A Meet & Greet for class instructors, speakers, students and their families. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit the Rufus Porter Museum and meet other Porter enthusiasts.

Sam Richards, a graduate of Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, and the University of Oxford, wrote his thesis, “Myth-making in a Literate Culture”, based on an in-depth study of the Bridgton, Fryeburg and Lovell areas. This will form the basis of his lecture. He returned to Oxford for seminary training in 1975. His other interests include his family of eight, farming, home-schooling and re-developing a farm in the beautiful Hio District of West Bridgton, a long stone’s throw from the old Porter place. He has served as a reformed Congregational minister and Baptist pastor since his ordination in 1978. Currently, he is serving the East Winthrop Baptist Church in the Greater Augusta Area.

Sumpter Priddy is keenly interested in identifying the artists and artisans of early America—particularly those who worked in the pre-industrial South—and in studying their material products as a means to broaden our understanding of the past. He holds an undergraduate degree in the History of Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Masters from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture. He served as Tutor for Historic Deerfield’s Summer Fellowship Program (1976), Curator of Exhibition Buildings and Teaching Curator for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (1978-1983), and for a quarter century has pursued his interest in early Americana from his gallery, now located in Alexandria, Virginia, where he consults for collectors and museums.

He lectures frequently and has contributed numerous articles to professional journals. His recent book, American Fancy, Exuberance in the Arts, 1790-1840, was published in conjunction with a stunning exhibition by the Chipstone Foundation of Milwaukee, and won the 2004 Historic New England Book Prize for its “valuable contribution to the study of American and New England Culture.”

Linda Griffin is a real estate broker specializing in antique homes at Pleasant River Properties in Windham, Maine. She is a member of Greater Portland Landmarks Advisory Service and many area historical societies. She has restored 22 homes and physically moved two. Linda regularly teaches classes for appraisers and real estate brokers on “Valuing an Antique Home.”

A graduate of the University of Maine Orono with a degree in education, Linda is often found on the trail of saving another home for future generations. Her current project involves preserving the Parsons Smith House on River Road in Windham.

The use of floor cloths as painted decorative floor coverings began in early eighteenth-century Britain. Floor cloths were initially used by the wealthy to decorate entryways, hallways and dining rooms. They began to be used in America as early as the Revolutionary War. Initially most were imported from England, but soon there were domestic makers as well and the art form remained popular until around 1860 with the advent of linoleum. There was a revival in the 1950s through the popularization of authentic American crafts and the restoration of vintage homes.

In this hands-on class, students will create a nineteenth century floor cloth using 21^st century materials and techniques.

The instructor, Nelle Ely, is a successful artist currently exhibiting her work at Gallery 302 in Bridgton. Her floor cloths adorn homes throughout New England and beyond.

This class will be a “hands-on”experience, starting with a brief history of stenciling and of Moses Eaton and Moses Eaton Jr. We will then proceed to decorate a room. We will lay out the stencils, discuss measuring techniques, and learn how to stencil. No experience is necessary. Moses Eaton stencils include friezes, uprights, borders, and medallions.

Vivian Bisbee has been involved with MB Historic Décor as a business manager since it was established by her mother, Polly Forcier, in 1994. She received her MBA from NH College in 1990 just before the birth of her second daughter. She has stenciled in Vermont with her mother and has completed many local jobs in her home town of Princeton, MA.

Greg Marston, traditional artisan and antique restorer, has been developing his skills in traditional cabinetry and antique restoration for more than 25 years. Entirely self-educated in every aspect of fine woodworking, he works, primarily, with period tools from the 19^th century. Founder of the Woodworkers show at Narramissic which is now in its 15^th year, Greg has been featured in Down East, Fine Woodworking, Portland Press Herald and other publications.

During this workshop, Greg will explain the intricacies of furniture making from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Students are welcome to bring period pieces to class which can used as teaching tools to determine age and origin.

Sandy is a local artist featured in the Rufus Porter Museum Gift Shop, Local Color Artisans’ Gallery and other fine decorative arts shops. She has completed over 18 Rufus Porter-esque wall murals in southern Maine homes and businesses. Her works include smaller scale commissioned folk art pieces such as her popular decorated cheese boxes, mantel boards, portraits, and faux-finishes such as graining and marbleizing. Over the past 20 years she has studied and documented many of the remaining original Rufus Porter murals and is very familiar with the history, antiques and art of this period in American history. Sandy has been a museum docent for the Tate House in Portland and Willowbrook in W. Newfield, and is a Colonial Period reenactor with the 1^st Newmarket Colonial Militia.

In this 4-hour afternoon class, participants will learn about technique, color and common motifs used by the Porter School of decoration, and will complete a miniature “mural-in-the-round” on a large wooden cheese box with lid. Please bring an old shirt to protect clothing, sunscreen or hat, and snack, if desired. This should be an enjoyable project to practice basic painting skills and have something lovely and useful to bring home at the end of the day!

Veronica Haskell started learning handcrafts at a young age from her parents. Over the years she has added to her knowledge by learning from books, family and friends, and taking classes. Included in her many fiber arts skills are crocheting, tatting, knitting, kumihimo, cross-stitch, embroidery, and many different lace making techniques. Veronica is always in pursuit of new ideas and inspiration. She enjoys sharing her crafts with other people and, more than anything, looks forward to the many hours she can spend creating new items.

Tatting is a type of lace that is created by making series of knots into intricate patterns. It is a very delicate looking lace but is actually very durable. This class will cover the basic techniques of classic tatting including the double stitch, rings, chains, picots and joins. We will use a shuttle and cotton thread to create simple lace edgings and motifs. Students should also bring: scissors, notepad and pencil.

Harry Hepburn III has been an antique dealer for many years. He specializes in antique clocks. His maintains a shop in Harrison, Maine and exhibits in Maine and throughout the east.

Harry’s appraisals are well known in this area both for accuracy and wit. He is an annual favorite at Harrison’s “Back to the Past” festival held at Scribner’s Mill in July or August.

We will study the components of a wall mural, and discuss and observe a demonstration of how to paint one using modern materials. Class members will complete a small canvas painting in the style of the early 19^th century mural painters, along with working on a large wall mural canvas, allowing them to get the feel of working on a large surface. The techniques can be used for box decoration, fireboards, over mantles and canvas painting.

Linda Carter Lefko has been a researcher, teacher and painter of historic decorative arts for over thirty five years. She has done independent museum research in the United States and Europe. She has taught and lectured for several organizations and museums including Hitchcock Museum in Riverton, CT; American Folk Art Museum, NYC; Historical Society of Early American Decoration; The Society of Gilders and The Stencil Artisan’s League. Using historic pieces as inspiration, Linda takes great pride in her historic reproduction work. Her interests are diverse — from teaching classes in historic graining, painting wall murals, portraiture, theorem painting, and decorated furniture to working with architects and designers as a Historic Decorative Consultant. In addition to writing several articles on historic graining, wall murals and bride’s boxes for Early American Life Magazine, The Artistic Stenciler and The Faux Finisher Magazine, Lefko co-authored The Art of Theorem Painting. She has a pre-cut theorem, bronze powder and silhouette stencil business and accepts orders through www.crafterscornerinc.com.

Bob Dunning, Traditional Artisan/Historic Restoration carpenter-joiner. Bob has been using hand tools to build and repair traditional structures and furniture for over thirty years. He received the year 2000 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award from Maine Preservation.

Bob has been an educator for Maine Preservation’s “My Old House” series for owners of historic structures and has been a popular guest lecturer at the “Old House Trade Show” sponsored by Greater Portland Landmarks. A small business owner for over a quarter century, doing business as Little Mountain Cabinetry, Bob has been featured in Down East, Old House Interiors, Maine Times, and other publications. He participated in moving the Rufus Porter museum building to its current location and has worked on hundreds of old buildings in towns throughout western Maine, many on the National Register of Historic Places.

This course is for those who wish to learn to use wood planes, with an emphasis on preserving an historic skill and process, and recreating an end product that matches historic work. Those who own expensive collector’ planes should be prepared to cringe.

Each day’s class is a prerequisite for the next day’s class, so that we can cover a lot of material and get a lot of hands-on experience.

Class 1. Wednesday 8am - 12 noon
Become familiar with wood moulding planes. Learn about the variety of planes used on late 18^th and early 19^th century buildings in New England, naming, use, and time period. You will use many different planes in exercises to develop a feel for the ‘touch’ of a well tuned plane. Learn when a plane sprung and why can it be good?.

Class 2. Thursday 8am - 12 noon
Learn to identify why a plane isn’t working properly and how to ‘tune’ a plane. Sharpen their blades, or knives as purists call them. Fit their wedges properly. Learn to identify and read the grain of pine and other woods used in traditional New England wood- working.

Class 3. Friday 8am - 12 noon
Learn about specialty planes like a repeating reed, and a linenfold plane. Study advanced plane repair. Is this one worth fixing? Whatever is ‘boxing’ in a plane? Can you fix a toe-worn plane? Retempering blades. Practical advice so that you can use your new skills.

Students will learn the fundamentals of dyeing and overdyeing using acid dyes on a variety of plain and figured wool cloth which will enable them to create more complex and visually interesting hooked rugs.

Introduced to a variety of crafts at a very young age, Linda Whiting is currently working mainly in fiber and wood, making tools for spinning and weaving, and dyeing wool for handspinners. Her favorite form of weaving is tapestry. Doing business as Pinestar Studio Linda is frequently found at craft shows, fairs and other venues. She teaches workshops at her home in Denmark, Maine and “away.” When not “making things” she often can be found with her camera taking photographs for inspiration or just to record colors and design that interest her. See more about Linda at www.pinestarstudio.com.

Dressed in 18^th century costume, Betsey will present a short program on Tea Etiquette and Rituals. The menu will include Savory pastries, fruit scones with jam and cream, herbal tea sandwiches, and lavender lemon shortbread with a choice of fine teas. Betsey acts as a costumed interpreter for George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Gardens in Virginia and is Garden manager for the Shaker Herb Department at Sabbathday Lake, ME.

Participants will complete an edible herbal wreath made with herbs grown at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community. Herbs will include oregano, thyme, sage, lemon balm and lemon verbena. Floral herbs will include calendula , lavender and basil. Each wreath will become a cherished family heirloom from the last active Shaker Community in America.

For over 15 years, Betsey-Ann Golon has taught herbal programs for the Shaker Herb Department in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. She acts as their commissioned agent, garden manager and director of the garden internship. She is co-owner with husband Dale of Common Folk Farm in Naples, Maine. They research, develop and produce historically correct gift and food items for museums such as George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate, The Mansions of Newport, RI and Sturbridge Village. Her passion for history, people and gardening is infectious. She guarantees a day filled with learning and laughs.

In the 1800s, the Shaker Community, located in Alfred, Maine, wove a variety of work baskets. This class will recreate a Shaker Style Market Basket, designed by Vicki & Christine and measuring 10" wide by 16" long. This is a good sturdy basket with multiple uses.

Instructors Christine Smith of Lebanon, Maine and Vicki Chick of Waterboro, Maine work together teaching basket weaving at Sanford Adult Education. Christine, a self-taught basket weaver, has been weaving for thirty years and teaching classes for fifteen years. Vicki began basket weaving nine years ago. She started her Baskets By Vicki business, and now six years later, hundreds of her baskets fill homes all across the country. Their combined experience includes many basket styles and weaving materials.

The pictured Market Basket is unstained. Time will not allow students to stain their baskets; however, instructions for staining the basket will be included.

The legacy in America of creating unique furnishings in wood includes folk artists as well as contemporary studio crafts people. This workshop will guide participants through a creative process that takes an idea and a hunk of wood and transforms them into a unique, expressive, and functional item for the home. The workshop will begin with a discussion of sources of inspiration and a presentation of wood harvesting and preparation. Participants will then witness the evolution of a finished piece of furniture, gaining insights into milling, shaping, joinery, assembly, and finishing. The workshop will end with the unveiling of a completed piece of furniture. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring an idea that they would like to transform into their own unique piece of furniture.

Stephen Oliver is an architect, furniture maker and community based arts coordinator. Stephen moved to Bridgton to establish Affinity Arts, an artists retreat and study center offering workshops in various media, lectures, and outreach programs.

Stephen received his BFA degree in Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology and his Master of Fine Arts degree in furniture design from Rhode Island School of Design.

Lee Ring is a 3-dimensional artist who has resided in Fryeburg, Maine for the past 27 years where he maintains a small foundry and hot glass studio. He is a state juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen in two media; metal and glass. His work is now focused on small one-of-a-kind sculptures in bronze.

This demonstration and hands-on workshop will cover Early American Iron Work from ore and casting to hands on blacksmithing of a small latch or hook.

Vivian will be available at the Community to work with children of different age groups, both in small groups and individually. See Stenciling for more information.

Veronica will be available at the Community to work with children of different age groups, both in small groups and individually. See Tatting for more information.

The Bridgton Community Center will provide four fun-filled afternoons packed with arts and crafts, games, hiking, the beach and playgrounds and a visit to the Rufus Porter Museum. Stenciling and Knitting for Children will be offered during this time at no additional charge.

Children should bring their own snack, a water bottle and beach wear.