Maine Women in the Arts

Maine Women in the Arts is hosting a three-day show of fine art at the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center in Kennebunk. The group’s annual awards show can be viewed on Friday, May 3, from 10 AM to 7 PM; Saturday, May 4, from 10 AM to 5 PM (during Kennebunk’s May Day Festival); and Sunday, May 5, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

MWA members will be present to talk about their work during the opening reception on Friday, May 3, from 5 to 7 PM. The show’s theme is “What Were You Thinking?” Refreshments will be served. There will also be an indoor clothesline show of unframed art priced under $100.

MWA Chairperson Pam Edwards says, “This year each piece of art will accompanied by a few words about what has motivated the artist. Viewers often wonder what was going on in the artist’s mind – what they were thinking – and we felt it would be fun explore that aspect.”

Maine Women in the Arts, a non-profit group whose goal is to promote the arts, includes both men and women in its membership, meets monthly in Kennebunkport, and often has a speaker or short workshop planned.

The Brick Store Museum program center is located at 4 Dane Street, Kennebunk, directly behind the museum’s Main Street galleries. FMI: http://www.mainewomenarts.com or Pam at 646-8915.

High Schools – a Place for Rich Theater Experience

As spring begins to make its way north, high school music and dram departments merge to birth the many and varied much loved musical. If  you are one to turn your nose up at the local high school performance, think again!

High schools are producing extremely high quality programs showcasing superior musical ability in voice and instrument, high quality acting and premium set designs. Here is what sold me . . . .

I have experienced “South Pacific”, one of my all-time favorite shows, in many locations, including community theater and a Broadway tour. Last year Gorham High School in Maine produced a show that was not only flawless in its performance, the voice of the student actor who played Emile was FAR superior to the Broadway actor who passed through the Merrill Auditorium a few years back. NO JOKE! Since that turning point for me, I have given much attention to local programs, a place where you can experience live HIGH QUALITY THEATER at reasonable prices, while supporting young talent.  YES, I am an advocate for high school musical productions and I encourage you to be one too!!

Just last month I attended the FLAWLESS performance of “Guys and Dolls” at Kennebunk High School.  Then, making sure “South Pacific” was not a one-hit-wonder for Gorham HS, I went ahead with a small posse and attended this year’s production of “Oklahoma” – Again WOW!

So with all of that said – The Art of Maine sent out long time performing arts reviewer Joe Mauro to Wells High School for a sneak peak of their production of “Fiddler on the Roof” – to read Joe’s full review go to the “Critic’s Corner” and then head to the theater!

Fiddler on the Roof

Olenn Auditorium      Wells High School

 

Wednesday Matinee

April 3     3:30PM

Senior Citizens  FREE

All other seats  $5

Evening Shows

Thursday-Friday-Saturday

April 4, 5, 6     7:00 PM

Adults $8

Students & Seniors $5

Reserved seating is available for Friday and Saturday by calling Jennifer at the W.H.S. School Office, 351-5741

 

The Alchemy of Teaching

Many of you already know that the Art of Maine started as a place to blog about great places to experience the arts and humanities – live performance, art and music in places we mark as “off the beaten path” between Portland and Portsmouth ….and a bit beyond! Places where the price is right but the experience is rich and worth the trip. I personally write often about the importance of why the humanities are important.

We have had the great opportunity to expand the site to include performance and book reviews, moving the Art of Maine from a blog to an on-line magazine, which will soon include a “Features” section. As traditional newspapers cut from the arts sections, it is exciting to be able to offer a place where the arts and humanities have no word count and still matters to people. The benefit of this online magazine -  there are no deadlines, meaning we will not post reviews or articles to make a weekly or monthly quota. Reviews, blogs and features are posted as warranted, ensuring that you, our dedicated readers are exposed to the best! We write as things present themselves, which means some months are busier than others.

Over that last couple of months we have focused primarily on the “Critic’s Corner” with the help of veteran writer Joe Mauro.

This week begins the building of our book corner with a review of “The Alchemy of Teaching” by Jeremiah Conway. I had the privilege of reading and reviewing this treasure myself and I can say it is a true book dedicated to the arts and humanities. This is a book every educator working in the trenches with adult students should read. It is heartfelt, delightful and very inspirational.

One again, many thanks to each of you for your continued support and remember if you like what you read, come back and tell us …..but more importantly……pass it along!

Bones as Art

A trip to a local gallery can offer an extremely enriching experience for all ages. The right exhibit can heighten the senses, open the mind and introduce new ways of seeing old things. Many fantastic galleries offer free admission and are extremely welcoming to children. Yes, children! Galleries are great places for a young person’s imagination to explode.

Looking for such a place? Try the “Dan DenDanto and Frank DenDanto: Bump”

at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art in Portland.

http://www.meca.edu/meca-life/ica

This is an extremely unique exhibition of Whale Bones, suspended at eye level and viewers are encouraged to touch the bones, to set them in motion for a mesmerizing experience. The bones are on display until April 7th.

Because of the uniqueness of the exhibit, I am looking to post a few photos of your experience. Take a snapshot and send it here to share with our readers, along with a comment.

Fantastic Theater For You To Try

Arsenic and Old Lace at a Great Theater!

Elaine-Mortimer

Elaine Harper (Veronica Diebold) and Mortimer Brewster (David Roberts)

have a chat before the events of the evening unfold …..

I had the privilege of catching a live performance of Arsenic and Old Lace with great writer and friend Joe Mauro Friday evening.  Having visited an array of performance spaces throughout New England, I am happy to add The Portland Players to my “regulars list”. From the moment you walk into the building the energy envelopes you.

Producer Gigi Paquette and her staff greeted theater-goers with the personal attention you do not find in many of the larger theaters these days, you know what I mean . . .  the bellow of  “next please” and you are immediately brushed aside? That is not the way The Portland Players operate.

I could go on and on about the show itself, but I cannot top what Joe has written, so I direct you from here to the Critic’s Corner and plead with you to take in one of the last few performances of

Joseph Kesselring’s

Arsenic and Old Lace

Directed by Paul J. Bell

The Portland Players

http://portlandplayers.org/

Oh……the reason why I loved it so much? A first rate theater experience for a very affordable price!

Poetry With Robert Frost

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life, it goes on,”  once echoed by Pulitzer Prize winning Poet Robert Frost.

His works, still taught in schools and loved by many today, are beautiful images of nature and emotion set to words placed in just the right verse and form. His words leap off the page and have a way of transforming you back into the natural New England scenery.

robert_frost

If you are interested in experiencing a bit of Frost, here are two local suggestions.

Visit the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH. http://robertfrostfarm.org/. Hours and days vary depending on the season, so check out the museum link before heading out.

Robert Frost: Fire & Ice

Another way is to “have dinner with Frost” at Clay Hill Farm restaurant in Cape Neddick, ME. Beginning this past winter, the restaurant has offered “Clay Hill Presents…”, a time when local actor and artist Krik Simpson provides participants with a visceral experience of the literary arts. “Clay Hill Presents …”  commenced in November as Simpson took on the character of Edgar Allen Poe. The actor returned in December, wowing audiences as Mr. Charles Dickens himself.

This week Simpson returns as America’s beloved poet, Robert Frost.The last show is Friday January 25th and reservations are a must. You can visit http://www.clayhillfarm.com/ for details or contact the restaurant @ 361-2272.