BOWDOINHAM — On Sunday, July 22, Merrymeeting Arts Center will host a Bryce Muir portrait reunion as part of the “Three Town Artists: Carlo Pittore, Bryce Muir & Carter Smith” show at the Town Hall.

More than 35 of Muir’s unique portrait sculptures in wood will be on view with their models/owners accompanying them. This is the only time these pieces will be on view. 

The show, a fundraiser for the Merrymeeting Arts Center, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Bowdoinham Town Hall. Admission: $5 per person.  

Muir designed pieces that combine people with favorite animals and include important personal items, such as a special hat, an armchair, a tool or a boat. For  a grandmother nicknamed Bunny who had a favorite beret and enjoyed knitting, he would create a rabbit with her face sitting in a rocking chair that rocks and moves little wooden needles as you pull strings. 

Muir sculpted portraits of mermaids playing golf, loons using binoculars and bats folding their wings. He used many different hardwoods in each piece, which typically measure 12-24 inches in height. Many of his portraits move when strings are pulled or a crank is turned. One of the pieces that will be on view 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.

Many other portraits to be shown are of area residents: Al Miller, Dr. Steve Stern, Arlene Morris, David Berry, Weld Henshaw, Fred and Jill Haer and John Harris. There will also be some of Muir’s portraits of historic figures and American icons, including Elvis, Jackie Robinson and Margaret Mead.

Jack Montgomery of Freeport, known for his portraits of New York City firefighters, 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.

The Merrymeeting Arts Center has a permanent changing exhibit of sculptures and drawings done by Muir, who died Dec. 14, 2005.

The center’s summer hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; or by appointment. Call 666-3426 or 841-5914. On July 22, the center will be open until 5 p.m. “Three Town Artist: Carlo Pittore, Bryce Muir & Carter Smith” runs through Sept. 23. For more information, visit  merrymeetingartscenter.org.

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