Maine Arts Commission Staff Are Artists, too - First in a Series

Executive Director Julie Richard

at the Winter Harbor Music Festival

Friday, August 21, 7:30 p.m. Hammond Hall

Julie Richard, soprano and Executive
Director, Maine Arts Commission

When your job is to advance the arts and artists around an entire state, it helps to be a practicing artist yourself.

Many of the staff at the Maine Arts Commission are artists as well as arts administrators, bringing our arts experiences directly from the field to policy, and this personal engagement begins right at the top with MAC’s Executive Director Julie Richard.

Julie is an accomplished soprano who performs throughout the year and state. This Friday, August 21, at 7:30 p.m. she will be singing as part of the Winter Harbor Music Festival’s Summer Sing at Hammond Hall.

The Friday evening’s performance repertoire is the Mozart Coronation Mass (K. 317) conducted by Maestro Anatole Wieck of the University of Maine, joined by the Winter Harbor Music Festival Orchestra.

Julie began singing, “as a kid in that sort of Garrison Keillor, stereotypical Midwestern Lutheran church choir.”

She went on to earn her undergraduate degree in voice and psychology, and has continued to sing all her life in shows and choirs.

Her favorite piece of all time is also, of course, the one she wants to perform again: lauded American composer Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, which she sang with the Greenville Chorale in South Carolina. A true Lauridsen fan, Julie also loves the composer’s O Magnum Mysterium, which she first sang with the Heritage Chorale in Oak Park, IL and has had the opportunity to perform multiple times—and may again this coming December with the current ensemble with which she sings, midcoast Maine’s Vox Nova Chamber Choir conducted by Shannon M. Chase.

One of the vocalists Julie most admires? Country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood. “She has an incredible voice and vocal range and is a really strong singer.”

Catch Julie’s voice first hand this week at the Winter Harbor Music Festival’s Summer Sing Friday, August 21, 7:30 p.m. at Hammond Hall.

Arts Internships in Maine!

The Maine Arts Commission has compiled a comprehensive list of Maine arts organizations that offer opportunities for students seeking internships. The list can be found on the Maine Arts Commission intern pages.

If you have regular opportunities for interns and are not listed, you can be added by completing a short questionnaire. The agency will add your organization to the listings and then provide your contact details to interns who are actively seeking opportunities.

Internship Questionnaire

People seeking internship opportunities can use this resource to find appropriate placement. Interested parties should go to the listings page, or the page of full postings to see what is available, and can contact organizations directly.

A special thanks to all of the organizations who have already listed. The response to this initiative has been overwhelming.

 

Maine Arts Interns.

The Maine Arts Commission is putting together a comprehensive list of organizations in Maine who would value the assistance and expertise that college interns could provide.

If you take three minutes to complete a short survey we will add your organization to our website and then provide your contact details to college interns who are actively seeking opportunities to help organizations such as yours.

Take this survey 

Your input will help us create a concise database of organizations who wish to benefit from additional help throughout the year while offering valuable experience to Maine's college students. Thank you.
 

Media and Performing Arts Fellowship Deadline, June 8

The deadline for the Individual Artist Fellowship in Media and Performing Arts is June 8, 2012. 

The $13,000 award is a recognition of artistic excellence and all eligible Maine artists are encouraged to apply. Please help spread the word to Maine performing artists who might be interested in this fantastic opportunity.

Eligible applicants must have resided in Maine for a minimum of two years and have a valid Maine address, be 18 years of age or older, not enrolled as a full-time student and have completed all final reports required for any previous Maine Arts Commission grant. 

The fellowship award is designed for performing arts creators. The grant identifies a creator as an artist who produces the majority-share of a creative original work. For example, a composer qualifies but a musician does not; a singer/songwriter qualifies but a singer does not; a choreographer qualifies but a dancer does not. Applicants should apply with their own original work. If the work is created through a collaborative process the applicant should be able to demonstrate how they were the majority contributor of the original work. An application can be made by a team or group if they consistently work together to produce a single body of work. 

More can be found online at:

http://mainearts.maine.gov/grant_individualfellowship.aspx

Innovative Production Awardee Performance!

Bates Dance Festival was awarded an agency Innovative Production Grant to help support the spoken word/hip-hop theater artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph at this year's Festival.

The performance of red, black and; GREEN: a blues (rbGb), is an evening-length multimedia work on environmental justice and social ecology questions collective responsibility. It promises to be an exhilarating, interactive performance of dance, text, and visuals. Joseph is joined onstage by dancer/actor Traci Tolmaire, drummer/beat boxer Tommy Shephard, and vocalist Yaw.

 “… a cutting edge artist forging his own hybrid medium — an amalgam of rap music, poetry, movement, and theater … an electrifying performer and a great storyteller.” The Seattle Times

 “Joseph is the real deal, swinging with such confidence that you grasp for adjectives to capture his skills.” Star Tribune "

(rbGb) is as smart and provocative as it is breathtakingly beautiful." San Francisco Chronicle

Marc Bamuthi Joseph and The Living Word Project in "red, black & GREEN: a blues" will be performed Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28 at the Lewiston Recreation Center, 8 pm. $20/$10 (Students)/ General Admission. More information online at http://www.batesdancefestival.org/EventNotes/rbGb.php

 

Deadline Approaching for Innovative Production Grant

January 13, 2012 is the last day to apply for the $2,000 award. Artists and organizations exploring new and dynamic practices in producing artwork should consider applying. Innovation can be in the form of materials, production methods, project concepts, technology integration, or can come in the form of timing, placement of work, means of distribution or the manner that it is presented. Proposals should demonstrate excellence in the field and have some demonstration of public presence or community impact

In the past Haystack Mountain School of Crafts received the grant for aspects of incorporating an MIT Fab Lab into their facility. Opera House Arts in Stonington received the award for innovative programming for the productions of Much Ado About Nothing and Elizabeth Rex. Artist Nate Aldrich was given support to create a permanent interactive sound-scape installation at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

More information can be found on the Maine Arts Commission Website.

Maine Prepares for the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Artists at the Spindleworks Art Center in Brunswick are preparing to send 24 ornaments to the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, DC. Selected by the Maine Arts Commission to represent the state at this event, the artists are creating their interpretations of iconic Maine imagery on each ornament. Mediums as diverse as painting, sculpture, and weaving have been utilized by the artists working on the project so far.

Micah Webbert

"I like designing a feeling of Maine," says artist Micah Webbert as he paints balsam trees onto an ornament's surface, "I think the ornaments on the tree are going to be spectacular." Over the next month, Spindleworks artists will continue working with the plastic globes provided by the National Park Foundation, turning each one into a unique piece of art.

Free Travel and Price Reduction to Idea Swap!

The Maine Arts Commission is offering a deal on attending the Tenth Annual New England Idea Swap. The Maine Arts Commission will be providing shuttle service between Augusta, Portland and the conference. The agency also offering 25 percent off the registration price (down to $37.50 from $50) for Mainers using the service. Seating is limited so reserve your place now. This offer ends when the shuttle is at capacity.

The event will take place in Worcester, Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 2 (9:30am – 3:30pm). It will be an opportunity for nonprofit presenting organizations to network, share project ideas and build partnerships. The Idea Swap is hosted by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and connects directly to possible funding from the NEFA Expeditions grant program. Snacks and lunch are provided as part of the conference.

To reserve you place at the conference and on the shuttle contact:
Kerstin Gilg, Maine Arts Commission
207/287.6719 (kerstin.gilg@maine.gov)
(Do not register online, if you register online you will NOT get the discount)

People in the northern part of the state may want to consider traveling to Portland or Augusta the night before.

On November 2

The shuttle will leave The Maine Arts Commission parking lot in Augusta at 6am
The shuttle will leave Portland Mall parking lot (in front of Best Buy) at 7am
The shuttle will arrive at Mechanics Hall in Worcester at 9:45am

The shuttle will leave Mechanics Hall in Worcester at 4:30pm
Arriving in Portland at 7pm and Augusta at 8pm

Best Buy in Portland
364 Maine Mall Rd
South Portland, ME 04106

Maine Arts Commission
193 State Street
Augusta ME, 04333

Mechanics Hall
321 Main Street,
Worcester, MA 01608

Critics, Critiques and Journalism at Feeding Creativity Conversation Series

Freeport Creative Arts are continuing their creative conversation series at 7:00pm, October 3 at the Freeport Community Center. This discussion will feature some of the foremost voices in the arts in Maine.

Bob Keyes, arts journalist, Daniel Kany, art critic, and Daniel Fuller, Director, Institute of Contemporary Art, Maine College of Art will be a part of a dynamic conversation about the differences readers find when trying to get information about art, artists and exhibits.

This conversation will be moderated by Darrell Bulmer from the Maine Arts Commission. If you would like more details visit, Freeportcreativearts.org.

Other Maine Arts Commission staff will be on the road in the coming weeks. Kathy Shaw will be presenting a grants workshop in Ogunquit on September 29, 2011.

Keith Ludden will be continuing to offer Leadership Training workshops on October 7, in Lewiston.

Bon à Tirer, ME-NB printmaking/ film project

Bon à Tirer is a documentary about an artist exchange of printmakers and master printers from the U.S. and Canada. The gathering aligns with the Maine/New Brunswick Cultural Initiative and included artists: Hermenegilde Chiasson (New Brunswick); Charlie Hewitt (Maine); Christian Le Poul (Quebec); David Umholtz (New Brunswick); David Wolfe (Maine). A second exchange is being planned for 2011.

Bon à Tirer from Hemmings House Pictures on Vimeo.

Contact East Conference Creates Opportunities for Maine Presenters

The Contact East Conference is an annual event that takes place in the provinces of Atlantic Canada. This year it is taking place in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The event allows artists to showcase and presenting organizations to book artists for tours. There are also professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and peripheral arts event during the gathering.The 2010 Contact East conference also brought together participants from across Canada, Britain, and America for an international summit on the exchange of culture. The invited delegates discussed solutions for improving arts touring networks, communication structures and funding resources to support touring performances and other forms of cultural exchange. The Maine Arts Commission was represented by its performing arts associate Kerstin Gilg at the day-long meeting.

Delegates in 2010 summit on international exchange of culture

Full details of the summit will be made available when the meeting minutes are finalized. However, an agreement was reached between the Atlantic Presenters Association and New England Presenters and Arts Presenters of Northern New England in creating improved partnerships for block booking throughout the region. The Atlantic Presenters Association also extended the invitation to Maine artists to apply for next years Contact East showcases and encouraged Maine presenters to continue to attend.

Petunia & The Vipers open the 2010 Contact East showcases

The Contact East conference runs from September 23 - 26. More information about the outcomes will come soon and be made available through the Maine Arts Commission. So far, it has proven to be a very productive gathering.

There will be a meeting of Arts Presenters of Northern New England in Bethel Maine on November 10. The meeting will be hosted by the Mahoosuc Arts Council and is free and open to presenting organizations. Outcomes of the Contact East Conference will be presented at this meeting. Call 207/824.3575 for more information.

Technology Associate Deadline approaches

The June 25 deadline for applying to the Maine Arts Commission Technology Associate position has almost arrived.

This is professional services work in promoting the arts and humanities in developing and maintaining the agency website using dot.net, and Pearl and Oracle databases. A working knowledge of database maintenance, website design and maintenance, imaging software and Microsoft Office suite is preferred. Familiarity with video and audio systems as well as a background in the arts is desirable.

TYPICAL DUTIES: in this job classification include:
• Maintaining and improving the agency’s access database system that synchs with an Oracle server.
• Maintaining and updating the agency’s website.
• Supporting the agency’s electronic grant system.
• Coordinating with technology contractors and governmental technology partners to improve both the database and website.
• Managing subscriptions to the website’s interactive directories.
• Developing innovative agency policies related to the use of technology.
• Participating in state webmaster groups and other technology meetings.
• Supporting the public with agency related inquiries.
• Overseeing technology planning and budgeting within the agency.
• Providing technical support to staff.
• Contributing written materials for agency publications.
• Attending agency related meetings and representing the agency in public.
• Undertaking special projects as assigned.


KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: (These are required to successfully perform the work assigned).

• Knowledge of modern management principles and practices.
• Knowledge of public relations principles, practices, and techniques.
• Knowledge of the arts, art techniques, and artists.
• Ability to coordinate cultural information with various groups.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to follow complex procedural guidelines.
• Ability to speak in public.
• Ability to interpret and explain policies and procedures
•
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
A Bachelors Degree in Art, or a related field and two (2) years experience working with artists, art groups, and/or humanities organizations. Directly related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis. Preference will be given to those applicants with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a working knowledge of database maintenance, website design and maintenance, imaging software and Microsoft office suite.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please forward a letter of interest, resume and direct hire application form available at the Division of Financial & Personnel Services in Augusta, all Maine Career Center Offices, and on the Division of Financial & Personnel Services web page at http://www.maine.gov/fps/opportunities. The completed application material must be submitted by the closing date to: Division of Financial & Personnel Services, 74 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0074

MECA Commencement Speech Delivered by Agency Director

On May 9, 2010 Maine College of Art held their 99th undergraduate and graduate commencement exercises at Merrill Auditorium. The commencement speech was delivered by the director of the Maine Arts Commission.
You can read the speech online or view all of the photos of Donna's speaking on the Maine Arts Commission's Flickr site.

There are additional photos of the commencement on the Maine College of Art's Flickr site.

Have Your Say on the Future of the Maine Arts Commission

The Maine Arts Commission is beginning a series of meetings around the state aimed at gathering vital feedback on the services and programs that the agency currently provides and getting input on what the agency may not currently offer but could potentially do so in the future.

These meetings will arise due to invitations from communities, and they will present an opportunity for local artists and members of cultural organizations to offer input on the future direction of the Maine Arts Commission to the agency’s director, in person. It will also allow attendees to learn more about what the agency currently provides through conversation.

Maine Arts Commission Director Donna McNeil and Communication Associate Darrell Bulmer will be present to engage artists and community members in an open dialogue about the agency’s offerings. These meetings are free to attend and everyone is welcome.

The meetings begin in Brunswick at 6:00 pm on Monday, March 22, at Frontier Café, 14 Maine St in Brunswick. Reservations & contact: 798-6964, www.fiveriversartsalliance.org.

Further meetings will be taking place around the state in the coming months. Details will appear on this blog once the dates and venues are set. If you would like to host one of these meetings in your region, please leave comments and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Jane Morrison Film Fund Scholarship

• Deadline = January 14, 2010
• Grant amount = Up to $2,000

In partnership with the Maine Community Foundation and the Jane Morrison Film Fund, The Maine Arts Commission is proud to offer the Jane Morrison Memorial Film Fund Scholarship. The grant supports educational opportunities for filmmakers in the early stages of their career development. The Fund is designed to help filmmakers attain instructional guidance and skills. Applicants should identify specific opportunities for educational benefit and be prepared to explain why the experience would help them.

Jane Morrison was an Augusta-area native who died suddenly while on location shooting a film in Africa. Jane's career in filmmaking began when she was an English teacher at Cony High School in Augusta and participated in that school's first Maine Arts Commission-supported Artist-In-Residence Film Program. She received special training in filmmaking, continued to develop the film program at Cony, and then went on to a full-time career in filmmaking. Among her titles are Sarah Orne Jewett's The White Heron, Master Smart Woman, and The Two Worlds of Angelita.

In the past funds have been used to support attendance at the Summer Film Institute in New York and the Sundance Institute in Utah. The funds can also be applied to film classes at educational institutions, film workshops, seminars and apprenticeships. The committee prefers applications that cover tuition costs rather than living expenses. Preference is given (but not restricted) to those residing in Maine. Click here to download application guidelines. For the application narrative questions click here to download.

To apply for this grant, you will need the documents that can be downloaded individually by clicking their names on the list below. Please note that this is a temporary solution until the launch of the new Maine Arts Commission website. You will be required to create a free account with Scribd to download these documents.

Guidelines
Narrative Form
Apply using eGrant

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact Kathy Ann Shaw, Senior Development Associate and Accessibility Coordinator, 207/287-2750 or kathy.shaw@maine.gov. NexTalk user ID: kathy.shaw.

Poetry Out Loud Maine State Final

On February 27, ten students, out of an incredible beginning total of 2700, from high schools across Maine competed in the state finals of Poetry Out Loud at the Camden Opera House.

The final, organized by the Maine Arts Commission, was a closely contested event that highlighted the exceptional talents of Maine’s students. At the end of the evening, William Whitham of Bangor High School was ultimately selected as state champion.

William now goes on to represent Maine in the national finals in Washington D.C. at the end of April, where he will compete for a $20,000 college scholarship.

Highlights of the finals, that include extended interviews with the students, can be seen on YouTube.

The Maine Arts Commission outreach continued this month as Darrell Bulmer returned to Brunswick’s Frontier Café on Monday night to be a part of another evening of presentations to artists.

This evening concentrated on legal issues that face artists and the newly reemerged Maine Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts were on hand to demystify copyright law.

The 90 minute presentation from Charles P Bacall, Esq. from Verril Dana LLP has to be one of the most interesting presentations made to artists for a long time. The audience was instructed to bring their questions, and they followed those instructions to the letter.



At least 50 diverse questions were posed to Charles during his presentation, causing him to extend his presentation to the relief and appreciation of the 50+ audience members.

Darrell captured the entire event on two video cameras and in audio. Once the edited version is available it will be posted on our YouTube page in segments for all to access.

This evening was presented by Five Rivers Arts Alliance who has a series of workshops at Frontier this year.

A New Assistant Arrives at the Maine Arts Commission

Alison Ferris is the Maine Arts Commission's new Assistant Director. She had a run of 12 years as curtaor of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art before joining the agency.

During those 12 years, Alison specialized in finding creative ways to contextualize contemporary art through the use of the permanent collections and loans, as well as through publications and extensive educational programming.

Alison spoke on her first day:

"I am delighted to have this opportunity to devote my time, energy, and expertise to the Maine Arts Commission. This agency, under the directorship of Donna McNeil, has done inspiring work supporting and advocating for the arts and artists in Maine, and I am proud to be a member of her team. I believe that fostering the human imagination is crucial, especially now that we, as a state and as a nation, must radically re-imagine our future."

If you would like to read the full press release, click the following link, mainearts.maine.gov/news/release.asp?ID=8576

Poetry Out Loud State Finals

Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is a program that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition. It will hold its Maine finals on February 27 at the Camden Opera House. The competition is free to the public and will begin at 5:00 p.m. Felicia Knight will be the host for the evening and Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, will present the awards to the competing students. As an added bonus, Tim Sample will be on stage throughout the competition bringing a mix of poetry and light hearted humor to the proceedings. Sample, who is more commonly known as a world famous Downeast humorist, will be sharing some of his favorite poems that he has performed including works by Vassalboro author Holman Day.

This contest will decide the Maine state champion, who will receive an all-expenses-paid trip (with a chaperone) to compete in the national finals in Washington, DC, on April 26-April 28, 2009. The National Finals will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends. In total, Poetry Out Loud will award more than $100,000 at state- and national-level contests.

Each year around 225,000 students compete in this national competition that produces 53 finalists from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Highlights from last year's competition can be viewed below.

Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship Awards

In November of 2008, the Maine Arts Commission presented a show celebrating 20 years of the agency’s fellowship awards.
Fellowship awardees Alison Chase, Don Roy, Penelope Schwartz Robinson and Randy Regier were the star attractions on stage.
Also appearing on stage before a full house in Bangor were traditional arts masters and apprentices. To read more about these artists or the Maine Arts Commission, visit www.MaineArts.com.