LOVELL — The Lovell Historical Society will be presenting a retrospective of the work of Sam Ring, a well-known local cartoonist, artist, and social commentator. The exhibit will open on Sunday, June 27th and remain on view for the month of July.

Born and raised in Lovell, Maine, Sam’s keen eye has seen the world through his own lens. Early on, he was influenced by family books as well as periodicals that accumulated in the Lovell Post Office, located in the Ring’s home on Main Street in Lovell Village. The advent of television also opened up a whole new world of images and ideas for Sam.

Lovell, being a vacation destination, gave Sam extensive opportunities for observation and artistic expression. People from all over would converge on the town in the summer and many would visit the Lovell Post Office to pick up their mail and chat about politics, Kezar Lake, and local lore. His neighbors and other local people provided a vast storehouse of incidents for him to characterize in his early comic books and cartoons. In regard to these local characterizations, Sam said: “Those were the most fun, and the most dangerous!”

The opening of the exhibit will be on Sunday, June 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. It will include a variety of Sam’s paintings, drawings, and cartoons from over the years. Visitors can meet the artist and enjoy refreshments. Additionally, nineteen of his works have been selected for sale.

The Lovell Historical Society is located at 551 Main Street (Route 5) opposite the Lake Kezar Country Club. For further information, contact the Society at 925-3234 or lovellhistoricalsociety@gmail.com