With artistic flourish, painter Eric Eddy put the finishing touches to a large mural that now graces a large wall facing the Mechanic Street parking lot in downtown Camden. The mural has been a long time in the making since the idea was first proposed five years ago, but now completed, it presents a bold and colorful statement of Camden’s nautical heritage.

“Eric, the painter assigned to this by Steve Caron [Steve Caron Painting, project contractor], is a really nice guy and particularly good at edging,” said Richard Bernhard, a member of the municipal Design Committee and a Camden resident. He stopped by the project site while Eric was working there over the last few weeks.

“I asked him, ‘do people go by and ask about it?’” said Bernhard.

Did they ever.

“Dozens and dozens,” said Bernhard. “And every one of them asked, ‘what is it.’ They did not know. Until one time, two 15-year-old girls were walking by, looked up and said, ‘Camden!’”

The two had recognized the mural as a signal flag for Camden.

Signal flags are the symbols of an international maritime communication code. The signals can be simple, denoting one situation (diver in the water, or disabled vessel) or complex. Signal flags are used on vessels from warships to racing yachts to harbor sailing dinghies.

Numbers have flags and letters have flags, each are distinct graphic symbol. String them together and messages are formed. 

In the case of the new mural, the flags spell the name “Camden” in its unique pattern. That is what is now on the wall.

Early in morning June 23, four members of the Design Committee gathered at the parking lot to admire the finished mural. Deb Dodge, a former member of the Design Committee and a former Camden Select Board member had arrived from her new home of Richmond, Virginia, joining Bernhard, Meg Quijano and Rafi Baeza. 

Others who were not present but also integral to the project included Paul Cavalli, Dave Jackson, Meg Barclay, Donna Janville, Rick Seibel, Dave St. Laurent and Marc Ratner.

Dodge commented on the mural process, going back to its inception. When the idea of painting a mural on the side of the historic brick building was presented the town was receptive. But the original mural design was rejected, so so the committee went back to the drawing board.

“We were really sort of struggling,” said Dodge. “What do we do?”

Then, she gestured over to a building on the other side of the parking lot.

“Do you remember that used to be Camden Law,” she asked. “And they used to have the sign out front with the signal flags of Camden? Meg said, ‘why don't we do that?”

“We thought this would be something that would have consensus,” said Quijano.

“You can’t please everybody,” said Dodge, “This works well with the texture of the wall [a concrete coating covers the bricks]. We were at the point where we wanted something to help this wall because it is such a busy corner in Camden.”

Steve Caron, project contractor, was on board with the concept from the beginning, said Dodge. So was David Turner, the property owner. “Since Day One,” she said. 

“Steve donated labor and time,” she said.

“Did the town pay for the paint?

“No, we raised the money,” said committee members.

When considering paint colors they consulted Bernhard, who is an architect. He assessed their values, ultimately endorsing them. “The blue is called, ‘New York Frame of Mind,’” he said.

The colors “pop”, they all agreed. “It’s bold.”

Quijano said the committee hopes to see more murals in Camden.

“There are spaces in town that would be terrific,” she said.

“One screaming for it is at the end of Boynton McKay, on the river,” said Bernhard.

“Where you can barely make out ‘Carleton French,’” said Dodge. “There’s a little white paint left. There was a lot more of it there when I moved here 35 years ago.”

She then added: “But we don’t have a Design Committee, anymore.”

Camden’s municipal committees were disbanded during the Covid pandemic, said Quijano, “and they’ve not been reinstated.”

“It is an asset to have this talent pool of designers and architects in our town,” said Baeza. “We are professionals who have a track record.”

Do they want to reconvene as the Design Committee?

“I would love that,” said Dodge, an opinion they all reinforced.

In the meantime, they are happy the mural is finished.

“This one is perfect,” said Quijano. “You can see a flag flying.”

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657