Canaan teen’s art on display at Skowhegan cafe

MacKenzie Dawe of Canaan with her displayed artwork on Aug. 8 at Joe’s Flat Iron Café in Skowhegan. Submitted photo

SKOWHEGAN — After what feels like a long time waiting, MacKenzie Dawe’s art will be on display at Joe’s Flat Iron Café at 65 Water St. through Oct. 14.

Out of seven nominees this past April, she was chosen as the winner of the second annual $500 Wesserunset Arts Council Youth Scholarship, according to a news release from Lyn Govoni, council youth coordinator.

Joe Almand Submitted photo

When Joe Almand took over the former Paper Klip/Warren’s Office Supplies space where WesArts has had youth art displays since 2019, he assured the council that he would continue to welcome youth art in his café once it was ready to open.

Dawe, of Canaan, will be entering her junior year in the fall at Skowhegan Area High School.

In 2021, she was part of the National Youth Art Month Digital Art Show at the Portland Museum of Art and also won seven first-place ribbons and one second-place ribbon for her art submissions from the Skowhegan State Fair, and the Clinton Lions Fair. She is a fan artist who has painted portraits of rocker Ozzy Osbourne and the character Glenn Rhee from “The Walking Dead” TV series.

“The scholarship process was really nice. The communication was great and the interview was really enjoyable, too. It’s been an honor. I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” Dawe said.

A big check was presented to her by radio Disc Jockey Tom Hamilton while she was attending the second annual WXNZ Art, Music, & Poetry Extravaganza with her family at the Skowhegan Opera House on April 15.

MacKenzie Dawe and her family. From left are Mandy Dawe, MacKenzie Dawe, William Dawe and Logan Dawe. Submitted photo

Dawe wants to expand her current skills — using traditional mediums such as colored pencils, watercolors, oil paints, acrylic paints, and oil pastels — to include using animation, sculpting, potery, and three-dimensional design tools. MacKenzie used the scholarship money to order mediums that will develop and expand her skills, such as sculpting compounds and tools, a drawing tablet, jewelry beading supplies, needle felting supplies, fine-detail miniature paint brushes, and miniature drawing art pens.

“My intentions are to further develop my range of mediums I can work with and my desire is to create a career from my art, like being a content creator and/or designer,” she said.