April 2022

PAINTINGS DONATED TO THE WAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY

by Barb Fisher, photos supplied

It is with great pleasure that the Wawa Public Library has recently accepted the donations of artworks, paintings from the Shamess family and the late Mrs. Elsie Skinner.

Mrs. Skinner was a weekly user of the library for many years and introduced the Shamess siblings, her grandchildren, to the joys of books and the library system. Mrs. Skinner was also well known in the United Church circles as the organist and choirmaster for many years, and the Shamess’ s were longtime residents living here in Wawa for over 50 years. Charles Shamess graciously shipped the art work to the library where they would have a permanent home.

The Michael Cleary is an original watercolour and depicts ‘Old Woman Bay’, and the two paintings capture ‘Birches on Long Beach’ and ‘Turtle and Seagull Islands/Michipicoten Bay and Lighthouse Point’. According to the Shamess family, these paintings were done by Grace Goodall who stayed at the Shamess cottage on Long Beach Road on Lake Superior, not long after the Highway was completed from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa. The artist left the paintings, one of them, ‘Birches on Long Beach’ about three quarters finished, for the Shamess family as a token of her appreciation. Some time later, Clee Campbell offered to finish the art piece. Also donated by the Shamess family is a small replica of the original ‘Wawa Goose Statue’, a Wawa Ontario Pennant, various Lake Superior history books and old cookbooks.

Our Library staff extends a hearty thankyou to Mrs. Elsie Skinner and the Shamess family for the wonderful donations in remembering our history. These items are now on display in our Library, and everyone is welcome to come in and view a bit of Wawa’s splendor on canvass.