Visions Gallery to host ‘Dream Rocket’ artwork

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — The Blue Moon Gallery will host a very special piece of art from Aug. 1 to Sept. 24 as the “Dream Rocket Project” comes to the Shiretown.
    Bob Cowperthwaite, president of the Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project, encourages area residents to come to a special reception for the project on Aug. 5 from 5-7 p.m. at Visions Gallery at 66 Main St.    “The two previous gallery events drew more than 350 individuals,” Cowperthwaite said. “The Dream Rocket Project will be a once in a lifetime event for the southern Aroostook area.”
    The Dream Rocket Project concept was formed in 2009 by the International Fiber Collaborative, which was created by Jennifer Marsh in a response to the growing need within her community for supplemental arts education. The Dream Rocket is a large scale collaborative featuring up to 8,000 pieces of artwork from around the country and beyond. The pieces of artwork were submitted to the IFC, where they were connected side-by-side to wrap the 365-foot Saturn V Moon Rocket at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.
    The theme of the art panels is “Dare to Dream,” which challenges artists to expand beyond the present state of the world and imagine what the future might be like. More importantly, artists are challenged to imagine what their contribution to that future will be. When combined, the pieces of artwork measure 32,000 square feet.
    “Our mission at SACAP is best summed up in this quote from Anatole Frances, ‘To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.’” Cowperthwaite said.