Scotland Festival to offer memorabilia

The annual Scotland Festival is set for Sept. 17, and organizers are looking for a form of memorabilia to offer residents, current and former, as well as visitors.

Scotland Festival organizers chose local artist Wyatt LeGrand to paint a portrait of the nationally recognized Scotland Hotel, Scotland Historical Society member Jami Corbin said.

"We chose him (LeGrand) because he is a very good artist, he is local and he is very interested in helping out non-profits (organizations)," Corbin explained, noting LeGrand also did paintings for ornaments for the Greene County CASA the last two years.

LeGrand, owner of LeGrand Art Studio and Gallery in Bloomfield and current Linton-Stockton High School Art teacher, created an oil painting of the Scotland Hotel.

Shades of blue vary against the portrayed light of the sun against the side of the old hotel. Bright whites show the outlines of windows, doors, gutters and a picket fence. Varying bright to dark greens depict the grass surrounding the base of the picket fence.

He created the oil painting on canvas, originally 16 inches by 20 inches, then sent a digital copy of the painting to the historical society, to have it mass produced as a souvenir Christmas tree ornament to be sold at the festival. The portrait is surrounded by the blue of the ornament with the words "Scotland Hotel. Established 1870's" above and below.

The hotel itself is a nationally recognized historical landmark, placing the small town in Taylor Township on the map.

"The hotel is featured on the National Registry of Historic Places," Corbin explained.

Corbin said the ornaments will be available at the souvenir stand, across from the post office. They will be $12 each.

"I already have a lady from the Historical Society that wants four (ornaments) -- one for her and three for her children," Corbin said.

Corbin encourages buying the souvenirs for current residents, former residents and former school attendees. She noted the last graduating class from Scotland was in 1955.

If the portrait of the hotel on the souvenir sells well at this year's festival, Corbin said she would like to have other buildings featured on souvenirs.