Dear Friends,

A very different sort of missive here today… one of a somber nature but with hope and the best of community woven into it.

On September 28th a raging fire immolated the beating heart of Port Clyde, Maine… a beloved fishing village at the southern end of the nearby St. George peninsula. The Port Clyde General Store, the Dip Net restaurant, and the adjacent Monhegan Boat Line complex were all destroyed.

These key waterfront institutions will rebuild and, Maine being Maine, people immediately started pitching in to help. I will not begin to extol the profound and pure sense of community that daily pervades our lives here… suffice it to say that before the last ember was extinguished, extraordinarily thoughtful, kind, generous, and effective steps were being taken.

All of which has been deeply moving to behold, even as none of us here were at all surprised.

It’s simply the Maine way.

Blue Raven Gallery in nearby Rockland hosted its very first show ever this summer, featuring a one-man exhibition of 75 pieces of my work. My show comes down this week and will be followed by a pop-up show of work by painter Kevin Beers. In the fire, Kevin, a friend, lost over a dozen original paintings… none of which were insured. On October 20th & 21st, Blue Raven Gallery is exhibiting over 50 of Kevin’s paintings, taking no gallery commission in an attempt to help Kevin recover from his loss.  Have a look.

There is also a Go Fund Me effort underway, started by others who want to help Kevin recover from this loss.

And then, Port Clyde itself… ah, it’s a place very, very near and dear to my heart. When Betsy and Andy Wyeth first brought me to Maine in 1978, Port Clyde quickly became something of a second Maine home to me. I will spare you further narrative to that effect here and now, but will just share the Port Clyde Strong web link. If you contribute directly to the cause through their site – and if you wish to receive either print offered below – you can initiate the process by clicking the “Donate Now” button and making sure to indicate that you would like Ralston Gallery to send you a print by so stating in the “Leave a comment” section. Please make sure to indicate which size print and contribute an according amount (see below). Your contribution to Port Clyde Strong is fully tax-deductible; the print you will receive is a gift from us at the gallery as personal thanks to you for helping our friends. As stated below, you can also simply contact us to do all this.

Oh, one more thing (sorry…tax legalities in all of this), if you contribute directly to Port Clyde Strong, please kindly send us a check or otherwise pay us for the shipping cost we (the gallery) will incur: $30 to cover our shipping cost of the 17 x 22” print and $40 for the 24 x 36” limited edition print.

Gamming

We will donate 100% of any sales of my photograph, Gamming, to the rebuilding of that area in Port Clyde. Available in two sizes, 17 x 22″ and 24 x 36″, respectively priced at $500 and $2,000 (limited edition) plus shipping, please contact Ralston Gallery for details. I should mention that the white building on the far shore is Eight Bells, first NC Wyeth’s home and studio, and until his death, Andy Wyeth’s studio. Again, if you wish to make this a tax-deductible contribution, please do so directly through the Port Clyde Strong link.

It’s a big world and there are currently too many truly awful catastrophes unfolding elsewhere. In the larger order of things, Port Clyde’s calamity is miniscule… but, any help you can share with the people of this hard-working fishing village will be very, very deeply appreciated.

Thank you, thank you, one and all,

Peter