Wiscasset held its first art walk of the summer June 30. Now in its fourth year, the event was well -attended and shop owners and entertainers were in festive moods on the warm early summer evening.

Event planner Lucia Droby was making her way around to the shops and galleries.

She said some new galleries and shops in town are helping keep the event fresh and new. “Every art walk is a fabulous experience,” she said. “We have some great music, and the art in our galleries is terrific. We always try to have special features that people who have been before can come and see something new.”

Among those special features were:

A donkey! Artist and author Katherine Dunn and her husband, Martyn, recently moved here from Oregon with their entourage of “misfits,” special needs goats, pigs and other animals they have taken in and care for. For the art walk, they brought Pino the mini donkey along to wow the crowd. Dunn was featuring some of her illustrated books, art prints and felted folk dolls.

The Dunns and Pino were camped out in front of the new shop, Moulinette, at 60 Main Street. Pino spent most of the evening eating hay and being adored by fans.

Another thing wowing the crowd was a group of young models donning fashionable handmade aprons made by Dana Browne Spinney started her company, Paper Doll Aprons, about a year ago, designing and making custom, one-of-a-kind aprons using recycled textiles — pillowcases, sheets, napkins, curtains and tablecloths. She embellishes them with vintage antique buttons. “I even use my great grandmother's threads from her sewing case.” Spinney makes the aprons in her spare time when she's not managing Treats.

The Garden Club of Wiscasset had a display of floral arrangements set up on the sidewalk in front of Treats, and members were on hand to answer questions. The Nickels-Sortwell House featured a new garden, designed and implemented by Garden Club members, based on photos of a wedding in 1937. 

Danielle Paus played Celtic harp at the R. Keith Rendall gallery. Droby calls Paus’ music magical. “At some point during the evening she and Married with Chitlins did some impromptu improvising. Just imagine Celtic harp with foot -stomping country!” she said.

Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts gave a wheel throwing demonstration. “They seemed very pleased with the evening, had a lot of people stopping by to view their demo, and hope to be back next month,” Droby said.

Most of the shops' and galleries' doors were open wide to welcome visitors, and several offered wine or other beverages and hors d'eouvres.

Some of them even offered their very own artists-in-residence, as in the case of BIRCH's Brad Sevaldson, who is a photographer/artist as well as co-owner. On display were some of his photographs and cards of Maine and Europe.

The next Wiscasset Art Walk will be held July 28. Put it on your calendar. There'll be a wide diversity of art, shopping and good food to enjoy on a warm summer's eve.

Droby said the focus this year is on getting the word out to a wider audience. “We're using more Facebook. We think it's a special event. People can park their car and spend the whole evening walking around. And there's plenty of local parking.

Major sponsors are Ames True Value, Big Barn Coffee, Carleton Real Estate, Carriage House Gardens, First National Bank, and Fogg Art Restoration.  Additional sponsors are the Carl M.P. Larrabee Agency, Cod Cove Inn, French & Co. Antiques, and Red’s Eats.  For more information, visit www.wiscassetartwalk.org or contact event coordinators Lucia Droby at ludroby@verizon.net or Violet Brandwein at 917-327-1449.

For more about the June 30 event, click here.