Rodney Richard Jr. will display his late father’s folk art at the Spring Bloom Art Show on April 19 at the Phillips Area Community Center. This is a screenshot of a  photo from a July 8, 1987 newspaper featuring William Richard, Rodney Richard Sr., and Rodney Richard Jr. File photo/Morning Sentinel

PHILLIPS — Winona Davenport of Phillips has announced the upcoming Spring Bloom Art Show, set to take place Friday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Phillips Area Community Center [PACC], at 21 Depot St. in Phillips.

Davenport said the exhibit will feature a special showcase of never-before-displayed works by the late Rodney Richard Sr., a nationally and internationally recognized folk artist known as the “Mad Whittler.” His son, Rodney Richard Jr., will present the collection, which honors his father’s career and deep roots in traditional arts.

The Richard family, including Rodney Sr., Rodney Jr. and grandfather William Richard, represented their craft at three-day folk festivals at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Rodney Sr. was invited three times to participate in the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival on the National Mall, in 1976, 1983, and 2005. His influence extended overseas, including a weeklong carving exchange in Archangel, Russia, and appearances at the International Folk Festival, among others.

Winona Davenport holds an intricate carving by her father, William Richard, on April 2 at her home in Phillips. She said the tower is carved from a single piece of wood, except for the base, and was made while the wood was still green. Richard traveled to Washington, D.C., in his 80s with his son, Rodney Richard Sr., and grandson, Rodney Richard Jr., to participate in folk art events. Rebecca Richard/Franklin Journal

His work has been exhibited in museums across the United States, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. and internationally in Romania, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia, and Poland. Richard carved at the National Folk Festival in Lowell, Massachusetts; the Northwest Folk Festival in Seattle; and the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton.

Richard also contributed to the arts commercially, exhibiting for the Stihl Company in 1980. A subject of numerous articles, his life and work are currently being chronicled in a forthcoming book, said Davenport.

Throughout his career, Richard received multiple accolades including the first Marshall Dodge Traditional Artist Award at the Maine Festival in 1987 for promoting traditional arts in Maine. He earned the Governor’s Service Award: Roll of Honor for Volunteerism in 1997 and received Maine Traditional Arts Apprenticeship awards from the Maine Arts Commission in 1993 and 2001, where he mentored his son in woodcarving.

A committed community member, Richard founded the Mad Whittler Scholarship in 1983 to support graduating seniors at Rangeley Lakes Regional School. The first scholarship was awarded to John Fitzgerald. He also contributed to the Giving Tree by carving the angel for its inaugural year in 1988 in memory of his former niece, Mary Ellen Richardson, who died after being struck by a car while sliding on Christmas Day. The Giving Tree of Rangeley is an all-volunteer, all donation organization that helps the community.

Richard was a longtime member of American Legion Post 120 and served as leader of Boy Scout Troop 579. He also served on the Traditional Arts Advisory Panel of the Maine Arts Commission and frequently visited schools and colleges from Maine to Virginia, sharing his passion for carving and traditional arts with students of all ages.

Admission to the spring Bloom Art Show is free, although donations are welcome. In addition to woodcarving, the show will feature photography, fiber arts, painting, woodworking and other media.

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