(Host) The official gubernatorial portrait of Governor Howard Dean has been unveiled at the Statehouse. About 150 people attended the ceremony, which took place in the well of the House Chamber.
Before taking a maroon covering off of the four-by-five-foot portrait, Statehouse curator David Shultz said he feels the painting represents an end of an era in the state:
(Shultz) “And this portrait is maybe the first acknowledgement that Howard Dean, M.D. – at least as far as Vermont is concerned – is going to become an historic figure.”
(Host) Then Kate O’Connor, a long time Dean aide, and Carroll Jones, who painted the portrait, slowly slid the covering off of the painting. (Sound of crowd responding with applause.)
The portrait is a large outdoor scene that shows Dean sitting on some large rocks on the edge of Lake Champlain. The governor is dressed in outdoor clothing and has a canoe paddle in one hand. In the background are a row of trees displaying the spectacular colors of autumn.
Dean told the crowd that he chose this setting for his official portrait because of his love for the rivers, lakes and mountains of Vermont:
(Dean) “This is all about what’s great about Vermont. Vermont is a remarkable and extraordinary state to live in for a lot of reasons. People’s values are terrific, people treat each other well, but the reason it’s most terrific is because of our natural surroundings, which is something that during my governorship has been very important to me. And I thought this would be a good way of memorializing it.”
(Host) The portrait will be hung permanently at the Statehouse once Dean leaves office in January.