Where in Maine?   Can you identify this agrarian artwork?
Whoops and whistles greeted last summer’s unveiling of this
vibrant mural in a northern Maine town known for its university,
international winter sports competitions, Acadian heritage — and
its potatoes. No doubt many of the two hundred people who were
cheering saw themselves in the thirty-five-by-fifteen-foot
artwork: for decades the region’s schools have taken a three-
week fall recess so students can help with the potato harvest,
although in recent years some schools have ended the practice
because mechanical harvesters have reduced the need for pickers.
Indeed, a retired businessman who did his fair share of potato
picking as a youngster spearheaded the mural project, and
businesses and individuals donated $21,000 to the cause. The
artist, who lives in a neighboring town, spent more than one
hundred hours in the studio sketching the project and another
ninety-five hours painting it. A nearby sign pays tribute to the
area’s farmers, listing each by