Town Council member Michael Shaughnessy spent ten days last month in Mesa, Arizona creating works of art using nothing other than bales of hay and twine.

Shaughnessy began using hay for art while attending graduate school in rural Ohio. His curiosity in hay, unique in the art world, birthed a new creative outlet that has resulted in “60 to 70 exhibits in 20 years” for the Windhamite, who is also chair of the art department at the University of Southern Maine.

Shaughnessy was contacted by the directors of the Mesa Arts Center to install an exhibit that will be displayed at the Contemporary Arts Center building from April 22 to Aug. 7. Shaughnessy’s one condition was that his son Avery, 17, accompany him.

“This was the first trip that I’ve really helped out with,” said Avery.

The Shaughnessy duo taught the museum’s volunteers to use hay for art in two different ways. One method is to weave it into large structures and to bind it up into cylindrical lines tying them together into modular pieces. The bundles are then shaped and skewers are used to hold the form. The pieces were then mounted on the wall supported by 3D box structures or rest on pedestals and the floor. Before hay can be used to make works of art, however, the bales must be fumigated for bugs and treated so they are flame retardant.

During Shaughnessy’s trip, nearby middle school children were taught to use the hay to make small sculptures such as animals that they took home. Older children and volunteers assisted in the creation of the exhibit. Many of the pieces are quite large. There is one piece that consumes one wall with the dimensions of 12 to 13 feet high and 30 feet long.

Michael had tentative ideas for the exhibit before he boarded the plane for Mesa, but, he said, the exhibit is dependent on the supplies, people who volunteer, the nature of the display space, and the amount of time he has to set up.

“I went with small sketches and thumbnail ideas, but the idea is to let them evolve,” said Michael.

Avery inadvertently created a piece that now stands on a pedestal when he began collecting the unused twine and balled it up. Michael and others present noticed its uniqueness and it became a part of the exhibit.

Michael will be returning to Mesa for the opening of the exhibit later this month. The Mesa Arts Center is a new $94.5 million facility in the large suburb. According to information on the website 1,000 to 2,000 people are estimated to visit the facility a day.

Father and son artists: Avery and Mike Shaughnessy