Renowned American illustrator and author Ashley Bryan passed away last Friday, February 4, 2022. As a resident of Islesford, Ashley the person and Ashley the artist had a tremendous impact on the island. His contributions extended beyond his art. He was a valued community member and friend.
When honored with the Mission’s Sunbeam award for his contributions in 2012, one young girl said, “Ashley deserves this award because he’s an absolutely amazing person. He teaches us in school. He teaches us in his home. Being in Ashley’s house is like being in Ashley’s imagination. He helps not only in our small community here in Islesford, but in the global community. And he’s an honor to have here on our island.”
Ashley Bryan teaches students in his home on the Maine island of Islesford
During the renaming of the Cranberry Isles school to the Ashley Bryan School, one adult said, “So many of us remembered and realized the lessons that Ashley has taught us, the values that he has taught us, the humanity, the respect, the understanding of other cultures. Love is the only word I can say to describe this relationship.”
Ashley Bryan stands in front of the Cranberry Isles schoolnamed in his honor
Ashley also touched the hearts of Mission staff as well, particularly the crew of the Sunbeam. Here, the Mission shares their personal reflections, and as an organization, we pass our condolences onto Ashley’s family and the community of Islesford.
From the desk of Sharon Daley, Director of Island Health, RN
It should be simple to write about Ashley. In fact, when I try, a few words come to mind, maybe because they describe him so well. They would be wonder, love, and kindness. To meet Ashley, you immediately saw and felt those things. His warmth as he met you; his wanting to know and hear about who you are. As you talked, he might see a flower as simple as a dandelion, and his joy at its beauty led to stories and sharing. He had great joy. Not that he didn’t have pain from the losses he endured, but that joy and faith always shone through.
American artist and author Ashley Bryan admires Maine flora on a warm, sunny day.
I wonder what a world like Ashley’s would be like. I think everyone who met him felt a little bit of wanting to be a better person. I hear that on the island where he lived and from the people he was loved by and loved so dearly. He connected with thousands of people. We can only hope that is what his life and legacy will continue to do and grow.
Ashley Bryan reads aloud to island children
I take back that only a few words come to mind. I could add joy, strength, wisdom, caring, awe-inspiring—the list could go on and on. Here is to you, Ashley, for all we learned from you and the hope that we can all be more like you.
It’s a tremendous understatement to say that Ashley was a uniquely special person. He had qualities in abundance that most of us seem to possess in drips and drabs. It’s a seemingly impossible challenge to list and rank the many virtues that made him so special to so many. From my perspective, he mastered each and every virtue and employed them with effortless grace. Two of his attributes deserve mention, however. These are the aspects of Ashley’s humanity that inspire me daily to be a better person than the one who crawls out from under the blankets each morning.
The first was his almost otherworldly ability to find the transformative power of beauty and art in everything that he touched. I have yet to encounter a piece of his artwork that doesn’t inspire beauty and joy and accentuate the loveliness of whatever medium he used. From pieces of tumbled sea glass to bleached bird bones, Ashley made insipid objects glorious and meaningful. Take a look at any one of his puppets or his stained –glass windows to understand what I mean. His written words bring life and emotion to stories and messages that need to be heard, again and again, and again. I have never witnessed an author who recites with such passion and animation. Ashley danced and sang stories more than he actually read them. Beautiful Blackbird and My People are my absolute favorites.
The second quality I want to mention was Ashley’s ability to make you feel like you were the most special person in the world. Though I wish it otherwise, I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times that Ashley and I shared time and space. My relationship with him was nominal, at best, in comparison to others. Nevertheless, Ashley’s face lit with joy and recognition every time I visited with him on his beloved Islesford. Not once was I turned away or asked to leave after a period of time.
Instead, Ashley welcomed me with literal open arms. I was invited to sit by his side, where he would share thoughts regarding his latest project. A visit with Ashley always included his offering a piece of candy, or two, from the many packages he received from friends, far and wide. I know for a fact that I was not the only person to benefit from his generous hospitality. He treated everyone with equity whether it was your first meeting or your hundredth.
Douglas, Ashley and Mission videographer, Hunter Billings
It may seem as if I have put Ashley on a very high pedestal, but it’s just the opposite: Ashley was the most human and humble of people. He wore his talents, recognition, wisdom, and intellect as casually as he wore his cardigan. I would be remiss if I ended without mentioning just one more of Ashley’s qualities that I admire. Upon reflection, perhaps, it is the one I admire most of all. Perhaps, Ashley’s most virtuous virtue and his most precious gift was his modeling for us that being authentically kind and giving and selfless and loving is obtainable. It is something that each of us can actually achieve if we put our hearts and minds to it.
Rest In Peace, my friend. Though I can hardly imagine you resting at all. I can imagine you reciting My People or dancing your way through Beautiful Blackbird or eating your beloved gummies or creating magnificent creative works of beauty or loving people deeply and honestly. You will always be my hero and inspiration, Ashley Bryan. To Ashley – with gratitude for being you and all my love, admiration, and respect.
Douglas, Ashley, and Emily Axelrod celebrate Ashley’s 95th birthday.
Thank you, Ashley Bryan, for the impact you made not only in Maine and on the Mission, but around the world.
CHERRYFIELD, ME – My name is Jillian. I am the Steward on the Maine Seacoast Mission’s beloved Sunbeam, a job I love. To steward is a pleasing verb meaning to look after. I am proud of the title. As steward, I am responsible for stocking the boat with food and provisions for our trips to islands. Besides making meals for my mateys and guests, and welcoming visitors, I keep things tidy, and bake a lot of cookies.
There are so many Maine spots so close to me I cherish. The many hiking and skiing trails on our road endlessly entertain us. There’s the neighborhood swimming hole on balmy summer days. Behind our house we love to explore the Narraguagus River in canoes and kayaks in summer; on foot, skates, skis and snowshoes when the river is frozen.
My favorite place in Maine is central to all these options: our house. When we aren’t out playing in nature, I especially love being home, making art in my studio, growing vegetables in the dooryard, homestead chores, feeding the wood stove, puttering with Steve, and playing with our pets, Banana and Clarence.
I call our house my recycled castle because my partner, Steve, built it with reclaimed materials. It is a timber framed salt box, a work in progress since 2003.
For beams and lumber Steve dismantled the historic old Cherryfield Grange. He started that project in the fall, with instructions to have the big building gone before April.
While dismantling, Steve found an 1823 coin under the threshold, an old construction dating custom. Some Grange timbers were even older and had notches from earlier use. Reusing these big old beautiful timbers Steve and our friend, Tim, put up the post-and-beam frame in the fall of 2004. We moved in the summer of 2005, racing to hang insulation before winter set in.
That first year we didn’t have staircases between the floors, and we hauled water from the neighbor’s hand pump well.
Steve still has a keen eye for building supplies he can glean and utilize for our house. He turned old hand carved doors and pressed tin into paneling. Over the years we’ve scored parquet flooring for our grand foyer, (aka wood stove room), old light fixtures, railings from a church, ceramic tiles, and glass doors. Our bay window was a floor model at a store. Steve turned a bowling alley lane into our kitchen counter.
Creating our space as we go, and as building fodder presents itself, is fun and gratifying. I don’t think Steve will ever call our house finished. He is now working on a screened-in porch using lumber made out of trees felled on our land, planed at our friend Sam’s mill. For the screening he will use panels from someone’s old gazebo. Steve jokes that it is time to remodel. I say, “Honey, I love our cozy nest. Our recycled castle is already done enough for me.”
But, boy, it sure will be nice to have a screened-in porch. It can get ridiculously buggy here tucked in the woods!
NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME — Maine Seacoast Mission’s Scholarship program application for the 2022-2023 academic year is now available. The deadline for applying is February 26, 2022.
Mission Scholarships are open to individuals who graduate from an accredited public and independent high school or live in Hancock and Washington counties or the islands we serve. Scholarships are based on academic achievement (at least a 2.5 GPA), motivation and aspiration, community service, future academic plan and career goals, an individual’s plan to reduce their financial debt burden, application, and strength of interview. Preference is given to students with a financial need and those interested in living and working in Maine upon program completion.
Since 1918, the Mission has awarded almost $3 million to 3,692 deserving students from Maine’s outer islands and Downeast coastal communities. Each year twenty-five scholarships are given to students based on financial need and academic promise. Because our scholarships can be renewed for multiple years, the Mission has nearly 100 active scholars in any given year.
“Each year the Mission provides scholarships to more than 25 high school seniors and 40 students enrolled in a higher education institution or a career preparation program in Maine, New England, and across the U.S.,” said Downeast Director Melvin D. Adams III, EdD.
Some of our generous donors endow scholarships exclusively for youth in our region. The Mission’s Angus MacDonald scholarship, for example, offers an award of $14,000 over four years to an exceptional high school graduate who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, leadership skills, integrity, and commitment to the community.
For inquiries about Scholarships, email Scholarship Program Coordinator Wendy Harrington at wharrington@seacoastmission.org or call 207-546-5870.
Rooted in a history of compassionate service and mutual trust, Maine Seacoast Mission seeks to strengthen coastal and island communities by educating youth, supporting families, and promoting good health. We offer healthcare, education, food, shelter, and spiritual support by land and by sea. For more information, please visit https://www.seacoastmission.org/
CHERRYFIELD, ME – Maine Seacoast Mission welcomes Karen Bailey as our new EdGE Youth Development Coordinator for D.W. Merritt Elementary School in the Town of Addison. Karen, a D.W. Merritt teacher, has worked with the Mission since 2005. As EdGE Youth Development Coordinator at D.W. Merritt Karen will focus on EdGE’s after school program, and on developing relationships with EdGE families.
Mission Downeast Director Melvin Adams said, “When I first met Karen at the EdGE Cherryfield summer camp, I saw her passion, love, and enthusiasm for working with youth. She is committed to, and believes in, youth in the Downeast Community. We are excited. Karen is the perfect fit for this next chapter at the school,” Adams said.
Sunbeam Steward Jillian (left) with Chris Stelling (right)
This January, we wished a fond farewell to Chris Stelling. During three successful years as Director of Development, Chris made an enormous positive impact on the Mission. Her talents in forging meaningful relationships, knowledge of foundations, and passion for programs grew the Mision’s overall impact. Chris held immense pride in the difference the Mission makes in the lives of those we work with day-to-day.
Here’s a note from Chris to the Mission:
It has been my privilege to work for the Maine Seacoast Mission for these past three years. I sensed what a special organization it was when I joined it and my experience here—working with our talented and compassionate staff, benefitting from the stewardship of a caring and thoughtful board, and having the honor of getting to know our donors, volunteers, and community partners—confirms all that and more. I thank you for supporting the good work for our communities (fighting the good fight, as my dad would say), particularly in these very challenging times. While I will be leaving the Mission staff, I will continue to do what I can do to advance its mission. (Although I am looking forward to a brief break in the “action.”)
With best wishes, Chris.
Although it is not unusual for development professionals to move on after a few years, we are thankful for an impactful fundraising period during Chris’ tenure. Her passion and spirit will be missed.
Now Accepting Applications for Director of Development
Despite this news, we are excited to welcome a new amazing professional into the Mission family. We are now accepting applications for the position of Director of Development. The job description and posting can be viewed on our website. Please feel free to share it in your circle. With high expectations for a seamless transition, we know an outstanding year is ahead for the Mission, our work, and our communities.
MILBRIDGE, ME – Mission Family and Community Resource Coordinator Stephanie Moores sent these photos of Alan and Brisa from Milbridge “enjoying the snow and showing off snowmen they created for the January Family Engagement activity,” Stephanie said.
