John Gable before a detail from his mural “The Gathering” at Woolwich Central School. by Kitty Wheeler
Coastal Journal contributor

WOOLWICH — “The Gathering,” a large mural attached to the entry hall in the new Woolwich Central School, is the latest accomplishment of painter John Gable. He has completed 20 murals for East Coast restaurants in the past 17 years, but this school mural represents his first chance to benefit from the One Percent For Art public funding program, in which one percent of the cost of a large public project is set aside for art to adorn that project. 

Gable’s mural depicts 10 Maine artists who illustrated storybooks for children in the 20th century. And Gable, a well-known national artist who lives in Woolwich, is delighted with the finished product. Local sculptor Andreas von Husen encouraged Gable to apply for the one percent public art for public buildings’ competition. Drawing a sketch, which depicted 10 Maine illustrators and their subject matter, and completing the application form, Gable had no idea how the process worked. However, he was awarded the commission last fall.

The Inn at BathBATH — Bath will open its historic homes and lovely gardens to benefit Sagadahoc Preservation Inc. This 10th Annual Tour will take place on Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will feature 11 unique and historic homes and gardens. From churches with soaring spires to little cottage gardens, from stately mansions to a carriage house, this tour offers a wide range of architectural styles and some interesting examples of how old buildings can be adapted to new uses.

The Tour starts at the Winter Street Center, which is owned by Sagadahoc Preservation, and the proceeds from the Tour will help SPI to restore the building. SPI was formed in 1971 to save Winter Street from demolition, after the two Congregational churches in Bath merged and built a new church. Soon thereafter, SPI also rescued the former Central Congregational Church, which was adapted to become the Chocolate Church Arts Center, which is also on the Tour. 

Houses on the Tour provide a textbook of architectural styles, ranging from Federal through Greek Revival, Italianate through Colonial Revival, and more. Even if you are not an architecture buff, the Tour offers different styles of interior decoration and gardens that will inspire you.  Local businesses have provided garden accents and room décor that will spark new ideas, and flower arrangements bring the beauty of the gardens indoors. 

Tour highlights will include the following sites, listed here with the owners’ names:

NEWCASTLE — Young at Heart Productions of Midcoast Maine, a group of 45 area residents age 60 to 100-plus with a penchant for singing, dancing, acting, and staying young, is just about ready to  present its third annual performance at Lincoln Theater, titled “Broadway Our Way,” on Friday, June 22, at 3 p.m. and Sunday, June 24, at 2 p.m. 

This year, the group will be performing a Broadway retrospective, from the old days of the Great White Way right through to more modern shows such as “Ragtime.” The show features such favorites as “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Put on a Happy Face,” “Ol’ Man River,” and “Can’t Get a Man With a Gun,” among many others. The show includes songs, dances, and vignettes from famous Broadway plays.