A new art exhibit, “Meeting Halls: Inspiring Collective Futures,” featuring photographs by South Thomaston artist Michelle Hauser will open for the month on May 2 in the Blue Hill Public Library’s Britton Gallery and Howard Room. Everyone is invited to an opening reception at the library on Friday, May 2 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

Michelle will be exhibiting a selection of photographs that record for posterity hundreds of meeting halls found throughout the state, some of which highlight beloved meeting halls on the Blue Hill peninsula. This photographic exploration began in collaboration with Hauser’s late husband, Andrew S. Flamm (1967-2018). Hauser has continued on with their shared vision. The exhibition also includes her work that appropriates fraternal symbols often used in the ritual activities that take place inside meeting halls. One of Hauser’s favorite examples is a symbol used by the Odd Fellows to teach the initiate “That whatever the hand goes to do the heart must go with it.”

According to Michelle, “My project honors our collective legacy by inviting more people in to recognize the dynamic of current and previous generations. This once-thriving network of civic forums was built and maintained collaboratively by local people for generations.  Their spirit, time, and materials created these extraordinary and irreplaceable civic spaces for us to share.” 

As memberships in volunteer societies dwindle, halls across the state are on the verge of closing or have already done so, putting the halls at risk for being razed or lost for civic use.  The disappearance of meeting halls and the erasure of the social good that they bring poses the question: What is the fate of our collective future? 

The purpose of Michelle’s project is fourfold: to increase the visibility of historic community-created spaces; to draw attention to the precarious state of Maine’s civic architecture; to share the history behind this older form of social interaction; and to help inspire communities to form adaptive strategies for making these landmark buildings relevant today. Michelle acknowledges that the Blue Hill Peninsula in particular has many shining examples that already embody these goals. 

She explains, “As many town squares have moved to virtual locations my photographs aim to highlight this older model for social interaction. This resonates in the present moment with a particular force as we look for safe, nonpartisan and secular environments to engender solidarity among citizens. I hope to inspire more people to become stakeholders in saving these democratic forums for current and future generations.”

The show will be available for viewing during library hours starting May 2nd, subject to the Howard Room meeting schedule.