|
Summertime in Maine:
A Haven for the Arts
Source: www.visitmaine.com
Maine -
Artists have flocked to Maine in the summertime for well over
a century. It is easy to see why, with picturesque fishing villages,
the magnificent rocky coast and breathtaking mountain vistas;
Maine's
scenery is truly inspiring.
As a result, Maine is home to several programs across the state
that help cement its reputation as a premiere destination to
study the arts, and for visitors to see world-class exhibits
and performances.
* Visitors in search of a vibrant
dance scene need look no further than the campus of Bates College
in Lewiston. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2007, the Bates
Dance Festival (BDF) has earned a reputation as a leading
presenter and professional training program for contemporary
dance. Each summer, BDF serves as a place for an international
community of dancers and choreographers to study, create and
perform. The five-week program brings together renowned choreographers
such as Liz Lerman, Rennie Harris and Doug Varone, who will present
new works this season. BDF welcomes the public to a series of
fifteen performances and events, many of which feature acclaimed
contemporary dance artists from around the world. Contact: 163
Wood St., Lewiston, ME 04240; (207) 786-6381; www.batesdancefestival.org;
July 7 - August 12, 2007.
* The town of Brunswick is known
for its quaint downtown district featuring interesting shops
and eclectic dining options. There are also several museums to
enchant history buffs, including the JoshuaLawrenceChamberlainMuseum,
dedicated to the life of the Civil War General, and the Peary-MacMillanArcticMuseum,
which showcases mementos from a North Pole expedition undertaken
by Robert Peary and Donald MacMillan.
The town is also home to BowdoinCollege,
which hosts two long-running arts programs during the summer,
the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Maine State
Music Theater.
Musicians from across the globe
have been spending their summers on Bowdoin's wooded campus since
1964 to attend The Bowdoin International Music Festival.
Two hundred musicians attend the school each year, where they
have the opportunity to study with a faculty comprised of musicians
and composers from major orchestras and conservatories around
the world. The festival also presents a wide variety of musical
programming through its various concert series, giving thousands
of residents and summer visitors the chance to hear both student
performers and well-known musicians. Contact: 6300 College Station,
Brunswick, ME 04011; (207) 373-1400; www.summermusic.org;
June 23 - August 4, 2007.
For many summer visitors, their
trip to Maine is not complete without a visit to the Maine
State Music Theater. Founded in 1959, the theater stages
four musical theater productions every summer, ranging from revivals
like 42nd Street to more current musicals like
The Full Monty. It is the only resident stock professional
musical theater in the U.S., and allows over 100 professional
actors and production technicians to live, work and play in Maine
for 12 weeks every summer. Contact: 22 Elm St., Brunswick, ME04011;
(207) 725-8769; www.msmt.org;
June 6 - August 25, 2007.
* Further up the Maine coast,
the idyllic Downeast town of Deer Isle is home to the renowned
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. The school offers
intensive studio-based workshops for all skill levels ranging
from a few days to three weeks. Some of the crafts featured include
clay, glass, metals and weaving. Visitors are welcome to peek
in at the works in progress during weekly tours, and there are
also several auctions held featuring finished projects. The public
is also welcome to attend the frequent slide lectures and lively
visiting artists' presentations that are held many evenings in
the school's auditorium. Contact: PO Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627;
(207) 348-2306; www.haystack-mtn.org;
June 3 - September 8, 2007.
Off campus, nearby towns and
villages are brimming with shops and galleries that draw many
art lovers. Visitors may also enjoy a night at nearby Stonington's
restored Opera House, which frequently hosts movie screenings
as well as live performances.
* The Skowhegan School of
Painting and Sculpture is a nine-week summer program offering
artists a chance to focus on their artistic growth while surrounded
by the beauty of Maine's countryside. The school was founded
in Skowhegan in 1946 to create a welcoming environment for artists
to learn together in a collaborative atmosphere. It is held in
extremely high regard in the art world, and each year over one
thousand artists compete for only 65 openings. As a result, some
of the best emerging artists in the world study at Skowhegan,
and the work they create there often can be seen and felt in
the art world for decades. The well-known alumni and instructors
include Alex Katz, Louise Nevelson and David Driskell. It is
also one of the few remaining schools in the country that still
teaches fresco painting. Some former students' frescoes can be
found on the walls of the nearby South Solon Meeting House. The
school sponsors a lecture series on weekday evenings that is
free and open to the public. Artists are only allowed to attend
one summer, making it a truly once in a lifetime opportunity.
Contact: PO Box 449, Skowhegan, ME 04976; (207) 474-9345; www.skowheganart.org;
June 9 - August 11, 2007.
* Nestled in the foothills of
western Maine, Celebration Barn Theater has been drawing
performers for more than 30 years. Located in the town of South
Paris, the Barn has gained a reputation for training some of
this country's finest mimes, jugglers and storytellers. Workshops
range from three days to two weeks and past classes have included
voice, clowning and stage combat. Every Saturday night during
the summer, audiences can be assured of an eclectic, vaudeville-style
experience. Contact: 190 Stock Farm Rd., South Paris, ME 04281;
(207) 743-8452; www.celebrationbarn.com;
June 25 - September 1, 2007.
|
|
|
Find
the perfect place for your New England vacation |
|
The New England Lodging
Guide
Find guaranteed lowest rates
and make reservations online at New England's best hotels, inns,
bed and breakfasts and motels.
New England lodging page
|
|
The
New England Marketplace |
|
Shop New England style online
VermontTeddyBear
Stonewall Kitchen
is best known for their award-winning
Specialty Foods, also offers a wide variety of gourmet foods
and gifts, kitchen and cookware, home decor and garden accessories,
recipes and their classic Product of the Month, always 10% off.
|
|