Murray prepares to lead Windham Chamber Singers as director

By Ed Pierce

He’s stepping into huge shoes to fill, but Ryan Murray is ready to take on one of the most prominent and influential positions in the RSU 14 School district.

Ryan Murray is the new director of choral
activities at Windham High School andc will
lead the Windham Chamber Singers.
COURTESY PHOTO  

Murray has been named by the RSU 14 Board of Directors to succeed Dr. Richard Nickerson as director of choral activities at Windham High School. That position includes serving as the director of the Windham Chamber Singers, a role that Nickerson held for 39 years before his retirement in June after an illustrious career with RSU 14.

During his time at Windham High School, Nickerson led the Windham Chamber Singers as the choral performed at the White House and at Carnegie Hall and won the Prize of Vienna at the 25th International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria in 1996.

Murray is from Scarborough and after graduating from high school at Thornton Academy, he attended the University of Maine where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. He was a recipient of a Tri-City Community Chorus Music Scholarship for college music education studies.

His experiences at UMaine helped prepare him for his new challenge teaching music at Windham High School and touring with the Windham Chamber Singers.

During college, Murray successfully auditioned as a freshman to become a member of the University Singers, a choir in which both of his parents had sung. As a college senior, Murray served as one of two assistant conductors for the University Singers. In March 2025, he was able to conduct the fourth movement of Johannes Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” for the University Singers’ spring concerts and annual spring tour, which was part of a group tour across Maine and into Quebec.

As a college junior and senior, Murray also served as music director for The Maine Steiners, an all-male a capella music group that is part of UMaine University Singers. During that experience, he chose what music the group would perform, handled scheduling and rehearsals and teaching proper vocal technique.

Beside his involvement with the University Singers and The Maine Steiners while attending college, Murray also was a participant in Camerata Dirigo, a chamber octet based in Orono. In 2024 he conducted Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem,” one of the best-known pieces of all choral music, during a full-length concert.

As a UMaine student, Murray also found time to work with choral students in a classroom setting at Orono Middle School. There he put into practice education skills that he learned and was able to inspire his students and give them confidence to meet greater challenges in music.

In his new position working with Windham High School students, Murray will direct the school choirs and teach elective courses in music. He will also be responsible for conducting the Windham Chamber Singers, scheduling group performances and coordinating logistics for music festivals and other events. Murray also will serve as the Music Director for the school musical.

During a Windham Chamber Singers reunion concert in June, Murray said he admires Nickerson and intends to continue the existing music program at the high school while also starting some new ones. Both of his parents are music teachers and at one point, his mother taught alongside Nickerson after she graduated from college.

The future is wide open for Murray and although he is replacing a legendary music educator in his new job, he is confident and excited to make the job his own.

Murray says that he also plans to work on obtaining a master’s degree in music so he can further his skills and enhance his musical knowledge so that he can offer an outstanding educational experience for his students at Windham High School. <

Voters to determine fate of Windham Middle School repurpose proposal

By Ed Pierce

The Windham Town Council has approved placing a referendum question on the ballot in November for purchasing Windham Middle School for $1 once it is vacant in the fall of 2027 and repurposing the facility into a Community Center and housing town offices and the Windham Public Library.

Windham Town Councilors have approved placing a 
referendum before voters on Nov. 3 to approve issuing 
general obligation bonds of up to $19.5 million to
finance the costs of repurposing Windham Middle School
for use as a community center and moving town offices and
Windham Public Library there. This is an artist's depiction
of the completed project. COURTESY PHOTO     

A motion was passed unanimously during Tuesday evening’s town council meeting to ask Windham voters on Nov. 3 to approve issuing general obligation bonds up to $19.5 million to finance the costs of rehabilitating the Windham Middle School for use as a community center, including the costs of design, engineering, professional services, site preparation, construction, renovation, operating costs, and other improvements and furnishings as may be required in connection with the project. The proposal includes appropriating up to $2 million of the town’s fund balance as the Town Council deems reasonable and necessary to reduce the borrowing amount and directly pay for costs of the project.

Councilors will conduct a Special Town Meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 to answer questions the public may have about the proposal, which addresses shortfalls in the current municipal buildings, each of which carries long-term replacement costs and short-term maintenance and repair costs. The project was developed over the past two years by the WMS Repurpose Advisory Committee and would consolidate town hall offices, parks and recreation, social services, the food pantry, clothing and medical closets and the library to the building, which RSU 14 is vacating upon opening of the new Windham Raymond Middle School in August 2027.

An amendment to the motion advancing the referendum was made by Windham Town Councilor Katie Cook for the council to recommend approval of the referendum.

The existing Windham Middle School building first opened in 1974 and was intended for a capacity of 483 students. That number has grown in the past 52 years to 650 students and some sixth graders being housed for classes at the adjacent Field Allen School, which was built in 1949.

In November 2023, a plurality of voters in the school district, which encompasses Windham and Raymond, approved a referendum to build the new Windham Raymond Middle School with about 77 percent of construction costs paid by the Maine Department of Education’s Major Capital Construction Program. The total project budget to construct the new school is estimated at about $171.5 million, with the state funding $131.7 million of that expense and residents of Windham and Raymond paying the remaining $39.8 million.

As part of the referendum to obtain $131.7 million in state funding for the new middle school, RSU 14 voters agreed that the existing Windham Middle School could not be used as a school again, since the state had already contributed funding for substantial repair costs over decades of the building’s use.

In formulating the proposal as to how best to repurpose the WMS building, WMS Repurpose Advisory worked with an architect and design team and toured the Westbrook and Gorham Community Centers to see how those towns adapted old school buildings for community center facilities.

Determining that the basic structure of the school was sound and that it offered 80,000 square feet of available space, the committee looked at the existing town buildings with long-term replacement costs and short-term maintenance, parking improvements and repair costs and decided that a number of municipal services could be relocated to the site for a fraction of the cost of renovating or replacing current buildings.

Committee members also reviewed the community center engagement results from August 2019 which identified multigenerational flexible spaces for a range of activities. Members determined the building can accommodate those identified spaces within the current structure and/or future spaces around the facility. They will also further determine any new spaces not in the current building and the phasing opportunities and costs.

The intent of the August 2019 study was to identify the need to create a multi-generational facility for all Windham residents that enhances the quality of life for Windham, provides flexible spaces for a range of activities, and is a self-sustaining site that fosters fun for residents. The 20-member Middle School Repurpose Advisory Committee serves as an advisory body to the Town Council and was used to analyze the potential re-uses for the school and a potential benefit as a community center or municipal offices.

Windham Town Manager Robert Burns said the WMS Repurpose Advisory Committee also received guidance from Great Falls Construction, which has assisted the town in other projects, such as reconfiguring and expanding Windham’s Public Safety Building in 2022.

Burns said although the benefits of the Windham Middle School Repurposing Project come with a cost, in the long run it will be cost-effective for the town.

“This building represents an opportunity for us to move forward,” Burns said. “This is still the best way forward for us.” 

He said Windham’s Social Services Office, which houses the Windham Food Pantry, requires more room, as does Windham Public Library. Windham’s Medical Loan Closet was moved temporarily last fall to the East Windham Fire Station stemming from structural issues with its building near the library on Windham Center Road.

Councilor Maggie Terry said she read comments about the WMS Repurpose Project posted on social media earlier this week and said residents need to understand that the cost to maintain municipal buildings continues to grow. She said she doesn’t like spending, but realizes the long-term savings offered by this repurposing project are the lowest costs the town will see.

“This is an opportunity for us we’ll never see at this value again,” Terry said.

The proposal does not include a community swimming pool, but the option is there should future phases of the repurposing project arise. It does include reconfiguring access for residents entering the site from Route 202 (Gray Road) and first-floor access to the Windham Town Clerk’s Office for conducting transactions such as automobile and boat registration, obtaining dog licenses, hunting and fishing licenses, registering to vote, property tax collection, notary service and marriage licenses.

It also would construct pickle ball courts, a redo of property sidewalks and fencing. <

New chorus sings way to ‘Raymond’s Got Talent’ win

By Erin Rose

Newly formed women’s a capella chorus Harmony 207 captured the audience’s votes to win Raymond’s Got Talent on Friday, July 24.

Formed earlier this year, women's a capella chorus Harmony
207 was the winner of the 'Raymond's Got Talent' contest
on Friday, July 24 at the Hawthorne House in Raymond.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

“Everyone had a great time, and it was a great confidence booster, because it was the first time they’ve sung anything in public as a group,” said Denise “D” Dyer, founder of the group. “It was amazing.”

Hosted by the Hawthorne Community Association at the Hawthorne House, the event featured 12 performances from talented members of the local community, including singers, jugglers and comedians. Two acts were given golden tickets, and the audience selected Harmony 207 as the ultimate winner.

Dyer’s sister, Debbie Redmond, helped embroider shirts with the Harmony 207 logo, enabling the group to look the part during the competition.

“We looked put together,” Dyer said, noting that there were about 45 people in the audience. “Everyone had a blast.”

The group performed two songs, including “Christmas Chopsticks,” a song set to the tune of “Chopsticks” with lyrics that begin with “Twas’ the night before Christmas.”

“We figured we could get away with it at the Hawthorne House because it was July 24,” Dyer said. “If you think of Christmas in July, this was Christmas Eve in July. We did that first, and then “Let There be Peace on Earth”, which is universal and good at any time of the year.”

When asked to perform, Dyer said that the group, which was founded on May 5, was unaware that it would be a competition.

“The really cool thing is that some of the members, when we found out we got to perform, they said ‘what if we suck’ or ‘what if we lose?’” she said. “First of all, I explained, it’s just a performance and a chance to sing before a friendly audience.”

“I know we call it a competition; I prefer to call it a performance and someone else has to decide where it ranks,” Dyer continued. “We just do our best and enjoy the performance and our audience will enjoy it as well.”

The win has energized both those who performed and the members who had to miss the event. While the group membership has grown to 19 women, 13 were able to perform in Raymond.

“These ladies are excited to learn more music and sing in public,” Dyer said. “It was shared with the rest of the group who couldn’t go and made them want to be able to go to the next one.”

The next event will be a Christmas benefit concert that will be held at the Windham Hill United Church of Christ where the group rehearses from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday nights. Songs at the performance will include “Let There be Peace on Earth” and Con Fullam of Windham’s “The Maine Christmas Song.”

“Their chapel is one of those quaint beautiful New England chapels, with wreathes on the door,” Dyer said, adding that the church permits the group to use the space throughout the year without charge. “It’s what you would picture as a Christmas church.”

“It’s the perfect setting to do Christmas music, including “The Maine Christmas Song”,” she said.

The group continues to grow as the Christmas concert approaches, and Dyer reminds anyone still interested to attend a rehearsal and join in.

“If you know someone who wants to sing but they worry that they’ll feel like they are behind, they shouldn’t worry,” she said. “We’ll help them prioritize what to learn, what to work on, and they’ll learn right along with us when we get the new stuff.”

The upcoming rehearsal on Tuesday, Sept. 1 will present a great opportunity to join, as they regroup after the busy summer. Members will bring food for a potluck, allowing them to reconnect over a meal and share the tales of their summer adventures before setting goals and beginning rehearsals for the Christmas concert.

“Singing and rehearsing through the summer has been difficult with rotating vacation schedules, so we’re doing a potluck welcome back from summer on Sept. 1,” Dyer said. “Anyone who is interested in singing with us is welcome to come.”

“My goal is that people remember that family comes first and we’re singing because we love to sing, not because we want to compete or because we want to win,” she added. “Right now, the expectation is that people are coming to sing and learn Christmas music to do the concert on Dec. 12.”

As the group grows, Dyer has accelerated her plan to join international parent organization Harmony Incorporated, as a chapter charter, citing the benefits of the extensive resources provided by membership. Founded in 1959, the organization represents 2,000 women, and more than 65 chapters of choruses in the United States and Canada.

“There are a lot of resources available from Harmony Incorporated,” she said. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we can join and be able to reap the benefits of the resources that are available.”

The focus is currently on the Christmas concert, but Dyer said that future goals will likely not be to compete. While the group may ultimately join competitions, the goal is to perform as a way to raise funds to purchase music and other items to support the chorus.

“Competition is expensive,” Dyer explained, accounting for event passes, hotel rooms, food, and transportation to the event. “Music costs money, music tracks cost money. If we want to perform more than Christmas music, which we do, it’s best if we can raise money by doing singing than by having extra events or selling things.”

Dyer continues to seek out new members via the group’s Facebook page, Harmony 207 Windham, Maine, reminding anyone who may be nervous that the group exists to support all singers.

“The voice is an intensely personal thing,” she said. “People are reluctant to put that out there because they fear criticism. There is none of that. This is a place for everyone to sing.”

“If you can sing “Happy Birthday” in tune, you’re welcome to sing with us,” she said.

The Windham Hill UCC is located at 140 Windham Center Road in Windham. More information about the group or meeting can be found on its Facebook page or by reaching out to Dyer at [email protected]. <

Windham Swing Dancing to close summer with gala event

By Erin Rose

Windham Swing Dancing will wrap up its summer of dance lessons and free dances with the Summer Gala for local high school students from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Windham Town Gym.

Audrey Knowles and James Orasky swing dance during an
event hosted by the Windham Swing Dance group. The
summer of dance lessons and free dances concludes with
the Summer Gala dance for local high school students
from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Windham Town Gym.
PHOTO BY HEATHER PAULDING

“It’s going to be a fantastic time,” said Greta Paulding, a 2023 Windham High School graduate who founded the group in 2024 with the help of Greely High School graduate Elsa Knowles. “We want to get as many people as possible and see some of the faces we haven’t seen in a while.”

“If anybody has danced with us, even if they’ve since graduated, or if they’ve never danced with us before, they are more than welcome to come,” she said.

While the group’s events are typically free, due to the scale of the gala, there will be a $5 charge to help cover expenses decorations and the baked treats that will be available.

“Usually, we try to keep everything free, but because we had to rent the space from the town and with all of the decorations, it’s a lot of expense,” Paulding said. “If $5 is too much, put on whatever you have that’s fancy and come have some fun.”

Paulding’s mom, Heather, has been a major help to the group during its time and is working to prepare the decorations by hand for the gala.

“She’s making 20 to 30 feet of bunting from scratch,” Paulding said. “Our house is literally covered in fake wisteria and muslin, and fake flowers are coming out of the walls.”

The group has been preparing for the gala all summer, with lessons in ballroom dance styles, such as Viennese waltz, foxtrot, and cha cha during their weekly Wednesday meetings.

“Part of the fun of this gala is for them to be able to ballroom dance,” Paulding said.

They also did a lot of country swing dancing, which allows partners to pair off but does not require full body contact, which can help nervous teens.

“The nice part of country swing dancing, it’s more open and fluid,” Paulding said. “It’s only really hand contact for the most part, which means you can take someone by the hand, spin them around, and have a great time without feeling super close.”

Paulding also says that all the members of the group have been novices at one time, so they also understand the challenges of learning the different steps.

“You don’t have to be a great dancer or be good at this. It’s your first day,” she said. “If you can manage to spin in a circle and not fall down, you’ve already done better than I did on my first day.”

The gala will also be one of the group’s final events for Paulding, as she is engaged to fellow Grove City College student Caden Schipani, and will be moving to Pennsylvania once she graduates in the spring. As to the group’s future, it remains unknown.

“There is interest from the kids to keep it going, but there is nobody who is stepping up to lead,” she said, citing difficulties teens have in planning future summers, with internships, beginning college, or finding work taking priority. “We’re praying it continues in some capacity.”

“Right now, there are no good answers, which is why we are celebrating everything that we have done and all of these great people we have brought together,” Paulding said.

The Windham group was founded after Paulding started attending college at Grove City, where a school club helped Paulding discover her interest in dancing. That interest helped Paulding overcome mental health challenges.

“When I was a freshman, I had a lot of different mental health things that I was struggling with, including anxiety and depression. I’m also on the spectrum too, so I was dealing with a lot of stuff,” she said. “Even so, I said ‘it’s swing dancing, how bad could it be?’”

“It’s only loud music and lights and crowds and physical touch, all the things that would set me off,” Paulding continued. “For the first month probably, I would have pretty frequent panic attacks after going swing dancing because my body was not used to that.”

“I just kept going back because I was making these new friends, getting more active and getting more healthy. I was even miraculously slowly getting better at it,” she said. “It was so much fun, and the community was so wonderful.”

Not only has dancing improved her physical health, it quickly made long-lasting changes to her mental health.

“All of the anxiety symptoms that had kept me away from social spaces disappeared and didn’t come back,” Paulding said. “They haven’t come back.”

Seeing how dancing helped her anxiety helped inspire Paulding, with the support of co-teacher Knowles, to provide the same opportunity for local teens.

“All through high school, I was watching all of these other kids struggling with things that were so much worse than what I was dealing with and they had no outlet,” she said. “I came back and said, ‘I have one year of swing dancing under my belt. How hard could this be?’”

“I asked my friend Elsa, who is the coolest person I know, who also had not really done much dance,” Paulding said. “Elsa is phenomenal.”

The group started small in 2024.

“If we had 10 people in the room that year, it was a miracle,” Paulding said. “But we had a really fun time.”

A marketing major and a graphic artist, Paulding used her expertise to help grow that number to 25 for 2025 after an Instagram post found popularity.

“We had one post that reached 16,000 views, which was really exciting,” she said. “We got reposted by all of these different organizations as examples of building community. It was awesome.”

The post also helped bring new members from far afield to attend the group’s meetings.

“We had a whole group of kids that came from New Hampshire after they saw us on Instagram and drove two hours to find us,” she said, adding that a Grove City graduate who lives in Bath, Jack Herman, has been driving an hour weekly with his sisters to attend and help teach. “He’s been holding down the fort for us on ballroom styles.”

“We have a huge cohort out of Yarmouth, with one friend group who keeps pulling new people in, and one girl who comes all the way from Durham by herself every week,” Paulding said. “It’s been wonderful.”

Now, the group has over 30 members who attend regularly, but summer schedules make it challenging for everyone to attend every week, so there are usually 20 to 25 people dancing each week. Their final regular meeting will be on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

For more details, visit the group’s social media pages on Instagram and Facebook. <

Historic trees at Windham Public Library receive long-awaited identification tags

By Masha Yurkevich

Visitors to Windham Public Library can now learn the stories behind several trees that have quietly grown on the library grounds for decades. The Friends of Windham Public Library recently completed a tree-tagging project, installing identification bracelets on historic trees planted on the property.

New identification tags at Windham Public
Library tell the stories behind three historic
trees, including a tulip poplar, a ginkgo and 
a Princeton elm, connecting visitors to the
library's history and community partnerships.
SUBMITTED PHOTO    

Jennifer Alvino Wood, director of the Windham Public Library, said the project helps identify trees that were planted in honor of the groups that donated them.

"This project has been a way to identify the trees on the library property that were planted in honor of the groups that donated them," Wood said.

Three trees on the property are now tagged, including a tulip poplar, a ginkgo and a Princeton elm, which was planted by the Windham High School Class of 1962. The tags identify the type of tree, where it came from, who donated it, who planted it and the date it was planted.

The Friends of Windham Public Library identified the trees and created the tags.

For Laurel Parker, a member of the Friends of Windham Public Library and co-president of the Longfellow Garden Club, the project has been decades in the making. The Longfellow Garden Club purchased the two historic trees planted at the library in 1995. The club, established in 1924, continues its mission of supporting gardens and community beautification projects throughout the region.

Parker’s connection to the trees dates back to 1995, when she led Girl Scout Troop 705. The troop was part of the National Historic Tree Project, which distributed seedlings connected to historically significant locations across the country for communities to plant.

"It is always said that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years before you want it to grow," Parker said.

Working with the Longfellow Garden Club, the troop planted two historic trees on the library grounds in May 1995. Although the trees have continued to grow for more than 30 years, they remained unidentified until this summer, when the Friends of Windham Public Library completed the tagging project.

One of the trees is a tulip poplar grown from a seedling connected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park, New York. The other is a ginkgo descended from one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright historic properties.

The identification plaques are attached to each tree in the form of what Parker described as a “tree bracelet.” The 4-by-6-inch plaques are secured with a spring that expands as the tree grows.

Parker said the bracelets were designed so they would not damage the trees as they mature. A protective plastic sleeve covers part of the spring, allowing the bracelet to expand as the trunk grows without cutting into the bark. The design ensures the tags can remain in place for years while continuing to identify each tree for library visitors.

"I thought it was important that the trees be tagged so everybody knew who they were," Parker said.

The library was chosen as the planting site because of the involvement Parker had with both the Girl Scouts and the Longfellow Garden Club, along with her longtime connection to the library. Parker served as the children's librarian for 25 years and said the project reflected a desire to improve the library grounds while encouraging environmental awareness.

"I hope that people realize that it does make a difference when you make a planting like this," Parker said. "It connects history and people."

She summarized the purpose of planting and identifying the trees with just one word, "Connection."

Wood said the tagged trees are only part of the library property history.

"We have many types of trees, plantings, and other items on our property donated and planted to recognize groups or volunteers and library supporters who have passed away," Wood said. "The library is a place where people can come, see the items, and remember the people and groups who are honored by them."

Wood says she encourages residents to explore the grounds and discover those stories for themselves. "Take a walk around our property," Wood said. "There is a lot to see and a lot of history here."

More than 30 years after the first two historic trees were planted, the new identification tags ensure visitors can better appreciate the history, partnerships and community connections rooted throughout the grounds of Windham Public Library. <

WHS art teacher expands his creativity beyond classroom with goal of community through murals

By Sophia Atherton

Art has always been a part of Joe McLaughlin’s life, and he wanted to share the love of creativity by becoming an art teacher. But little did he know how far his love for painting would take him. McLaughlin, who currently teaches painting, street art, printmaking, and drawing at Windham High School, has broadened his canvas beyond the classroom and onto walls of businesses throughout Maine.

Windham High School art teacher Joe McLaughlin finds
artwork, including murals, to be a rewarding opportunity
to create transformation and change the way people
experience the world. Here he shows a mural he painted
for Big Swing Golf Sim in Windham.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

Recently, you’ll find McLaughlin’s talented artwork at a few businesses in Windham including the Big Swing Golf Sim. He explains how that opportunity took place.

"My first public mural came about unexpectedly,” McLaughlin said. “While visiting Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick, I noticed a large white wall at the entrance and immediately wanted to fill that blank space with artwork. I asked the owners what they planned to do with it. When they told me they didn't have any plans, I suggested a mural.”

That project led to a second mural for the brewery and showed McLaughlin the power of community connections and word-of-mouth recommendations. He not only enjoys painting for businesses and community members, but also the relationship that art creates.

“I've met incredible people and have been given opportunities I never would have expected. I enjoy the interactions with the owners and patrons and seeing their excitement at the outcome, watching their business and space grow from just a shell of a room to an art installation."

He said that he has painted subjects that he never imagined doing, from aviation scenes to bees and golf courses, and his murals have taken him to places he otherwise might never have visited.

One of McLaughlin's favorite parts about creating murals is watching the pieces come together.

“Seeing the progress each time I complete the next step is very rewarding to me,” he said.

McLaughlin also finds artwork rewarding because it has the power to create transformation and change the way people experience the world.

"Art has always been a part of my life. I've been teaching art for 25 years at every grade level, from kindergarten through high school, but my passion for drawing and painting began long before I ever stepped into a classroom,” he said.

When McLaughlin was in high school, he said he was always creating, and that passion eventually grew into painting murals. His parents gave him the freedom and the space to paint a wall in his bedroom. At first, it was just one wall that featured a mural of Jerry Garcia, then before he knew it, every wall in his room was painted. The support of his parents gave him more than just a spark for mural painting but in changing the way he looked at blank walls.

Although painting, drawing and street art come naturally to McLaughlin, he admits that some things do not come easily while creating murals professionally.

“Some challenges that I face include scaling up a small drawing,” McLaughlin said. “When designing the golf ball, for example, I sometimes need to make changes on the wall adjusting the size from the original sketch. I will need to scale and proportion the artwork, so everything doesn’t appear too massive or too small.”

McLaughlin also takes a lot of photographs and will look at them at home to discover how things can be improved, learning to deviate from the original sketch.

“I also receive a lot of help from my wife, Kristin, and sometimes we work as a team to improve the artwork,” he said.

McLaughlin's view on the value of public art in the community was formed from traveling nationally and internationally.

“Sometimes public art can change the landscape of downtrodden communities and become a tourist attraction,” McLaughlin said. “Even changing the energy of a space. When things are so divisive these days, art can act as a universal language to bring people together."

McLaughlin’s love of art is more than a creative and teaching endeavor and, as a result, he hopes to add more art in the Windham and Raymond areas.

“Ultimately, I hope my work inspires others to see the value of art,” he said. “Murals have the power to transform businesses and strengthen communities.”

For his next mural, McLaughlin has been commissioned to provide artwork for a private individual in Casco. <