Bringing the community together
The University of Maine Art Education Community Outreach program is an intercultural program that acknowledges and celebrates the diversity found within both the state of Maine and the country we call home. UMAECO prides itself in supporting all peoples and especially those from minority populations.
New UMAECO Projects in Spring 2022
This spring the advanced art education students are partnering with the Blue Hill Heritage Trust on two major projects. The Blue Hill Heritage Trust is currently restoring the understructure of the Surrey Forest with an Edible Landscape project intended to provide food plants to create a beneficial ecosystem for humans and other-than-human creatures. In addition to a number of fruit-bearing plants that will be available to bees and other insects, mice, birds, bats, raccoons, deer, rabbits, fox, bears, snails, humans, and many other species, there are also plans for white oak, birch and milkweed plants. Leading the BHHT Edible Landscape Project is habitat specialist Kathy Pollard, of Know Your Land. This project will not only restore the variety of plants that were destroyed by years of logging but directly address food security issues among both humans and other creatures.
The UMAECO program is grateful to be able to contribute to this important cause.
Cookbook: The Surrey Forest Cookbook
The UMAECO art education students are creating a cookbook including both savory and sweet recipes based on these edible plants. This cookbook will be illustrated with original relief prints made by students in the Orono High School’s Art Chapter 104 program and the art education students. This cookbook will be printed and made available for sale through the Blue Hill Heritage Trust’s gift shop.
Children’s story: The Nature of Syrup
The UMAECO art education students are also writing a children’s story with original illustrations that tells a story about human and other-than-human’s reciprocal inter-relationships and responsibilities through a charming group of characters who are harvesting berries for a pie. This book, too, will be printed and available for sale through the Blue Hill Heritage Trust’s gift shop.
These projects, including a high school students’ workshop conducted by the art education students, printing, and art materials are made possible through a generous grant from the Alton ’38 and Adelaide Hamm Campus Activity Fund.
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