Presque Isle, Maine—Mapleton native Shaye McHatten recently joined the Wintergreen Arts Center as a Summer Arts Program instructor. Shaye is teaching classes at multiple Presque Isle locations this summer including the Presque Isle Housing Authority, Agency on Aging’s Adult Daycare Center, Presque Isle Rehab and Nursing Center, Leisure Village Retirement Center, and the Wintergreen Arts Center.
“Shaye has a wonderful outlook on life,” said Dottie Hutchins, Wintergreen’s executive director. “Over the winter, she wrote her ART-with-Heart and Photography curricular preparing herself to jump right into work here at the Center, the Presque Isle Housing Authority, and other locations around town. She is a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of individual with a sincere, fun, and caring approach to her work. Both children and adults adore her style.”
Shaye McHatten is a 2016 graduate of the Presque Isle High School. She worked summers for the Mapleton Recreation Department since 2014, and will continue to be their morning art teacher this July. Shaye returns to Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, this fall, where she is a sophomore majoring in marketing and event management. She is also a member of the DREAM Program, a Vermont-based mentoring program that pairs college students with youth in affordable housing neighborhoods.
“When Dottie approached me about starting an art program through the Presque Isle Housing Authority, I instantly thought of using volunteers to become mentors for our students,” said Shaye. “My experience with the DREAM Program has been so positive—both for me and the children I work with. Having a constant, positive role model fosters creativity, kindness, and confidence in youth. Our goal for ART-with-Heart is to integrate the mentor experience with art to create a fun program for both volunteers and children!”
About Wintergreen Arts Center: The Wintergreen Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006. It is located in downtown Presque Isle, Maine. Wintergreen is an organization based on the idea that creativity, advocacy, and community can produce great things. Our mission is to provide meaningful experiences that encourage an appreciation of the arts, stimulate creativity and innovation, and offer an artistic community space where all are welcome.