‘BATTYZ’ is one of the sculptures created by the late Bryce Muir.
More than 35 of Muir’s unique portrait sculptures will be on view with their models-owners accompanying them.
“Rarely if ever has a body of portraiture by one artist been brought together with the models,” a Merrymeeting Arts Center release states. “This is the only time these pieces will be on view, a oneday event.”
A release about the show explains Muir’s work as follows:
Bryce would engage the customer in conversations about the portrait subject, designing pieces which combined people with favorite animals and included important personal items (a special hat, an armchair, a tool, a boat).
If your grandmother was nicknamed Bunny, had a favorite beret and knitted, Bryce might create a rabbit with her face sitting in a rocking chair which rocked and actually moving little wooden needles as you pulled strings. He would request multiple photographs which would enable him to carve amazingly accurate likenesses.
Bryce sculpted portraitsmermaids playing golf, portrait loons using binoculars, portrait-bats folding their wings. He would also receive photographs of props and animals to use (once he received a photo of a favorite gorilla from the specific zoo).
He used many different hardwoods in each piece which usually were 12 to 24 inches in height. Many of the portraits move when strings are pulled or a crank is turned. One of the pieces that will be there on July 22 is a man paddling his canoe with his favorite dog on the bow, which moves as paddled along a string across a room when a crank is turned.
Jack Montgomery of Freeport, known for his portraits of New York City firemen, will photograph each piece with its owner. The Merrymeeting Arts Center will auction a free portrait session with him. Tom O’Donovan of Harbor Square Gallery in Rockland will moderate a discussion of the portrait creation process.
Many of the portraits to be seen on July 22 are of area residents (Al Miller, Dr. Steve Stern, Arlene Morris, David Berry, Weld Henshaw, Fred and Jill Haer, John Harris).
The show also includes portraits of historic figures and American icons, including Elvis, Jackie Robinson and Margaret Mead.
Admission to the special Muir show costs $5, which benefits the Merrymeeting Arts Center.
“Three Town Artist: Carlo Pittore, Bryce Muir and Carter Smith” runs through Sept. 23.
The Merrymeeting Arts Center is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 666- 3426 or 841-5914 or visit merrymeetingartscenter.org.
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