Scrumptious Skowhegan

Through the hilly roads of northern Maine we made our way to the town of Skowhegan. The border officer we spoke to as we left Canada could not understand what business we could have in this old lumber town. We explained that our intentions were to visit our friend; Skowhegan is currently the home of Haseeb, an old friend of Brian’s.

Haseeb is a student at Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, a camp that houses artists for nine weeks in the summer and is only attended by sixty students. This weekend was reserved for visitors of the artist. That was us!

The campus is made up of lakeside dorms and a hill topped with studios and a barn for fresco painting workshops. Cows are provided to enhance the country feel.  At night it is easy to see all the stars, with no lights polluting the view. This is a time artists can take to immerse themselves in an environment different from their everyday lives.

The school has been in operation since 1946 and is well regarded in the art industry. Many of the students are already well into their careers before coming to this “camp.”  Having the freedom to express themselves and make their work in their own way is what it is all about.  They produce their art in a low pressure setting, unlike most of time.  The intention of having a limited number of diverse participants is so that the few who are selected are able to build a strong community amongst themselves. From painters to sculptors everyone can benefit from one another. It was a honor to be part of this interesting group for the weekend.

Haseeb took us not just on walks of the spiraling campus but also into the town.  We checked out the local thrift shop and bakery. The Bankery is a pastry shop that is housed in the old bank! The vault has had a refrigerator put inside of it with the amazingly intricate door opened to show off the lock system. It was a cool location for a bakery!

We also checked out the dam that was around the town. The extreme display of power of the water escaping from the doors that desperately hold it back is quite intimidating.

We had lunch at Cherriers, a recommendation to us from the border officer. She said “it’s the best home food in town”, so we trusted her and for lack of any better ideas went for it, and boy was it the right place. Brian had his first Maine lobster roll: tender local lobster mixed with mayo and served in a hoagie roll. It came with homemade potato chips that were fresh and crispy. Haseeb had a very satisfying steak and cheese sandwich with fries. I had a bowl of the soup of the day; a tomato and cream with a grilled cheese sandwich on multi-grain toast. The soup was so good and just what I needed to warm me up on that drizzly day. The multi-grain toast was wonderfully toasty and as I crunched through the seeds to the soft creamy cheese, it made me very happy.

Back at camp we shared a meal with all the artists and their guests by the lake. We had fried chicken, mash potatoes, green beans and ice cream for dessert as we watched the sun set.  This was a lovely way to have a meal, we just had to ignore those Maine horse flies!

Haseeb is someone that I admire for all his accomplishment and wonderful work. Having the chance to spend this time with him was a treat. Who knows where his career will take him next, but we’ll be ready and willing to visit wherever it is.