Category: Arts

Working Waterfront

Washington County atlas revived

If you enjoy exploring old maps, photos, and other pathways of Downeast history, you’ll find inspiration in artist-editor Jane Crosen’s new Coastwise edition of Colby’s 1881 Atlas of Washington County. For over 40 years the Penobscot mapmaker has been creating hand-drawn maps of Maine coastal and lake regions, published as… SEE MORE
The Burnurwurbskek Singers, a Penobscot male drum group, performs at Cadillac Mountain Summit. PHOTO: COURTESY WILL NEWTON, FRIENDS OF ACADIA

Working Waterfront

Cultural Connects program returns to Acadia

The Cultural Connections program returns to Acadia National Park after a year-long hiatus. This programming provides visitors to Acadia with the opportunity to learn from Maine’s Native artists, musicians, and scholars via bi-weekly summer demonstrations. Not only does the Cultural Connections program provide an important platform to support Wabanaki artists… SEE MORE
“Sunset August 20th, Fanfare for Whitecaps,” Marvin Oberman (1927-2018), acrylic on paper, 11 x 14½ inches; collection of Emily Oberman.

Working Waterfront

Monhegan Museum explores artistic relationships

[caption id="attachment_37414" align="alignnone" width="450"] “Red Tide at Sunset,” (1975) by Reuben Tam (1916-1991), oil on canvas, 22 x 24 inches; Monhegan Museum of Art & History, gift of Susan Bateson and Stephen S. Fuller.[/caption] Four couples, eight painters, one island: That’s the essence of the Monhegan Museum of Art and… SEE MORE
book jacket

Working Waterfront

A kinder, gentler visit to Maine

Vacationland: A Novel By Meg Mitchell Moore (2022) Dear readers, a true confession: I’m late to this party, reading what are known as “beach books,” “escapist novels,” or “summer fiction.” These books have romance in them, but the focus seems as much on managing complex relationships with friends and family… SEE MORE
Visitors enjoy Popham Beach in Phippsburg in 1886. PHOTO: MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM

Working Waterfront

Beach recreation is relatively new

The practice of beachgoing is more modern than one might expect. In fact, it wasn’t until the turn of the 19th century that a cultural appreciation for beachgoing gained solid footing in European society. Popular medical texts touted the benefits of ocean air and dips in frigid waters. At the… SEE MORE
Artists & Makers Conference

Working Waterfront

Money for art and where to find it

If you were an artist looking for funding during the Renaissance, you might have hit up the Medici family. Today, the best sources are government commissions and private foundations, according to a presenter at the Island Institute’s Artists & Makers Conference on April 28. “I’m assuming you’re here because, like… SEE MORE
The opening session of the 2023 Artists & Makers Conference.

Working Waterfront

When artists gather, sparks fly

The staff at the Island Institute’s Archipelago store and gallery again presented its Artists & Makers Conference this year after a pandemic pause, celebrating the theme “Together Again!” More than 100 attended to take in eight sessions, live music, Pecha Kucha-style storytelling presentations, and more. The vibe at the conference… SEE MORE