"Carving Your Niche"

Thomas Cote is a woodcarver from Limestone, ME... and with tongue-in-cheek, I think I can safely say that he has certainly “carved” his niche.

He and some of his family were in the coffee shop the other day, and the usual light banter broke out.  Noticing their French accents, we asked if they were from “The County”. They were.

Now, for those of you reading this that aren’t from the state of Maine, “The County” is the popular name for Aroostook County, the northernmost county in Maine. How far north is it, you ask?....  well, as some folks  like to say – you’re not quite up to the North Pole, but you can see it from there.

The predominant ethnicity of “The County” is French-Canadian, or to be specific – Acadian. The Acadians were forced out of the Canadian Maritime Provinces by the British during the French and Indian War in the late 1700’s.  They settled in Maine, Quebec, and Louisiana. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made them famous with his poem, “Evangeline”.

OK, enough of the geography and social studies lesson… Thomas is an artist in residence this week at a local campground – Searsport Shores. Yes, I said a campground, and not an art gallery or a school of fine arts. Thanks to the eclectic thinking of the campground owners – Steve and Astrig Tanguay - they have had an artist-in residence for many years. They get a quick “tip-of-the-hat” from me for such a creative way to provide an enjoyable, and unique, camping experience for their patrons.

Thomas Cote’s story doesn’t stop there. It continues into next year… 2014. On August 15th, 2014, the National Acadian Day will be celebrated in St. David, Madawaska, Maine… right at “the top” of Aroostook County. Thomas is a wood carver, and his work will be on display before, during, and after, that day. As you drive north on U.S. Route 1, towards Madawaska, you will see eight wood carvings – each, 4 feet by 8 feet – posted along the highway. All eight will be the work of Thomas Cote, and will depict scenes from Acadian history, and life activities indigenous to Aroostook County.

Of the eight roadside panels he is commissioned to carve, he has finished the first two – a mural of the annual fall potato harvest, and the spring-time maple syrup activities that take place each spring in Aroostook County.

We asked how long it takes to carve each panel, and he said between 350 and 400 hours. We did the “math” and said it seemed like he wouldn’t get them done in time for National Acadian Day. “Oh,” he said,” that’s not a problem. I have my grand-daughter helping me.”  How nice it is to know that his craft is being passed along for more generations to enjoy.

So, I tip my hat to Thomas Cote… and if perchance you happen to be driving north on U.S. Route 1 next summer, and you see the wood-carved panels along the roadside, you can say to yourself, “Oh, I know who made those”… and a few “oohs” and “aahs” as you pass them would be nice, too.