A Biddeford artist is fondly remembered for his impressive body of work and a ‘rascally’ attitude that inspired so many others
By JOHN GOLD | Special to the Gazette
My wife Susan and I first met Roland “Salazar” Rose in his Biddeford studio around 2013. We were enjoying an Art Walk and we saw his sign directing us to his work/live space upstairs above the Elements coffee shop.
After climbing a flight of stairs, we emerged into a space that was clearly more work than live – paintings on easels, on the walls, on the floor, paint splatters everywhere – an amazing spectrum of color covering a wide range of topics and scenes, from Mexican landscapes, portraits, abstract creations to realistic renditions of the Maine coast where he now resided.
Somewhere in that apartment Roland had a place to sleep, cook and eat, but clearly, this man lived to work.
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And work he did. Roland, who died on July 22 at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough at the age of 99, was creating art in a studio set up by the MVH staff until just a few days before his death. A space where he not only painted but offered lessons to fellow residents at the home.
He leaves behind an impressive body of work that spans multiple decades, a lifetime of relationships and connections with artistic institutions throughout New England and Mexico. He also leaves a legacy as a driven, passionate and hard-working artist who never stopped creating and promoting and who inspired many.
“He was a wonderful friend and mentor that pushed me to paint more, experiment and always move forward,” said his close friend and fellow artist Anne Strout. “He had great personal courage, vision and resolve and was a role model to many.”
Photographer David Wade, who often exhibited with Roland at the Barn Gallery in Ogunquit and who was a longtime friend, remembered Roland as a “rascal.”
“He had a sly grin, an infectious wit, and an enthusiasm for life that couldn’t be dampened by his advanced years,” Wade wrote on his Facebook page following Roland’s death. “I think for many of us he was a model of a true artist, whose love for the Muse and his dedication drove him on almost heroically and inspired us to carry on.”
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A native of the Bronx, Roland was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He graduated from New York University on the GI Bill and for many years worked as a consultant with private firms and also as a public administrator. He spent several years traveling in Europe where he said he began to paint, “dabbling in art.”
He returned to New York and then moved to Maine, where he worked at a friend’s hotel in Kennebunkport and painted when he had time, eventually becoming able to focus full-time on his passion.
He moved between Maine and Mexico for more than three decades, first as a snowbird, then living full time in Mexico. He described Mexico as a turning point for his work, a place where he created hundreds of paintings that reflect the colors and textures of that part of the world.
He exhibited in numerous prestigious galleries and shows and developed a painting technique using a medium he dubbed “Sal Zar,” a paint based on chapapote, a Mexican tar.
In 2012, Roland returned to Maine full time, landing in Biddeford, where he embraced the very different sights of the Maine landscape. The themes of his work shifted from the earth tones of the Mexican desert to the blue of the Atlantic Ocean and green of the Maine forest.
Roland also embraced Biddeford, which at that point was just beginning its own artistic revival.
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“I met Roland very early in my time here at HOB (Heart of Biddeford),” said Delilah Poupore, HOB executive director. “He immediately shined as someone who fell in love with Biddeford. You could see him enjoying coffee at Elements, talking with new friends and sharing conversations about art.”
Roland donated two pieces of his art to the Heart of Biddeford, where they continue to be on display.
Rebecca Proctor, owner of The Art Center in Dover, N.H., where Roland’s art is also exhibited, recalls her visits with Roland in his studio.
“We would spend hours talking about his life as an artist in Mexico and Maine,” she said. “I always enjoyed hearing the stories behind each piece and seeing everything he had accomplished.
In addition to the Art Center, Roland was associated with several galleries in Maine, most notably the Danforth Gallery in Portland and also the Barn Gallery in Ogunquit, which honored him with a major display of his work last year.
While Roland was a passionate and prolific artist, he was also a savvy businessman and sophisticated user of technology, always looking for new ways to promote his art.
He created several electronic books and worked with the University of Maine to create an electronic show about the cosmos that featured a series of paintings he created focusing on solar flares.
Wade recalls preparing for an upcoming show with Roland and another artist, Chris Morse when Roland was 93.
“Roland said we had to have space for a QR Code,” Wade recalled. “Chris looked at me and said, ‘what’s a QR code?’”
“Here was this 93-year-old man telling us how to digitize our artwork,” Wade said laughing. “He was taking us the next step forward.”
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Fellow artist Ann Tracy also noted Roland’s use of technology, saying “He was very encouraging of my work in the digital realm and that meant a great deal to me.”
Phil Gendron, who came to know Roland later in life and became a close friend as well as his personal representative, also recalled Roland’s passion for business.
“He was always looking to sell his art,” Gendron recalled, noting that in many cases Roland would trade his art for services.
There is, I suspect, a lot of Roland’s art hanging on walls around Biddeford and Saco, as well as in Mexico and in other far-flung places.
Several of his pieces grace our walls and they always draw admiration from those who see them. We treasure the art, both for its beauty and ability to inspire and for the memories they hold of the “rascally” person who added so much to our lives and the lives of others.
There’s more about Roland and his work on his website at: salazargallery.com
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | JOHN GOLD is a former journalist who worked at both the Journal Tribune and Portland Press Herald. A former president and board member for Saco Bay Trails, John has volunteered for a number of local and statewide organizations including the Summit Project, Land for Saco’s Future and Age Friendly Saco where he takes part in the CHAT bike program.
He is also a member of the Biddeford Gazette’s Community Advisory Council.
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