(Maine) State House Notebook: Copies of mural to be displayed – in Maryland

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.pressherald.com/news/copies-of-mural-to-be-displayed-in-maryland_2011-08-22.html

Posted: August 22
Updated: Today at 8:52 PM

From staff reports

Seeking to capitalize on the emotion stirred by Gov. Paul LePage's decision to remove a mural depicting labor history from the lobby at the Maine Department of Labor, the Maine AFL-CIO is sending copies of the artwork to be displayed in an exhibition in Rockville, Md.

The labor group will also hold a news conference to mark the event today at Portland Color, a printing company at 14 Industrial Way in Portland. A press release did not specify a time for the event and a call to Ken Eaton, president of Teamsters Local 340, was not returned.

"It was a sad day when our governor, Paul LePage, removed these murals because they weren't syncing with his 'pro-business' vision," Easton said in the release. "When the opportunity arose for us to transport the murals to the art exhibition space in Maryland, we immediately signed on."

The Maryland exhibit, to be held at the VIS Arts gallery, will feature other works by Judy Taylor, who painted the original Maine mural.

WHO INVITED YOU?

Sen. Doug Thomas, R-Ripley, reportedly asked the question of U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, who visited Maine last week as part of New England tour, which elicited Salazar's response, "I invited myself."

Thomas was at a forum in northern Maine, moderated by Salazar, on the potential for the creation of a national park in the region. Thomas opposes the plan, proposed by Roxanne Quimby, co-founder of Burt's Bees.

FULL story at link.