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.

Tom Johnson is the Curator of Collections at the Museums of Old York in York, Maine, where he oversees a collection of 30,000+ objects housed in 36 period room settings and seven galleries in eight museum buildings.

Although born in Maine to a family that has more than three centuries of roots there, Tom lived much of his life in Washington D.C. and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His B.A. degree from the American University in Washington, D.C. is in American Studies and Fine Arts, and he holds a Masters degree in American and New England Studies from the University of Southern Maine. He has previously worked with the National Park Service at the White House, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Curator of the United States Senate. In Maine, he was previously Director of the Bridgton Historical Society and Maine Preservation in Portland before assuming his present position. While in Bridgton he restored two homes with Rufus Porter murals and researched Porter’s life and work in Bridgton.

Tom is an appointed member of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, a trustee of several Maine cultural organizations, and a curatorial advisor to Woodlawn Mansion in Ellsworth and the Victoria Mansion in Portland. He currently lives in South Berwick, where he is restoring an 1807 center chimney home in the historic town center.

The peripatetic Rufus Porter, who was known as the DaVinci of the 19^th century, will appear in person at the Bridgton Community Center on Thursday, July 12^th at 1:30 PM and will give an illustrated lecture using a magic lantern to show a sampling of his many paintings, publications, and inventions ranging from a washing machine to an airship. To delight his audience, he will have with him an exhibit of a few of his original portraits and silhouettes and copies of his books.

Mr. Hall (née Porter) is a Rhode Island native who attended Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. He served in the United States Navy during World War II and in the United States Army during the Korean War (like Mr. Porter who served in the Army during the War of 1812). Before retiring, Mr. Hall was Treasurer of Norfolk County and a Special Assistant in the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services. For the past 25 years he has lectured throughout New England to schools, clubs, and historical societies as a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War... and now in the person of Rufus Porter.

Spinning — Sandy Howe
Silhouettes — Ruth Monsell
Penny Rugs — Nelle Ely
Wood Carving — Bob Dunning
Woodworking — Craig Jud

In this 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 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!

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.

Students will learn about felting (wool preparation), and construction of a Penny Rug. This class is hands on, so expect to begin your rug today.

“Penny rug” is a name given to a folk art style of appliqué. Dating from the mid 19^th century, they were traditionally made from felted wool (i.e. the wool was washed to shrink it). And despite their name, they were not used on the floor, but as decorative table rugs or wall hangings. Fabric was just too precious then. The “penny” comes from the coins that were used as templates for the circles. Most of the penny rugs had simple shapes of flowers or animals, usually layered and appliquéed on the rug with blanket stitch embroidery in contrasting colors. Their simple, primitive style gives them a charm that has continued through the years.

In Tuesday’s class students will receive hands on training in faux technique of marbleizing. Wednesday’s class will include the faux technique of using paint to mimic leather. Take one class or both.

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. Her murals can be seen publicly on the south side of Krainin Real Estate, Main St, Bridgton. Her faux finishes will adorn the walls of the new Magic Lantern Theater (scheduled to open November 2007). She has studied drama and stage design. Painting stage sets became a delight that continues today. She has done sets for many local productions including “Reny’s, The Musical”, and “Once Upon a Mattress.” Ever the volunteer, she has turned her talented hand to many projects in the Bridgton area including the Bridgton Community Center, The Rufus Porter Museum and Gallery 302.

The Ukrainians have been practicing the art of “pysanky”, or Ukrainian Easter egg decorating for over ten centuries. The word “pysanky” stems from the word “pysaty” — to write. For this is how the process is accomplished; designs are “written” on an unblemished white egg with wax and put through a sequence of dye baths with more wax applications. It is a dye process much akin to batik.

At one time the decoration of eggs was associated with pagan rituals and superstitions, but when the Ukraine accepted Christianity the decoration of eggs took on a deep religious meaning. The decorated eggs commemorated the Resurrection of Christ, and the pagan superstitions were replaced by religious beliefs and legends.

A very old story relates how a peddler on his way to market with a basket of eggs encountered an angry mob who were mocking a man struggling under the weight of a heavy wooden cross. Ignoring the crowd, the peddler put down his basket and went to the man’s assistance. When he returned to his basket, the eggs had become magically “colored”. Another belief is that the first Easter eggs were colored by the tears of the Virgin Mary, weeping over Christ”s death. The old pagan superstitions, however, die hard and many superstitions and talisman are still associated with the making of pysanky.

In the Ukrainian community eggs are taken to Easter services where they, along with loaves of Easter bread, are blessed by the parish priest. After church services, friends and relatives exchange eggs as a commemoration of Christ’s teachings of peace and love.

Andrea was born and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and is a 1976 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston with a degree in studio art. She has also done post secondary work in education at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts.

Having spent most of her years painting in acrylics and drawing, Andrea began working in watercolor in 2001. She has shown her work locally in the Fryeburg, Gorham, Bridgton, and Greater Portland areas. She is also an accomplished “Pysanky” artist and has appeared on several Boston area television shows and held many workshops demonstrating the technique. Andrea lives on a small farm with her husband Paul, daughter Lily, a dog named Ivan “the truly terrible”, Misty the cat and a marvelous flock of chickens. She welcomes special commissions and would be happy to discuss them with you.

As Maine matured from the wilderness of the 1760s to a robust agricultural economy just before the Civil War, barns changed to meet evolving needs. We will discuss how animal husbandry, a growing economy and advancing technology led from the English Barn to the development of the classic New England Barn.

We’ll demonstrate hand and powered tools and the marks they leave behind. A short tour is being planned to see a few barns in Bridgton, as well.

Bob Dunning, current Board President, has been a Historic Restoration and Preservation carpenter for over 35 years. A volunteer for many local preservation organizations, he has taught and demonstrated hand tool use and joinery techniques for two decades and was a Maine Preservation year 2000 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Award recipient.

In 1820, Rufus Porter made a camera obscura to enable him to paint portraits in about 15 minutes. He decorated his camera as well as the cart that carried it and traveled on foot to villages from New England to Virginia. His price for a portrait was one dollar.

In this class, students will learn the history of the camera obscura or pinhole camera and how it is used even today. Students will be guided through building their own camera and experiment with the images it produces.

Valerie is a 2007 graduate of Colby College and an intern at the Rufus Porter Museum. She studied the camera obscura while at the School for International Training in Melbourne, Australia for her Fall 2005 semester. Bob Dunning, current Board President, has been a Historic Restoration and preservation carpenter for over 35 years.

As a student of the Rufus Porter style of painting for the past 25 years, an historian, author and artist, Linda Carter Lefko will lecture on the Rufus Porter School of historic wall murals. In a Powerpoint presentation, she will show dozens of original wall murals and discuss the design elements, style and technique of this unique historic art. The slide lecture will be followed by a demonstration of the steps involved in painting a Porter style wall mural. Linda will complete a small wall mural during this class segment.

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, doing restoration and research work, direct commissioned jobs and consulting 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. Lefko’s work can be seen at www.lclefko.com.

Class begins with a presentation of slides and a talk on the use of faux finishes in early America. Earlier examples of broadly brushed wood grain meant to merely suggest a particular wood will be shown as well as later 19^th century techniques which more carefully attempt to imitate more realistically a particular species. Historic paint materials will be discussed; however the techniques shared in class will employ current water based acrylic materials that students can easily obtain. Demonstrations of primitive wood graining techniques will follow along with discussion and demonstration of more realistic graining. Prepared panels and all materials and supplies necessary will be provided. Students will paint their own versions of graining and possibly marbling techniques too as they were often found side by side in early homes. Also considered will be simple techniques used to imitate age on painted surfaces. Come dressed for a mess.

Hugh received a B.A. in music from the University of Virginia, where he also studied art and architectural history, drawing, design, and theatrical painting. Continuing education followed at the Philadelphia College of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art with courses in color development, sign painting, and design. Faux finish training was taken at the Finishing School, of Great Neck, NY, under the original master Ina Brousseau Marx. Other seminars included the Day Studio Workshop from San Francisco and The Pierre Finkelstein Institute in New York.

Class Hours: Wednesday, July 11, 8:30 AM — 12:00 noon
Cost: $75 Materials $0
Class Maximum Size: 15
Place: Rufus Porter Museum

The Rufus Porter Museum offers an extraordinary exhibition this summer with portions of a Needlework Sampler Collection. Displayed is a choice selection of 25 examples of schoolgirl stitchery from across Europe, the colonies and the early United States, dating from 1670–1840.

In addition to viewing the exhibition, we will take an illuminating look at why, when and how young girls mastered, at very early ages, the 147 stitches that comprise the language of embroidery. Who laid out the designs? Who supervised the girls? Why are there so many designs? How many examples survive and why are they so sought after, so treasured today? We will begin with historical background and slideshow of the glories that can be created with vegetable dyed threads, a linen canvas, designs that date to the 1500s design books. Add to this the humble needle, good eyesight and plenty of time! You’ll marvel as we bring these masterpieces to life, looking carefully at the collection.

Majoring in apparel design, and minoring in costuming for the Theatre at the University of Connecticut, Holly Ihloff has traveled to Europe and the Middle East, studying continually in international museum collections. Mrs. Ihloff recreates 17^th and 18^th century bed hangings, counterpanes, window treatments and slip-covers — stitched completely by hand for New England Museums. You may see her work on view at the Wadsworth Longfellow House in Portland, ME.

Her hands-on background, refreshing personal style and insightful historical interpretation of a first rate collection guarantee a thrilling seminar.

Learn about the history of the silhouette and receive step-by-step instruction in how to cut them yourself. The class will be guided through how to closely observe the angles and proportions of a profile and render it in the traditional black cut paper form. Practicing in pencil on white paper in an oversize format will begin the process. Students will progress to cutting in black silhouette paper sized to fit a 5x7 inch mat. Bring close up profile photographs to work from if you like. Alternately, class members will model for one another.

Artist Ruth Monsell of Damariscotta loves to draw, paint and cut out people. Her specialties are the nearly-lost art of the silhouette, and portraiture. She began cutting silhouettes in New York in the early 1980s and has since worked as an artist-in-residence at dozens of schools, taught portraiture and silhouette art, most recently at the Round Top Center for the Arts in Damariscotta, and worked “live” at innumerable art shows.

As a portrait painter, Ruth particularly enjoys rendering children, capturing candid moments in a child’s life. She works from both life and photographs, most of which she takes herself, of children at play, exploring, or resting, often with a pet. Another favorite subject is parents and their children interacting.

Samples of the artist’s work, including her silhouettes of adults and children, may be seen at her website, ArtfulHeirlooms.com.

The instructor, Barbara Lanfer, has been making these beautiful baskets for many years. She has also studied their history and will share that with you as you are weaving.

You will have a selection of patterns and colors ranging from neutral to bright to create your basket. The baskets are fabric (long strips which are wrapped around synthetic roping) and can be embellished in many ways either within the construction itself or appliqué. Very soothing and fun.

Class Hours: Thursday, July 12, 1:00 PM — 5:00 PM
Cost: $75 Materials $25
Class Maximum Size: 15
Place: Bridgton Community Center

The word calligraphy literally means beautiful writing. Before the invention of the printing press some 500 years ago, it was the way books were made. Each copy was handwritten out by a scribe working in a scriptorium. The hand writing was done with quill and ink onto materials like vellum or parchment. The lettering style applied was one of the period bookhands like rustic, carolingian, blackletter, etc. Today, there are three main types or styles of calligraphy: (1) Western or Roman, (2) Arabic, and (3) Chinese or Oriental.

In this “learning by doing” class, students will learn the Western calligraphy style of writing. This is an ideal class for people who are planning to address their own wedding invitations.

Barbara Lanfer holds a B.S. in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and has taught art to children and adults in California, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine. Specializing in illustration and painting, Mrs. Lanfer enjoys the quiet precision of calligraphy.