In 1875, a group of artists formed an association dedicated to the purpose of promoting art in Bangor. They started small with a shared intention of extending art education to the people of the area.
Years passed and the group acquired members such as Marsden Hartley, an American Modernist painter who conducted classes in the 1940s. Its name changed from the Bangor Art Association to the Bangor Society of Arts and finally to the Bangor Art Society.
One hundred forty years later, the Bangor Art Society holds the distinction of being one the oldest art societies in the United States, and though many things have changed since its inception, its purpose to promote art and encourage creativity remains constant.
For members such as Diana Young, the society ties the artistic community in Bangor together.
Young is the longest standing member of the Bangor Art Society, according to Teddi-Jann Covell, president of the Bangor Art Society. Young, an artist who has an exhibit on display at 11 Central in Bangor, joined the Bangor Art Society in 1974 after moving to Maine with her family.
“If this is the oldest art society in the country and I’m the oldest member, what does that say about me?” Young said with a laugh. Over the years she’s watched the Bangor Art Society change locations and membership fluctuate, but it has always offered her something she believes is invaluable: friendship.
“Here I am in another new town, don’t know a damn soul,” Young said, recalling her first year in Bangor. As a native of New Haven, Connecticut, the area was unfamiliar at first.
“The art society had what I was looking for,” she said.
During her years of membership, she has contributed art to the many shows the Bangor Art Society puts on.
“Bangor is the perfect city,” Young said. “It’s the perfect size. People aren’t breathing down your neck, but it’s small enough so people know each other. And there’s plenty to do.”
Covell, elected president in May, refers to Young as her mentor. With the support of members, Covell has taken on her role by carrying on the history of the society and providing some fresh ideas.
A retired air traffic controller who resides in Orono, Covell studied painting at Cornell University’s Architecture Art and Planning College before transferring to the University of Maine where she received a bachelor’s degree in art education. She has taught high school art at Washington Academy, East Machias and Calais High School.
Under her direction, the Bangor Art Society has continued to promote art through programs and events in addition to scholarships to art students in the Hermon, Bangor, Brewer, Orono and John Bapst high schools.
The Bangor Art Society meetings often feature artist presentations and take place on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except during the summer. Some of the society’s yearly events are the Bangor Art Society juried show in May and the recent “Wet Paint” live auction.
This year, Covell had the idea of using the varied skills of Bangor Art Society members for an adult coloring book.
This was spurred by Bangor’s month-long ARTober event, which has celebrated the arts in the Queen City of the East throughout October.
“I was elected president at the beginning of the summer, but we don’t meet during the summer. Two days after I was elected we said, ‘OK, the city of Bangor is doing ARTober, what are we going to do?’” Covell said.
She had recently seen an article in the Boston Globe about adult coloring books and decided to make it part of the Bangor Art Society. As a nonprofit with many years of history supporting art education, raising funds was important to continue contributing to the community.
The coloring book contains black and white works of art, including places in Bangor such as Bagel Central on Central Street and the Paul Bunyan statue, created by the Bangor Art Society’s members.
“This is the first coloring book that the Bangor Art Society has come up with,” Covell said as she flipped through the book, which contains 36 images.
Covell also has been working to integrate older traditions. In previous years, the Bangor Art Society hosted many social events, including garden fetes, Japanese and Russian teas, barbecues and a costume ball, which Covell plans to bring back this year. The Bangor Art Society plans to hold a ball in March 2016 where participants come dressed as an artist or as a character in a painting.
Covell also has helped rehome the Bangor Art Society after it lost its space in the Bangor Public Library because of construction — a difficult transition made easier by Vivian Cammack, general manager at the Four Points by Sheraton Bangor Airport hotel, where the Bangor Art Society now holds meetings. Before Covell’s presidency, the Bangor Art Society held meetings at Diversified Ink in Bangor.
The society has occupied many places during its time in Bangor, including the vestry of All Soul’s Church, Kominsky Hall at Husson University and the now closed Baldacci’s Restaurant.
Changing locations and definitions of art have affected the society. Its members include glass artists, photographers, sculptors, wood carvers and tattoo artists. And while many are painters, embracing different forms of art has been an important part of the society’s evolution.
The Bangor Art Society has somewhere between 50 and 200 members who attend monthly meetings and participate in a number of society events. One of Covell’s primary goals is to grow the society’s membership. Though it may not reach the 600 members of years ago, Covell intends for the Bangor Art Society to remain an integral part of Bangor’s artistic community and give back to an area that it has been a part of for 140 years.
For more information about the Bangor Art Society, visit thebangorartsociety.com.
