LEWISTON — If you’re a Lewiston school art student, chances are good you’ll soon see Victoria Wyeth.

The only granddaughter of legendary artist Andrew Wyeth is volunteering to teach art at every Lewiston elementary school next week. On Tuesday she’ll be at McMahon and Geiger; Wednesday at Montello and Longley; Thursday at Martel and Farwell; and Friday at Lewiston Middle School.

Wyeth, who lives in Philadelphia and graduated from Bates College in Lewiston in 2001, frequently speaks to students, but her January tour is among her most ambitious.

“I love it,” Wyeth said in a recent phone interview. “This is what my grandfather taught me: You’re no different than anyone else. It’s what Sarah taught me too.”

Sarah will be Wyeth’s maid of honor when she marries in September. She met Sarah years ago in Lewiston.

“At Bates, I took a ton of education courses that required teaching in schools,” Wyeth said. She volunteered at McMahon and Farwell schools. “I fell in love with these kids,” Wyeth said. Teachers asked her to serve as a mentor, a Big Sister, to a girl named Sarah.

“She was 10 then. Now she’s 25. We became best friends,” Wyeth said.

Wyeth returns to the area to teach in part because “a lot of these kids don’t have exposure to art,” she said. A lack of resources means families can’t jump in the car and go to the Portland museum. Since Wyeth can’t bring all of the students to the museum, “I bring the museum to them.”

She said she was close to her grandfather and loves teaching about his work.

Andrew Wyeth died in 2009 at age 91. He was a realist and landscape painter who summered in Maine. Two of his most famous paintings were “Christina’s World” and “Master Bedroom,” both painted in Maine.

Among her favorites of his works are “Dr. Syn” and his winter landscapes.

“I teach the kids in his pictures you can hear the weather, you can hear the snow blowing, the leaves blowing,” Wyeth said. “Even though it’s a painting, it still has texture.”

She’s shown the original “Master Bedroom” to students, sharing behind-the-scenes stories of the watercolor of the dog sleeping on the bed. Her grandfather used to complain that when you get a dog, it takes over the house, she said.

Wyeth said she treasures her relationship with the Lewiston area community.

On Jan. 13, Wyeth visited the downtown Tree Street Youth after-school program and gave a talk and slide show. She met Julia Sleeper and learned Sleeper is a Bates College graduate who helped create the nonprofit organization to help at-risk youth.

“I burst into tears,” Wyeth said. “That’s why I picked Bates. Most students there really care about making a difference in the community.”

Wyeth said she often gives lectures to private groups across the country and uses that income to give pro bono lectures to students.

Lewiston Middle School art teacher Kay Allison said her classes just finished studying Maine landscapes, including Wyeth art. She said she’s excited about Wyeth’s visit.

“She’s very enthusiastic,” Allison said. “The way she presents herself to the kids is friendly. She knows how to relate to students. She tells stories from her family that are always interesting.”

Because of Victoria, students don’t forget art by Andrew Wyeth, Allison said.

bwashuk@sunjournal.com

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