist as well.