Art show, sale to aid island museum, cultural center

CRANBERRY ISLES – Generations of artists from away have been captivated by the tranquillity and spectacular scenery of these islands located just off the southern coast of Mount Desert Island.

It seems only fitting that some of their creations will be auctioned off to help fund a home-grown museum and cultural center on Great Cranberry Island.

Organizers have high hopes for Thursday’s one-day art exhibit and silent auction at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor, which will feature artworks inspired by the island’s rock-bound beauty.

“I think it’s going to be a real fun time for everybody,” Wini Smart, artist and president of the Great Cranberry Island Historical Society, said last week. “The art show is going to be so special. It’s kind of a once in a lifetime event.”

Smart, who joked that the historical society would never stage such an event again because it was “too much work,” said that the exhibit gathered together art from as long ago as the early 1900s.

Some of the better-known expressionist and abstract-expressionist artists whose works will be displayed include C. Scott White, William Kienbusch, Carl Nelson and Dorothy Eisner. More than 50 paintings will be exhibited.

“They came here because of the beauty and the peace and tranquillity,” Smart said. “They just loved it, to paint. And one would bring another.”

Two of Nelson’s oil paintings will be auctioned off alongside works by present-day island artists Ashley Bryan, Smart, Gail Cleveland, Sue Hand and David Little, among others.

Jewelry by island artists Lisa Hall and Sam Shaw will go on the block, too, and will be joined by handmade quilts, crafts and a plethora of gift certificates.

An island flavor will permeate the event, Smart said. Refreshments include the “Crantini,” a vodka-and-cranberry juice creation, and cranberry-flavored meatballs. Entertainment will be provided by island musicians.

Islanders are used to pulling together for a good cause, Smart said, adding that one thing that makes Great Cranberry unusual is that there is no line of demarcation between summer people and year-round islanders.

“It’s kind of like a big family,” she said. “They all help each other. … It’s a wonderful place to live, that’s all.”

If the fundraising for the $375,000 refurbishment of the historical society’s Cranberry House is successful, the island will be even more lively.

Plans are under way to turn the old wooden structure into a combination museum and a place for small theater, musical events, art workshops and a cafe.

Last year, $139,000 was raised for the project. Smart said she hopes that the coming art auction will provide an additional $50,000.

“We just feel that we’re adding a lot to the well-being of the island,” Smart said of the refurbishment project. “So many islands have just closed up and not stayed alive. We’re trying our best to … keep it going, keep it functional.”

“Art of the Cranberry Isles, Past and Present,” will be held from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor. The event is free. The viewing and silent auction will be held all day and the live auction will begin at 4 p.m. Call Leslie Watson at 244-5229 for information.