July 18, 2024 · 0 Comments
By Paula Brown
A notable wooden statue that has been a part of Orangeville’s downtown for more than 15 years has officially been decommissioned and given a second life at a new home.
The wooden carving, called “The Storyteller,” was placed early this month in the home garden of Orangeville resident, Anne Richardson, who spearheaded the commission of it in 2005.
“I’m just delighted that it can finish out its life here. It just made sense that if we could keep it going a little while longer that it would still sort of be part of our family. It looks great in the garden and is a real conversation piece,” said Richardson.
The piece was created by local artist Jim Menken and honours Marilyn Doekes, a beloved teacher and librarian. The wooden statute depicts Doekes holding the book “Cinderella,” with her lips in movement as to show her telling a story.
In 2005, while battling an incurable degenerative neurological disease, Marilyn Doeke’s friends and Anne Richardson were looking for a way to honour her and came upon the idea of having a wood carving made in her memory. The group fundraised and commissioned Jim Menken to create the wooden sculpture, which was unveiled at the Orangeville Public Library in late 2006. Marilyn Doekes died in January of 2006.
“She was an excellent school teacher and a great storyteller,” recalled Richardson of her late friend.
The wooden tree carving was temporarily relocated to the Lord Dufferin Centre, located at 32 First Street, while the Orangeville Public Library underwent renovations last year. When it was time for the sculpture to return to its spot at the Mill Street branch, it was deemed unstable due to rotting of its wooden base.
“We were very disappointed that it was not going to be able to go back to the library, but when I saw the condition that it was in and realized what was going on, I jus thought there must be something I can do to keep this carving alive for a bit longer,” said Richardson.
Rather than let the sculpture go, Richardson reached out to the Orangeville Public Library Board and the Town of Orangeville to inquire about acquiring the piece.
“Her family was absolutely delighted that it was going to be able to end it’s life in my garden,” she said.
The wooden sculpture was sponsored by approximately 120 donors, who raised nearly $8,000 to commission its design. Of the money raised, $4,500 was used to pay artist Jim Menken while the remaining went to purchase a plaque, planting flowers in the gardens, and a donation to Booklore to buy children’s books.
While “The Storyteller” sculpture finds it’s new home in Richardson’s home garden, the Orangeville Public Library has continued sharing Marilyn’s legacy by having a rock donated by Orangeville Salt and Soil installed in the garden where the sculpture used to live, along with a plaque telling the story.
A commemorative photograph will also be on display inside the Mill Street branch of the library.