POTSDAM -- After a decade away from home, Potsdam native and young artist and filmmaker Max Romey has returned to the North Country to track down and digitally archive his grandmother Lucretia Romey’s artwork.

A watercolorist and pencil artist her entire life, Lucretia Romey left over 15,000 pieces of art behind when she passed in 2012.

Most of that art now resides in various drawers inside her Cape Cod studio, where her husband, St. Lawrence University professor Bill Romey, has been carefully preserving them.

Max’s goal was to scan as much of her art as possible over his spring break from college in Washington State, and he quickly discovered it would take a lifetime to scan a lifetime of art.

In order to understand more about the art and life of his grandmother Lucretia – “Lu” to the family -- Romey decided to place an ad in the local newspapers where his grandmother used to live and track down pieces of art that became a part of other people’s lives.

In addition to archiving the artwork, Romey, an artist himself, plans to visit the places that inspired his grandmother in the North Country and re-create the drawings 50 years later.

His family still lives in Potsdam. His father is SUNY Potsdam biology professor Dr. William Romey. “Both sides of my grandparents lived in Canton,” Romey said. His mother lives in Anchorage, Alaska, and Max spends most of his time at Western Washington University as a full time student.

Those who might have information that might be useful are encouraged to text or call (907) 444 – 5173.

His film web site is at MaxRomeyProductions.com.