MAINE ART HILL
If you have stopped into Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture on Western Ave in Kennebunk or even wandered through Lower Village in the last few days, you may have noticed a bit of a ruckus going on at 5 Chase Hill Rd. It may be difficult to tell exactly what is going on, but with a little vision, you will be amazed.
When Helen Dorr’s property went on the market this summer, many of us on Chase Hill sat in wonder and a bit of worry about what exactly would happen to the sweet little house that has lived at 5 Chase Hill for so many years. Not only do we have business on the hill, we live here. This prime piece of real estate was not going to be on the market long, and we wanted to have some say as to what and who became our new neighbors, so we bought it!
It was a busy fall, but our plans are finally in place. We are moving forward and we wanted to share an overview of the newest project for Lower Village. First and foremost, for those of you who live here, we want you to know that we contacted all of the surrounding neighbors prior to purchasing and have their blessing for our vision. Obviously, we needed permissions from the town and code officials, but to us, the permission from our neighbors was far more important.
Second, we are keeping Helen’s house. We recently heard the story of how it was built for WWII housing in Portland and was moved here when Helen and her husband first arrived in Kennebunk. We love this history. If anyone knows more of this we would love to have you share details. We are presently moving the home to the back of the property, and with a bit of paint and TLC, it will be the cornerstone of what is soon to be Maine Art Hill.
VIEW FACING CHASE HILL ROAD
Maine Art Hill will be a collection of seven small micro-galleries. Each will have coastal cottage charm and feel that will become a home to area artists and skilled artisans, while keeping the house for ourselves, as the new home for Maine Art Custom Framing and Prints. There will be a small sculpture garden with benches and walkways throughout the property making this little space a lovely place to visit and shop.
We apologize in advance for any construction noise and mayhem that will take place over the next few months. It is our sincere hope to be finished and open for business by the first of May. With the move of our framing and prints, we will also be looking at a wee bit of construction at our 14 Western Ave location, as well. We will do our best to keep all of you posted as things progress via the blog, emails, and Facebook. In the meantime, if you have questions or need anything, please call or come by. We will be open all winter, but be sure to check the website for hours.
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