Artist is expanding on, reworking historical mural
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Roger LaPlante is working to restore and highlight new details of a mural he did 36 years ago at the former Bank of Amerin in the center of Westminster. (Right) One of the new highlights LaPlante has added is a view of his dog drinking from a wooden pump station. JOURNAL PHOTOS/CAITLYN KELLEHER

Roger LaPlante has spent the last month doing touch up and detail work on a mural he designed in a Main Street business 36 years ago.

The 67-year-old artist has brushed off his pastels to go back to work on the details he mural he designed for a long-defunct restaurant in Westminster in 1971 and has sat behind the teller counter in the former Bank of America most recently. Now that the bank has moved out of town and Bruce Vincent has bought the building, LaPlante has come in to do some detail work.

"This in a way is a reward," he said. "I really haven't forgotten how to paint. Right now I am pretty much retired. … It's something of a rebirth of it and myself."

LaPlante, a Gardner resident, was asked by the contractor for the restaurant that originally occupied the space while he was taking some art classes. While he was creating the mural he was also working for a local newspaper full-time.

"I would go to work there and then come here," he said.

In addition, restoring the work he has been adding a variety of detail work for it including the highlights to add depth, a few brighter colors and his dog drinking out of a pump well.

"Over the years I have required extra training. I think that's what I brought into this now," he said.

To do the original mural LaPlante studied the history of the town and the buildings. The mural includes Gen. Miles' home, a train depot, the current funeral home, the Westminster Cracker Factory, the original school and a few of the churches.

"I went around to check where these buildings were if they were still here," he said.

He included the original Westminster Hotel.

"It was known for its second floor dance hall," he said.

Vincent's wife is planning on opening Country Treasures Gift Shop in the location next to the grocery by the middle of next month.

"My wife is doing a gift shop of the old fashion stuff," he said. "We like (the mural). It was part of the town."

Vincent bought the building in December and has had construction crews have been working to remodel the store for the last few months.

LaPlante said he works to look at the art piece by piece usually but "there would be times where you would see it as a whole thing."

"You have a relationship with the work," he said. "You can't overdue a piece of art."

LaPlante was born in New York but spent most of his childhood in Maine before moving to Montreal, Canada and then to Gardner. He has had to individual shows of his work and participated in several group shows in Montreal, the Central Massachusetts area and Cape Cod.

He has also been in the book, "Watercolours of Quebec."