LEWISTON — The call came in Thursday morning from Chip Morrison. “I don’t know if this is a story or not . . .,” he began.

But of course Morrison — former Auburn city manager, former Maine Department of Labor commissioner, current head of the largest Chamber of Commerce in the state and potential pro golfer if it wasn’t for those knees — knows a story. Did we mention he’s also a proud father?

Morrison’s daughter, Beth, an accomplished producer in the arts in Manhattan, had just been featured in a sizable spread in The Wall Street Journal’s arts section, complete with an interesting caricature.

“In a tiny studio apartment surrounded by the Gustav Klimt reproductions that inspired her purple-and-gold color scheme, producer Beth Morrison plies her trade. Here, on the fringes of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, she formulates budgets and holds planning sessions with composers, theater directors, choreographers, costume designers and more,” the story opens.

The 39-year-old who, according to the story, is often seen at events in her “characteristically short black dresses and boots,” has established a name for herself in New York City for her energy, imagination, openness to ideas, ability to work with artists and a keen knack for her artist ensembles.

“Raven-haired and reportedly unflappable, Ms. Morrison may be immortalized one day as a 21st-century Diaghilev, known for her ability to assemble memorable collaborations among artists. But unlike Sergei Diaghilev, renowned for his legendary Ballets Russes productions, her metier is experimental music-theater — ‘indie’ opera and multimedia concert works,” the WSJ story says.

As some in Lewiston-Auburn know, Beth’s early forays into the arts were on the Community Little Theatre stage, and she gives such credit in the story. “One of Ms. Morrison’s assets is that she understands the arts from the inside. ‘My whole family was in community theater in Auburn, Maine,’ she says.”

Morrison, the artist, has five new projects now in the developmental or workshop process.

Morrison, the golfer, has reason to be proud . . . caricature or not.

To read the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904106704576580583941331812.html

— Mark Mogensen