Grace McKenna counts herself “retired” now, but everyone in Freeport seems to know her. She worked at the check-in desk of the Freeport Y for two decades, greeting each person who arrived for a class or workout. Before Grace had the opportunity to become a local icon, she lived at a state institution for people with intellectual disabilities.
These days, when Grace isn’t hanging out with her buddies or enjoying the Freeport home she shares with friends, she’s often at work in the Spindleworks art center in downtown Brunswick. Her artist profile there describes Grace as “a disciplined and focused weaver whose warps incorporate a wide variety of fibers. Her paintings are delicate and ethereal, both in mark and color. Her prints are textural translations of the same style. Grace also enjoys working in ceramics, making a variety of vessels, and has taken the spool knitter to new heights— using this a needle-less knitting device to make sculptural hats, shawls, belts, vests, and rugs.”
Grace McKenna and two friends compete in the Androscoggin Bank Run for Independence, Maine’s most ability-inclusive running event.
The butterfly costume Grace assembled for a Halloween party speaks to the transformation of her life, from institutional inmate to community icon and accomplished artist.
When neighbor Sara Gideon stopped by her house one morning, Grace McKenna showed the legislator how she uses an iPad to communicate.
Grace goofs around while visiting a community fair.
Grace McKenna became a familiar face – even a community icon – during the two decades she worked at the Y at Freeport.
Grace developed a close friendship with the late Eugene Crockett, who she described as her “honey.”