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Showing posts with label Masha Yurkevich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masha Yurkevich. Show all posts

Friday, July 15, 2022

Artist spreads hope through unique Maine sign campaign

Artist Charlie Hewitt has been spreading his 'Hopeful'
message to people in Maine and a few other states since
2019. His 'Hopeful' artwork is now displayed on Route 302
in Windham with his intention being to affect as many people
as possible in a positive way. COURTESY PHOTO  
By Masha Yurkevich

Hope – aspiration, desire, wish, dream – call it what you want it, but it is what gets us through life. Nearly every old proverb, popular saying or quote roots off hope. It is a part of our everyday lives that is often overlooked; hope is so important and so essential. Having hope is affected a lot by what you think and who you are surrounded by. What happens when we lose hope? Charlie Hewitt won’t let that happen and especially in Windham.

It all started on a dark December night in 2019 when artist and director of Speedwell projects in Portland, Jocelyn Lee, asked Hewitt if he would consider making a work of art for the roof of the Speedwell building in Portland. Hewitt agreed and instantly knew that this piece needed to be about light.

“Maine is a dark place in the winter, and I felt compelled to illuminate that corner of our world,” said Hewitt. “Just then I didn’t know how or what with.”

With some time and thought, creativity began to spark. Hewitt had been working with neon and enjoyed light and color, but he knew that to get something like that on the top of the Speedwell building would be a challenge. After yet some more thinking, he found the bright lights and marquee lights with which he would portray the message.

But how, a bigger question lay before him: what would the message be? 

After weeks of thinking through all the possibilities, Hewitt had an epiphany while in a discussion with his art dealer and friend, Jim Kempner.

“The word “hopeful” popped up somewhere in our conversation and right there and then I knew that would be the message,” said Hewitt.

The font that Hewitt chose with the help of David Wolfe fit perfectly with the message. It’s a retro automobile design and brought Hewitt back to a time when the highway was the frontier and when the car and road signs danced in harmony in a country excited by possibilities.

He says that it reminded him of a bright future illuminated by marquee road signs and littered highways, extolling the prospects of great meals, fine nights and adventures.

Hewitt was born in 1946 in Lewiston, and is a painter, printmaker and public artist. His works are part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, New York Public Library, Library of Congress and more.

From what started as bright billboards, “Hopeful” can be seen on paintings, bumper stickers and pins worn on lapels. Hewitt is now trying to expand the “Hopeful” message to other states and to a digital campaign across the country.

To date, the “Hopeful” message has been spread across seven states at many different sites, both public and private. It even included an appearance at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration.

Since his first “Hopeful” project on top of the Speedwell building in Portland, Hewitt has completed more than 28 Hopeful installations. His work is not just limited to the state of Maine but has also appeared in other states like Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York and ranges from sculptures to billboards and to paintings.

Several of these “Hopeful” signs can now be seen in Windham on Route 302 when driving between Westbrook and Windham. The “Hopeful” images have been as large as 30 feet with light bulbs and electronic billboards as large as 20 by 60 feet.

There are also “Hopeful” messages in private homes and in public libraries such as The Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. There are also bumper stickers and flags.

“Hopeful is presented in many mediums in the public and private domain,” said Hewitt. “I'm proud of all formats. It's not the medium that's important to me, it's the message.”

Hewitt’s public art focuses on the approach and creation of large-scale graphic art pieces that merge into existing public spaces to provoke community interaction, inspiration and discourse.

The Hopeful Project has also given Hewitt the opportunity to expand the platform to show support and raise funds for Ukraine.

Hewitt said every time people drive by or see the message, the word “Hopeful” serves as a reminder for people to strive for the best.

“Hopeful is not a passive work – it’s a challenge and a responsibility,” said Hewitt. “It’s a silent prayer, it’s a leap of faith you take that it’s going to be better. To be hopeful requires action, it requires commitment, it requires opening your eyes, it requires being part of something. It requires being passionately in love with your country, passionately in love with your family, and passionately in love with everyone in your community. That passion and that love I want back. I want a resurgence in my soul for that kind of life.” <

Friday, April 22, 2022

Windham’s Odyssey of the Mind team wins first place in State Tournament

Windham's Odyssey of the Mind team won first place in the
Maine State Tournament at Noble High School in North
Berwick earlier this month. Team members include Alex
Fuller, Fiona Knott, Rylee Prescott, Tori Leavitt, and Liam
Yates.  PHOTO BY DAN KNOTT
By Masha Yurkevich

There isn’t much that can be hidden in small and inclusive communities like Windham and Raymond. From our sports teams to the best pizza place in town, information travels quickly. Yet what many people in the community may not know about is Windham High School’s first place victory in Odyssey of the Mind (OM) competition.

On March 26, OM students Alex Fuller (Junior), Tori Leavitt (Junior), Rylee Prescott (Junior), Liam Yates (Junior) and Fiona Knott from Windham, (Junior who attends a private school) went to Noble High School in North Berwick to participate in the OM Problem and Division at the state tournament. Many of the students have been participating in the OM program for eight or nine years since they attended Windham Primary School.

“Odyssey of the Mind is a competition in which teams from schools all over the state prepare a project based off of given prompts, and present it to judges,” said Prescott “This year, the Windham team chose ‘classics,’ in which we created a play based off of a lesser-known historical figure.”

The problem they selected this year required them to choose a lesser-known historical figure to be featured in an original musical production. They chose Peter Francisco, a Portuguese-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. The team needed to compose and integrate three original songs to go with the storytelling of Peter Francisco's life. Along with original prop design, theatrical effects and choreography, all work was created and constructed by the five team members without adult assistance. 

Though the students are amazing, they would not have been able to get where they are today if it wouldn’t have been for their team coach, Dan Knott.

“This is my ninth year as a coach for my daughter, Fiona,” Knott said. “The students on this current team have joined at various points over the course of those nine years.” 

Over the years, he’s watched these team members create and problem-solve, and every year he’s been proud of what they've accomplished. This year, these talented kids have outdone themselves and earned some well-deserved recognition from the judges at the state tournament.

Since the ideas and solutions come from their imagination, Knott’s role has always been to help them find their way to make it a realized product.

“Now, the team brings a level of focus and maturity where I can take a step back and watch them bring about the reality they seek,” said Knott. “These kids will do amazing things.” 

Prescott said the camaraderie of the group appeals to her.

I am part of Odyssey of the Mind because the idea of working with friends to solve problems sounded fun,” she said. “So far, I am very glad that I joined, as the team building, problems and friendships have been so worth it.”

After winning the state tournament, the team’s next step will be to compete in the OM Worlds competition next month in Iowa.

In Odyssey of the Mind Worlds, you compete not only against other winners from your own state, but with people from all over the world, hence the name,” said Prescott. “Worlds will provide a ton of experience with other people and is a great opportunity to take.”

If Windham’s OM raises enough money to compete in the world finals, they will be traveling to Ames, Iowa where Iowa State University is hosting the 2022 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. They will depart on Tuesday, May 24 to attend the event from May 25 through May 28.  

“Our team has to pay for the airfare, shuttles and prop shipping as well as the room and board on campus,” said Knott. “All told, our target cost for the team and chaperones will be close to $10,000.”

The Windham High School OM team will be doing a number of fundraisers such as bottle drives to raise money to fund the trip. Donations will gladly be accepted.

To donate, Windham High School has set up an account to accept donations for the team. Send check or money to: Windham High School, Attention Odyssey of the Mind, 406 Gray Rd, Windham, ME 04062. There is also a GoFundMe at the following link http://gofund.me/5e5114fd.

For more information about Windham’s OM program, contact Coach Dan Knott at danielwknott78@gmail.com. <

Friday, April 8, 2022

PowerServe lights the way for community engagement and service

The creator of the 302 Rotary light display is PowerServe,
a local community volunteer group that is dedicated to
serving the Windham community. Here the Rotary is
displayed in hues honoring the Ukrainian national colors.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  
By Masha Yurkevich

Many may have noticed the lights honoring Ukraine that shine brightly around the rotary on Routes 202 and 302. There have been some inquiries on social media platforms wondering who the responsible party is for the illumination of Christmas lights that now display the national colors of Ukraine.

The initiator of this often talked about illumination is PowerServe, a local community volunteer group that gathers annually to help serve the Windham community. PowerServe started in 2016 when Shane Donnelly, a Windham High School (WHS) student, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 16. Windham resident Kristine Delano, Chair of YoungLife Sebago whose daughters attended WHS at the time, witnessed the sense of loss happening to the students and knew something needed to be done. 

“Seeing firsthand the amazing job that YoungLife leaders did in mentoring teens in the Sebago area, Delano wanted to build a legacy of service in our community to build encouragement and connectivity,” Sam Patton, Day Director and Sponsor Coordinator of PowerServe said. “She, her family and other YoungLife leaders recruited a small group of volunteers to organize a day that would help our community, be fun, and enable all generations to work together.” 

The organization provides services such as paint sheds, build trail bridges, pick up trash, restore historic graves, plant memorials and much more. 

WHS Juniors, Maddie Hancock and Grace Paiement are both volunteers for PowerServe and act as the school liaisons with the organization to continue the PowerServe tradition. Hancock first got involved with her family and then got reinvolved when the event was advertised through National Honors Society, which is when Paiement also got involved. From there, both Hancock and Paiement talked with Patton Day and got involved in the planning process.

Last year, due to COVID-19, PowerServe was not able to gather in its usual large numbers of volunteers. Fortunately, they still found a way to help the community by creating the light display to be enjoyed during the evening hours.  

This year, PowerServe will continue its kind acts.

“The committee has been meeting once a week to plan events for this Memorial Day,” Hancock. “We are planning to do around five projects for the community and about another five projects for someone in the community in need.” 

Their next community service project is planned for Memorial Day. Hancock said that their project coming up has a goal of getting 120 volunteers of which all will get a PowerServe t-shirt with a barbeque after the projects are completed.

The volunteers will be separated into smaller groups of six to ten volunteers who be assigned a specific project. Each project usually takes between two to four hours. Upon completion of the project, the Donnelly family honors their son’s life by providing the barbeque meal and offering an opportunity for volunteers to share their experiences about the day. 

“These memories last for years and we keep coming back for more,” said Patton. “This is a day where friends and family can serve and invest in the town together. They can help their neighbors together and meet others. Some connections are still going years later and have continued to support one another.”

Their next big event will be on Memorial Day, May 30th, 2022. To sign and volunteer, please visit their website at www.powerserve.me/home

If you know a person in the community who is in need, you can also nominate them through the same website.  

Briefly, YoungLife is a Christian organization whose focus is to make sure that middle and high school students have positive role models in their lives. As stated on their website, YoungLife leaders make sure people feel a sense of belonging and encourage teens as they navigate life as an adolescent. 

PowerServe is sponsored by a loyal set of businesses which include, but are not limited to, YoungLife Sebago, Gorham Savings Bank, Lowes, Shaw Earthworks, Windham Rental, Bob's Screen printing, Hannaford, Island Cove Builders, Benson Farms and more. If you would like to sponsor PowerServe, you may do so on their website, www.powerserve.me/home. <