Saturday, July 7, 2012

Wood Island Lighthouse Exhibit at University of New England’s Campus Center


The August exhibit at the University of New England (UNE) Campus Center in Biddeford, Maine, will focus on Wood Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1808 off the coast of Biddeford in Saco Bay. It is visible from the UNE campus.

Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse (FOWIL), a chapter of the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation, has been raising money over the past years to restore the lighthouse to its 1906 appearance.  Much restoration has been completed on the tower's exterior and the keeper's house. 

Part of the exhibit at UNE will feature photos of the original lighthouse and its history. Information will also be included about the boat tours that FOWIL provides to the lighthouse in July and August. The biggest part of the exhibit will feature paintings depicting the island and lighthouse. Plein-air artists took a boat trip to the island on Saturday, June 16, 2012, to paint. These works and others by local artists will be showcased and will be for sale, with 25% of the sales going to FOWIL to help with future restoration work.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Center lobby. All are welcome to attend. For more information about the exhibit contact Diane Noble at: (207) 284-6394.