Beautiful Accessibility Ramp Dedication, October 9, 2009
W. Maine Art Group Celebrates Open Access to All with Beautiful New Wheelchair Ramp: More than 20 Volunteer and Donors
NORWAY - The Commons Art Collective and the Western Maine Art Group will make history October 9 with the dedication of a new, beautiful, artfully-built accessibility ramp at the Lajos Matolcsy Art Center (MAC) at 480 Main Street in Norway from 5 to 8 PM.
“It is wonderful to see what can be done with little money, a lot of talent and incredible dedication. It is a work of art,” said project Leader Judy Schneider, who is an exhibiting artist member of the neighboring art groups.
The dedication will recognize the many volunteers and donors which represent numerous individuals as well as community business leaders. The event is also being held to honor the memory of Western Maine Art Group (WMAG) Founder Ellie Viles. The WMAG Eleanor Viles Memorial Fund was dedicated to improve the accessibility of the gallery and financially propelled the building of the ramp, according the WMAG President Tally Decato.
The public is cordially invited to join the celebration and to learn how to overcome the seemingly-insurmountable challenges of building an accessibility ramp with only volunteers on a bare-bones budget. The celebration will illuminate how the nonprofit WMAG, backed by a great deal of generous help from CAC members, could manifest an accessibility ramp with a design that actually complements the façade of a 140-year old historic building.
The idea of a ramp at the MAC had been the topic of discussion for many years but it wasn’t until the WMAG asked the Commons Art Collective (CAC) to participate in a group show which opened September 4, that the ramp became a serious priority to allow the accessibility of a CAC artist Om Devi Reynolds. An accomplished Western Maine artist and regular CAC exhibitor, Reynolds could not access the neighboring gallery according Schneider who is also an interior designer by profession who crafted the design of the ramp.
Along the Schneider, Eric Dibner -- Reynolds husband who is a member of the CAC and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Coordinator for the State of Maine -- decided something needed to be done by the opening of the collaborative art exhibit.
“The dedication of this ramp is very poignant because most people don’t know that my father, WMAG Founder Professor Lajos Matolcsy, was an amputee who struggled to get in and out of that building for years. This is literally a monument to the perseverance, passion and commitment of wonderful people and community business working together to increase the capacity of our community,” said WMAG Director Aranka Matolcsy who helped coordinate the project.
In addition to Schneider and Dibner, other tireless volunteers include: CAC wood sculptor Don Best who was the carpenter for the ramp, photographer Mark Brandhorst who made stone sculpture envisioned the stone terrace along with Dibner. Encaustic artist, Anne Bernard created the new garden, and WMAG member Michael Sauro did a little bit of everything including building the handrail. Before anything could start, WMAG member David Neufeld held to remove a large maple tree and prepare the site. Donors include: Tally Decato, George Viles, Suzanne and Rupert Grover, Norway Savings Bank, Grover Gundrilling, the Walbridge Family, Katey Branch, the Good Life Market in Raymond and Record Lumber.
FMI: go to www.TheWMAG.org or ca; 207-739-6161.
Photo Cutline: Volunteers Eric Dibner and Mark Brandhorst move one of numerous large stones and granite blocks that were used to build an artfully designed new accessibility ramp at the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center in Norway, the home of the Western Maine Art Group. WMAG Vice President Irina Kahn looks on.