In 1981, Max Kaplan had already owned his art supply store for 24 years.
Shirley Mellor had worked there for over a decade. She and Max had been married for 5.
That July, Westport photographer Nancy Wayman assembled Max, Shirley, the staff at Max’s Art Supplies, and 100 or so artists who made the store their own personal hangout.
The result was a photo that captured Westport: its arts colony sensibility, its mom-and-pop shops, its downtown funkitude.
The famous 1981 photo. Max wears a tie in the front row; Shirley Mellor is next to him, on the left.
A lot has changed in 34 years. Max and Nancy Wayman died. Max’s closed in August.
In a few days, the sign comes down for the final time.
But before it does, there’s time for one last group photo.
All Westporters — artists, loyal customers, friends, and folks with no artistic talent whatsoever — are invited to gather in front of Max’s this Saturday (May 30), at 5 p.m. There will be one last photo — and Shirley wants as many people as possible to squeeze in. (If you want in, be there by 4:30 — the shutter clicks at 5 sharp, and it will take a while to organize.)
If you don’t know where Max’s was: It stood directly across from the old Y.
And if that sentence doesn’t say something about the changing face of downtown Westport, I don’t know what does.
