Alan Bray in his Sangerville studio with a painting in progress on the easel. Photo by Thalassa Raasch/MaineCF
Alan Bray has lived most of his life in the central Maine highlands, in the northern reaches of the Appalachians. He attended the Art Institute of Boston for three years then transferred to the University of Southern Maine, graduating in 1971. Subsequent studies at the Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Arts in Florence helped fill out his vision and technique.Today, Bray is represented by Garvey Simon Gallery in New York City and Caldbeck Gallery in Rockland, Maine.
Upon returning from Italy, Bray and his wife Diana settled in Sangerville and raised their two children. Bray has been active in his community. In 2003 he won a Jefferson Award, sponsored by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, which honors outstanding commitment to community service. He has been active with the East Sangerville Grange Hall and has served as a member of the town’s planning board and community development committee. He served on MaineCF’s Piscataquis County Committee and the board of the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft.
You were born in Waterville, but grew up in Monson and now live in Sangerville. What does this part of Maine mean to you?
This part of Maine, the north woods and the people who live here, are tough in equal measure. People live close to the bone and retain many of the skills and instincts that are required to survive and even occasionally thrive here. Lacking many services and amenities, we make many of our own entertainments and diversions. There is still a strong work ethic and strong civic engagement. There are serious problems as well, and sometimes our pride and insularity prevent us from seeking help. Many people here fear the future and the unknown so they cleave to the familiar.
You were an advisor to MaineCF’s Piscataquis County Fund for five years. What do you see as the role of this fund? And how would you describe its impact? Is there a specific grant that stands out?
Among the most outstanding attributes of the county funds are their accessibility and ease of application. One doesn’t need the services of a professional grant writer to proceed. The language is easy to understand and the support services are excellent. The size of the grants are substantial enough to make a difference to a small organization, such as a library or historical society, without overwhelming their capacity to handle it. I know that the early support that MaineCF provided to the Center Theatre made a huge difference to its continuing success.
As you consider your home county, what are some of its greatest challenges?
There is a kind of collective low self-esteem here, a sense that if you expect too much you will only be disappointed, so just learn to live with what you are handed. This permeates the culture, the schools, the politics and the perception of the outside world. Overcoming this isolation or insulation and the resultant fear of the “Other” needs to be a priority, especially with our young people.
You have supported scholarships in your region, including the Jeffery Kilpatrick and Don Hall scholarship funds at MaineCF. Why are these funds important to you?
Both of these scholarships have helped some very deserving young students from Piscataquis County further their educations. The Don Hall Scholarship has grown into a fairly substantial award and we are reconsidering some of the criteria. We want to open it up to a larger pool of candidates by supporting a wider variety of educational delivery systems and continuing education options. This could be very helpful to young farmers and entrepreneurs along with traditional students.
I know you have a special fondness for the East Sangerville Grange. Is there one gathering you recall that exemplifies the grange’s role in building community?
Actually there are two. The first is the Chicken Pie supper in 1973 or ‘74 where the old members lured us to a meeting and hoodwinked us into joining the Grange. They then elected us to the offices of the Grange and then left us to fend for ourselves. We were a bunch of artists, crafts persons, school teachers, and social workers so we made the Grange what we needed it to be while respecting the traditions. Fifty-odd years and maybe $100,000 of improvements to our building later, we are a thriving organization that just invited a group of new young farmers in the area to a potluck supper and hoodwinked them into joining our Grange. The fact that they are mostly farmers makes us feel as though we have come full circle and held the place for them to make it what they need it to be.
Recently a new artist residency was established in your neck of the woods, the Libra Foundation-funded Monson Arts. How is that changing the area?
The investment that the Libra Foundation is making along the Route 15 corridor from Bangor to Greenville is astounding. In Monson they have acquired over 30 properties, including almost all of the downtown. They are restoring the old commercial buildings to their original state with modern upgrades and have turned the old elementary school into artist studios and created a new home for an expanded library.
Monson Arts, a new artist residency program, has already held five monthlong sessions. These have been attended by artists from all over the U.S. as well as from England and Iran. These people come to Monson for a month – the engagement with the community has been one of the most exciting features of the experience. Only a foundation with these kinds of resources and a vision could make this happen. I think what Libra is doing in Monson will become a model for philanthropy in the near future, an investment in people and communities.
Many of your paintings are based on landscapes in your region. What is one of your favorite places and why?
I paint what is close to me, places and things that I share some intimacy with. I have painted Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary in one way or the other countless times. Borestone stands somewhat aloof from the other mountains and yet is accessible to all. From its summit you have a 360-degree uninterrupted view of a truly beautiful part of the world. The mountain looms on the horizon in Monson, where I grew up, and has drawn me to it in so many ways my whole life.
You can learn more about Bray here.
