The Hortense and Henry Ferne II Memorial Fine Arts Room is housed upstairs in Wiscasset Public Library. This is a wonderful collection of reproductions of famous works of art and books covering all art forms. Check out the prints at the library and enjoy these terrific views in your own home. Reproductions circulate for a period of four weeks and are renewable.  The books circulate for two weeks.

      The Hortense Ferne and Henry Ferne II Memorial Art Library was established July of 1985 by Henry Ferne II in memory of his mother Hortense Ferne.

     Mrs. Ferne had a long lived interest in art. Her etchings and lithographs have been exhibited in the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Museum of the Statue of Liberty, Philadelphia Museum, Metropolitan Museum of New York, and Wadworth Atheneum of Hartford. Her paintings have been displayed in the Graphic Sketch Club and the Lanape Club and the Barnum Circus Museum in Philadelphia, Cardinal Portrait in Rome, Republican Club in New York.

     Thanks to the generosity of Benjamin Kirkland, adopted son of Henry Ferne II, the room was expanded and refurbished in 1996. New shelves were built to accommodate the large size of many of the art books and a case was constructed to store the many art reproductions that are available to the public.

     Considered by many to be the most outstanding private art library in northern New England, the collection continues to grow and be useful to artists, scholars and the community.

      The Hortense and Henry Ferne II memorial Art Library has many features of interest for any one interested in the arts.

     This comfortable room with large tables makes it easy to spread out and fully use the many resources available to the public. The display of original art adds to the enjoyment of the room. The display case holds many of Hortense Ferne’s tools and sketchbooks.

     Biographies of artists and art personalities give in depth looks into the lives of the producers of some of the most famous works of art in the world.

     Many magazines are subscribed to and kept as back issues. Art in America, American Artist, American Art Review, Antiques, Art & Antiques, Art News, Collector Magazine and Price Guide, Crafts, Early American Homes and Preservation are some of the magazines available through the art room.

     Reference books such as 34 volumes of Groves Dictionary of Art, 9 volumes of Great Artists in the Western World, 9 volumes of Lives and Works in the Arts and 2 volumes of Understanding Art are shelved in the art room to assist in studies of art and artists.

     Reproductions of great works of art are available for circulation. These reproductions may be checked out and taken home for four week circulation periods. Let the library help supply the artwork throughout your home and change the pictures every month.

     Video tours of museums take one through the museum’s collection. Great works of art and shows of artists are on tape for the interested patron. Many how-to videos are available to instruct and educate patrons on completing their own works of art.

     Many topics are covered by the broad subject of arts. The art room holds information on architecture, landscape design, handicrafts such as crochet, knitting, weaving, quilting and needlepoint, technique guides, painting, sculpture, drawing, photography and more. Books on all artistic mediums and artists are housed in this collection.

revised July, 2010