LEWISTON, Maine — A large-scale replica of the Maine Department of Labor mural, which was removed from the state office by Gov. Paul LePage, will be viewed Saturday night at a candidates night and supper organized by Lewiston Democrats.
However, Democrats insist the controversial mural is displayed for historical rather than political reasons.
“It’s artwork, and I know there are people that have never seen it. I for one,” said Richard Grandmaison, who is organizing the event at the Franco-American Heritage Center. “I thought that was a good idea to attract people to a bean supper.”
Party leaders hope to draw at least 200 people to the event, which is slated to include visits by local Democratic candidates for the state House and state Senate, U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cynthia Dill.
The event is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $5 in advance, $7 at the door and free for children under 8.
The general public is welcome.
“We don’t want this to be political,” he said. “We really want to show people what this mural looks like.”
At 33 feet long and 7 feet tall, the replica is nearly as big as the 36- by 8-foot original that hung in Augusta. Artist Judy Taylor created the prints to display her work last year at an art show in Bethesda, Md.
“She loaned them to us,” Don Berry, president of the Maine AFL-CIO, said. “They are pieces of Maine history, especially in the Lewiston area.”
The mural is comprised of 11 panels. Individual panels portray shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works, union members voting by secret ballot, striking paper workers in Jay, a cobbler with an apprentice and textile workers.
LePage said the panels portrayed a “one-sided” portrait of labor in Maine. They were removed in March 2011.
“They’re not displayed for political purposes,” said Berry, whose organization criticized LePage’s removal. “They’re educational. That’s really what we’re using them for.”
LePage turned the mural, previously unknown, into a major symbol of the dangerous power of a tyrannical governor. In a swift, secretive, anti-democratic maneuver, he attempted to censor the history of labor. All he did was show the importance of art in our lives, and motivate people to persevere and speak out.
You have got to be kidding, most Mainers don’t even remember the story. While you and I value the arts in our lives, you need to get real and realize most people don’t.
” most Mainers don’t even remember the story. ”
Only the ones who pretend not to remember that GW Bush was ever POTUS, too,
would claim to have forgotten it, I must think.
I believe that is called “selective amnesia”. “What’s too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget”.
The picket line crossers surely remember that mural. You Betcha….
It will also be interesting to learn about his inspection of Chinese factories, the government-enforced work edict of Chinese workers.
Perhaps – who knows? He might see a similarity between that over there, with what Artist Taylor depicted over here?
When you destroy art and or books that contain stuff that you don’t agree with, then the public has a major problem. Think about it……… It’s a step to censorship and if you believe in that then you need not be in politics much less the Blaine house.
What art was destroyed?
I agree. This is exactly the type of post that we see on BDN which is posted to sway not inform.
“What art was destroyed?”
Well, that’s hard to say, yet.
It was disappeared, though, just like So. American dictators would handle what scares them.
Ah, the LePage mural. That is what we might as well start calling it. He is married to it for life now.
For all of his pitiful whining, moaning, and incessant squawking about growing up, Le Page is as far removed from the dirty nails, holey – soles, and torn and ragged – clothes crowd, as Romney.
His phony excuse for removing the mural, is just like Bush and Cheney claiming there are WMD in Iraq.
By removing the mural, he drastically changed his definition of governor, to that of dictator. You will see and read only what Le Page approves.
What would say if you were reading a book and Le Page snatched it out of your hands?
Right, it reeks of Communist dictatorship. Taking public art away because of his own beliefs is controlling and childish. In the middle of the game he gets upset then, I’m taking my ball and bat and go home so no one else can play.
A bit over the top …amazing coming from someone who says weRlosingcivility.
Well Louise, you are not allowed to read that book throw it in fire now.
If I was reading a liberal view book and Gov. Le Page snatched it out of my hands, I would say, Thank You………………
You obviously believe in restrictions in book reading, too.
No belief in restrictions in book reading. There is actually a book written about the strike at the paper mill in Jay, think the author is from Cornell. That book has facts and shows the families who became divided when members crossed the picket line. Not a good scenerio.
All of these things that take up space on the page and in the minds of people are just clever diversions.
The only question is and always has been:
At the end of the day who gets the money? The rich or the poor?
The person cleaning out DeCosta’s chicken house or the person who owns it?
The humble Farmer
I believe when all is said and done we all will be on the losing side with sadly the truly unfortunate folks suffering more. Some of our politicans have a created class war for political gain and that will be our undoing. If you were in a dire health condition I would think you would want the healthcare provider who told you the truth and gave you the care which would help you regain your health. YOU would not care how much money he made/inherited or his articulate manner. You would not believe half the medical advice found on the Internet from who knows who pretending to be health miracle makers. You would ,I suspect, want the doctor who had the expertise and compassion to help you heal.
Very good food for thought Robert. Thanks!
Oh and by the way it would be a stretch to believe the replica was displayed for historical reasons? As Angus said “I may have been born at night but not last night.”
I think the mural should be on permanent display in the State Museum. It depicts an important part of history for working class citizens, and should hopefully help inform the rest. The reason that history matters is that “Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.”
Yes we should display proudly the unions that drove big business out of Maine.