LA Arts News.

2022 Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival Lewiston

Contact: gerald.walsh@laarts.org

 

 3rd Annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book FestivalLewiston Events

Sunday, September 18 in Kennedy Park*

 

Lewiston, Maine, September 7, 2022 –  LA Arts, the Lewiston Public Library, and the Lewiston Schools’ 21st Century program invite families to enjoy Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival events in Kennedy Park* on Sunday, September 18 from noon – 3 pm. This event provides an opportunity for young readers of color to see themselves reflected in literature created with them in mind. Featured activities include:

  • 12 pm: Lunch: catered by Mogadishu Store

  • 12 – 3 pm: ArtVan drop-in poetry and collage-making inspired by Ashley Bryan’s artwork 

  • 12 – 3 pm: Community mural-making inspired by Ashley Bryan’s artwork

  • 12:30 – 2:30 pm: Read-alouds at the Kennedy Park gazebo* by Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, Mana Abdi, Malik Hall, and other community leaders.

  • 2:30 pm: Student drumming workshop with Mohammed Hassan

 

All events are free and open to the public. 

 

Local partners Maine Community Integration, Djibouti American Community Empowerment Project, and Lewiston Auburn Youth & Family Enrichment Services will also be on site in Kennedy Park* from 12-3 pm to host their annual back-to-school backpack and school supplies giveaway event.

 

Lewiston-Auburn partnering organizations are pleased to host these local events as part of Indigo Arts Alliance’s Third Annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, celebrating Black children’s books and their creators from across the African Diaspora. This year’s festival, honoring the legacy of Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan, will feature a 4,500 book giveaway, the production of acclaimed media, and live events in Portland, Lewiston, and Rockland. 

 

The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival was founded in 2020 by Indigo Arts Alliance in partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books and Diverse BookFinder and is produced with the 2022 partners: The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Ridah Ridah, the Farnsworth Museum, LA Arts, the Lewiston Public Library, and Lewiston Schools 21st Century program. 

This year’s festival holds special significance as Ashley Bryan, best known for his picture book Beautiful Blackbird, passed away in February of this year. Throughout his career, Bryan’s passion for amplifying the legacy of African and African American knew no bounds. It was that same passion that inspired Indigo Arts Alliance to create the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, honoring his legacy of uplifting Black roots, identity, and resiliency.

 

A goal of the festival is to build the home libraries of Black children, filling those homes with books that represent their lives and experiences. In the past two years, the festival distributed a total of over 4,000 books. However, this year’s Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival will provide and facilitate the distribution of over 4,500 books. This doubles our outreach to children in Maine of all backgrounds served by Portland Public Housing, Portland Parks and Recreation, Lewiston Public Schools, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers CCLC program

 

Following are featured books for the 2022 festival. In addition to local book distribution, all titles are available to borrow at the Lewiston Public Library. 

  1. I Am Loved, written by Nikki Giovanni & Illustrated by Ashley Bryan, is a gorgeous gathering of poems and illustrations that celebrates the fact that there is nothing more important to a child than to feel loved.

  2. Thank You, Omu!, Oge Mora’s award winning Nigerian American book, brings to life a heartwarming story of sharing and community in colorful cut-paper designs, honoring the resilience of immigrant matriarchs.

  3. Nana Akua Goes to School, written by Tricia Elam Walker & illustrated by April Harrison, is a moving Ghanaian American story that celebrates cultural diversity of our classrooms, explores a child’s fear of being different, and showcases the great love between a grandparent and grandchild.

  4. Black Is a Rainbow Color, written by Angela Joy & illustrated by Ekua Holmes, reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on.

  5. Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond & illustrated by Daniel Minter, is a vibrant book following one color’s journey through time and across the world as it becomes the blue we know today.

  6. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written by Nikole Hannah-Jones & Renée Watson & illustrated by Nikkolas Smith, thoughtfully chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States. With powerful verse and striking illustrations, this book provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.

  7. New Kid by Jerry Craft is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, authentically capturing the struggles and tensions children of color face in traditionally White spaces.

THE CASE FOR A CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL:

Research shows that children in communities where English is not the primary language are at risk of missing early literacy skills and entering school at a deficit. These early deficits can have psychological, social, and economic consequences. Additionally, Black and African American children are less likely to encounter books that depict their own life experiences. This is a critical gap since children are be<er able to retain and recall plot and character information after reading books featuring characters that mirror themselves. The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival addresses this gap.” – Krista Aronson, Director and Founder, Diverse Book Finder

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ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL

The Festival was created to honor the legendary and highly acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Ashley Bryan, whose award-winning picture book Beautiful Blackbird is a celebration of Blackness. Maine’s own Ashley Bryan was one of the first Black writers and illustrators of children’s books, opening the doors for Black book creators worldwide to add their contribution to children’s literature and encourage the publication of other children’s books for Black children. The Festival seeks to educate and entertain children, and brings attention to the critical need for more characters from the African diaspora in children’s literature.

This year’s Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival builds on the tremendous success of previous two festivals, which despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, successfully transitioned from a live festival to a virtual event throughout the summer of 2020 and a hybrid event in 2021. To this date, the festival has reached more than 200,000 audience members spanning over 44 countries. 

 

ABOUT THE 2022 BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL PARTNERS

 

Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA) is a Black-led organization dedicated to the professional development and amplification of Black and Brown artistic vision and practice. Founded in 2018 and formally launched in 2019, IAA is an incubator space with a mission to build global connections by bringing together Black and Brown artists from diverse backgrounds to engage in creative process through an Artists in Residency program. Visit indigoartsalliance.me to learn more and support their work. 

 

I’m Your Neighbor Books facilitates deep engagement with the children’s books that represent our immigrant communities and their new generations. By curating, loaning, and gifting these diverse titles with educational materials, the nonprofit seeks to open conversations on modern immigration, replace false narratives about communities of color, create emotional connections to vast diversity of voices, build the cultural competency of all readers, lay the groundwork for cross-cultural communication, and create a culture of belonging in this diverse America. Visit https://imyourneighborbooks.org to learn more and support their work. 

 

Diverse Book Finder is a comprehensive database of children’s picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color. This database is a go-to resource for librarians, educators, parents, book creators, and publishers who seek to create collections in which all children can see themselves — and each other — reflected in the picture books they read. Visit https://diversebookfinder.org to learn more and support their work. 

 

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine inspires discovery and imagination through playful exploration, with a focus on science learning, community engagement, performing and visual arts, and early childhood education. The Museum & Theatre is an indispensable resource for families and educators, helping to create a broad community devoted to children’s development and learning. The Museum & Theatre is committed to providing access for children of all economic means and all abilities through various access initiatives. With almost one hundred years of children’s theatre history and nearly fifty years as a children’s museum, the award-winning organization is considered one of the top children’s museums in the country. Visit kitetails.org to learn more and support their work.

 

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art, based in Rockland, is the state’s only contemporary art museum. CMCA is dedicated to advancing contemporary art through direct engagement with artists and the public, creating exceptional exhibitions and education programs that communicate the transformative power of the art of our time. CMCA fulfills its mission by supporting and exhibiting the work of artists with ties to Maine; by providing engaging learning opportunities that open new possibilities for artists and visitors; and by serving as an essential platform for making art an accessible and vital part of our communities. More information about the museum may be found at https://cmcanow.org

 

The Farnsworth Museum of Art offers a nationally recognized collection of works from many of America’s greatest artists. It was named by the Boston Globe as one of the finest small museums in the country and is open year-round as the only museum dedicated solely to American and Maine-inspired art. Through its remarkable collection of over 15,000 works, inventive exhibitions, wide-ranging intellectual resources and energetic educational programming, visitors from around the world gain a deep appreciation of the ongoing story of Maine’s role in American art. More information about the museum may be found at www.farnsworthmuseum.org.

 

The Lewiston Public Library‘s mission is “Preserving our history, connecting our community, and enriching the life of the mind.” At over a century old, the Lewiston Public Library is an invaluable community asset providing a wide range of needed information services to users of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Visit https://lplonline.org to learn more and support their work. 

 

LA Arts: Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and arts organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

 

Ridah Ridah Entertainment (R2E) is a sound design and music composition company created by Atiim Chenzira & Jason Williams (aka JasWho?). R2E has leveraged their legacy skill sets of indoor/outdoor sound design and music composition to create sound environments for films, built environments (art installations and more), video & music projects, as well as read aloud books. Visit https://www.ridahridah.com to learn more about their work. 

 

*Rain location: Callahan Hall, Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., Lewiston

Gerald Walsh Hired as Manager of LA Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lewiston, Maine, August 1, 2022 – The Board of Directors of LA Arts is pleased to announce that Gerald Walsh has been selected as its new Arts Agency Manager. 


Walsh, a visual artist, received his MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and has exhibited his work across the Northeast for the past two decades. He has taught at several art schools, as well as Central Maine Community College and has done curatorial work for private galleries; he currently works as an Art Preparator at the Bates College Museum of Art. He was also sole Proprietor and Baker at Knead Bakery and worked as a Lead Baker at Forage Market. Walsh who has served on the Boards of Museum L-A and LA Arts, brings extensive experience in visual and performing arts, art installation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement to this role. His love for supporting Maine artists, craftspeople, performing artists, and makers rounds out his expertise.  


“I am more encouraged than ever by the LA Arts mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. I see potential everywhere and look forward to advancing the organization’s strategic work in this exciting arts landscape,” says Walsh. 


James Parakilas, Chair of the LA Arts Board, adds: “Gerald will bring a terrific combination of professionalism, vision, imagination, and arts advocacy to this role. We look forward to working with him to grow our programs in the coming years, particularly as we move into our new space at 168 Lisbon Street this fall.”


Walsh lives in Lewiston, with his wife Sherie Blumenthal and their two children.


Walsh succeeds Alison Gibbs, who joined LA Arts as Office and Communications Manager in 2019 and has played a pivotal role in extending the organization’s reach into the whole community, especially with its public art program, and in sustaining the organization’s initiatives through the COVID-19 pandemic. Gibbs will continue to play an important role at LA Arts as a Board member.

Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and arts organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

 

2nd Annual Fiddlers Rendezvous in Kennedy Park

For Immediate Release

Contact: LA Arts, contact@laarts.org

 

 2ND ANNUAL FIDDLERS’ RENDEZVOUS IN KENNEDY PARK AUGUST 14

 

Lewiston, Maine, July 22, 2022 –  LA Arts presents the second annual Fiddlers’ Rendezvous on Sunday, August 14 from 1-4 pm in Kennedy Park, Lewiston. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy some free, live music in the park from a wonderful lineup of accomplished musicians:

 

Melissa Bragdon Caron, a fiddler known for playing and teaching many different styles of music, was classically trained and received a degree in Music Education at the University of Maine. She has experience teaching string programs and general music at various grade levels in the Maine public schools. Melissa has been a member of the Portland-based bluegrass band “Jerks of Grass” since 2006. She also performs often with the old-time band “Sugar Hill” and recently recorded an album with “Fiddlers Three.” Melissa is co-director of the New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble, a non-profit organization that supports community by bringing together a large group of acoustic musicians of all ages to learn and perform different styles of music. She runs a successful music camp each September with Ellen Carlson, called Fiddleheads Acoustic Jam Camp. 

 

Ellen Gawler was immersed in the traditional music of Southern Vermont and New England, at contra dances, fiddle contests, and Morris dancing events in her youth. In her formative years, she learned by “sitting in” with influential fiddlers, Rodney Miller and Donna Herbert and played for dances in Western Mass. with the fiddling Caynors. She was fortunate to have studied with the all-Ireland champion fiddler, Seamus Connelly, when he first came to America. She was also deeply inspired when she was quite young, by her neighbors, the MacArthur Family and when she became old enough, played at fairs and other functions with them. At age 18, she followed her fiddling passion to Ireland, playing, learning and collecting traditional tunes in spontaneous situations. Upon moving to Maine, she picked up a love for Maine French and Maritime fiddling from the old timers, Lucien Mathieu, Jerry Robichaud and Ben Guilmette, playing with them often at house parties and various fiddle events around the state.

 

In 1977, through Antioch College, she ventured to Shetland for a three-month apprenticeship with master fiddler, Tom Anderson, to learn the Shetland style of fiddling, collect tunes and assist teaching in the upper Islands. She was a long time member of the legendary Maine Country Dance Orchestra, who, for 25 years, played and called for lively monthly dances in the Bowdoinham Town Hall. Ellen has also, on several occasions, toured internationally with the world music group Village Harmony. In 1978, she toured with the group, The Old Grey Goose throughout the northeastern states. She accompanied the Brunswick based dance troupe, Borovcani, providing for them the dance music of Eastern Europe. For nearly 15 years, Ellen performed widely with her childhood friend, Megan MacArthur, and Elisabeth Wolfe in the highly acclaimed folk trio, Trillium, who were best known for their intricate interweaving harmonies. She has been an original member of the acclaimed group Childsplay appearing in concert with them for over 2 decades. Ellen is currently a member of the Celtic group, Ladies of the Lake, now in their 10th year. She also performs with the fun-loving Gawler Family, playing folk music from Maine and beyond, warming the hearts of audiences wherever they go.

Ellen has been a Suzuki teacher since 1983, and has brought many children to music playing maturity through her skillful guidance and fun filled teaching style. She has found the ways in which fiddling and Suzuki meet, to equip young players with the skills they need to be fine fiddlers. In 1992, with her colleague, Betsy Kobayashi, she co-founded the Pineland Suzuki School, now in its 24th year. She has attended Suzuki conferences in the US and Japan and has, for several years, taught fiddling at The New England Suzuki Institute. She is the founding director of the Pineland Fiddlers, an aspiring group of 20 youngsters, ages 8-18 who have recorded on 2 occasions and traveled to Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, Ireland, and Quebec. In 2009, at the invitation of the US state department, she brought a group of Pineland Fiddlers to Turkmenistan to take part in an international children’s festival. In 2010 Ellen was awarded, as a master fiddler and teacher, The Maine Arts Commission Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant. She currently spends her time playing for dances and concerts, and teaching at camps, workshops and at home. 

 

Greg Boardman traded his electric guitar for a fiddle upon hearing Dave Swarbrick play with Fairport Convention at the King’s Rook, in Ipswich, Massachusetts, back in 1970.  Roving out later from his home in central Maine, he soon discovered a cadre of  peer fiddling expeditionaries (including many MFC staffers)  and a couple of older generations boasting of some very fine country and traditional musicians.  Among these, Cherry Frechette, Otto Soper, Fred Pike, Leo Murphy, Simon St. Pierre, Ben Guillemette and Lucien Matthieu, to mention a few, made a great impact upon his life and music. Dudley Laufman of Canterbury, New Hampshire, whose itinerant musician’s license still brings him frequently to Maine, has also been a seminal musical influence, not to mention the very welcome new wave of younger musicians who are infusing our scene with great energy, creativity and feeling. Meantime, he continues to teach bowed strings to elementary school children, produce music events, assist in  music for worship, and perform around the state from his family base in Lewiston.

 

Jessie Boardman fiddles for contra and family dances across New England, and she sometimes sneaks the cello into dance sets. Jessie teaches fiddle to all ages at Maine Fiddle Camp, Sandy Island Suzuki Camp, at workshops, and in her private studio. Dancing her first contra dance as a child to the band Swallowtail in New Hampshire, Jessie later moved to Maine, where she happily resides.

 

Alden Robinson has played the fiddle most of his life, mainly Irish tunes and traditional New England dance music. He plays for concerts, dances (contra and square dances), weddings and other events. He also teaches lessons, groups and at Maine Fiddle Camp in the summer. In 2017 he went to Lithuania with his band Riptide on a State Department cultural exchange. He also played with The Press Gang, an Irish trio/quartet (now inactive) that toured in the U.S. and Canada in the 2010s. 

 

Fiddlers’ Rendezvous and all LA Arts programs would not be possible without the generous support of community partners including  Community Arts Champion sponsors Austin Associates, P.A., Bates College, Baxter Brewing Co., Berman & Simmons, the City of Auburn, the City of Lewiston, DaVinci’s Eatery, Dirigo Federal Credit Union, Liberty Mutual, Munka Coworking, Payroll Management, the Sun Journal, the Szanton Company, as well as the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation,  Maine Arts Commission, the New England Foundation for the Arts**, the Onion Foundation, and the Ladd Foundation. 

Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and arts organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

 

**LA Arts is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts through the New England Arts Resilience Fund, part of the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund, an initiative of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with major funding from the federal CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act from the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

Artmaking, Music, and More at July 29 Art Walk L-A

For Immediate Release

Contact: LA Arts, contact@laarts.org

 

 Live Artmaking, Music and More at Art Walk L/A July 29 

 

Lewiston, Maine, July 14, 2022 –  Head downtown on July 29, 2022 for Art Walk L/A from 5-7 pm and the Music in the Park summer concert from 7-9 p.m. in Kennedy Park

 

Enjoy live, in-person arts experiences in more than a dozen locations, including a performance by acoustic musician Toby McAllister at 5 p.m in Dufresne Plaza,* plus Lewiston High School Jazz Band alumni perform at the Hartley Block, 155 Lisbon St. at 5:30 pm. 

 

Art Downtown

Check out a live painting event with artist Michael Ranucci from 5-7 pm at Munka Studio! Also visit visual arts happenings at these and other Art Walk LA venues:

  • The Studio, 291 Lisbon St. Artists Grayling Cunningham and friends
  • LA Community Acupuncture, 223 Lisbon St. Artist Angela Dumais
  • Munka Studio, 221 Lisbon St. Cows and Moons
  • Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St. Photographer Norma Warden 
  • Downtown Handmade, 182 Lisbon St., 2nd floor. Proprietor Sheri Withers Hollenbeck and friends 
  • Kimball Street Studios, 191 Lisbon St. Bangor Artist Diana Young
  • The Hartley Block, 155 Lisbon St. Bates Dance Festival Presents Arthur Fink: Images from the Studio and Stage 

 

Art Walkables 

Looking for to-go food items along the art walk route? Try these spots!

  • Sambusas and Somali tea at Mogadishu Store, 240 Lisbon St.
  • Spicy Tots at Boba, 97 Lisbon St.
  • Obscura Cafe, 108 Lisbon St.


Music in the Park summer concert series**

After the art walk, head to Kennedy Park, where this month’s concert features

  • Secondhand Clams
  • Mouth Washington
  • Buddusky

   

Art Walk LA and all LA Arts programs would not be possible without the generous support of community partners including Community Arts Champion sponsors Austin Associates, P.A., Bates College, Baxter Brewing Co., Berman & Simmons, the City of Auburn, the City of Lewiston, DaVinci’s Eatery, Dirigo Federal Credit Union, Liberty Mutual, Munka Coworking, Payroll Management, the Sun Journal, the Szanton Company, as well as the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation,  Maine Arts Commission, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Onion Foundation, and the Ladd Foundation. 

 

Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and arts organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

 

*Rain location: Callahan Hall, Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., Lewiston

**Rain location: 1800 Club, 34 Court St, Auburn

 

Celebrate Public Art, Music, and Art Downtown at June Art Walk L-A

For Immediate Release

Contact: LA Arts, contact@laarts.org

 

 Public Art, Music and More at Art Walk L/A June 24 

 

Lewiston, Maine, June 15, 2022 –  Head downtown on June 24, 2022 from 5-7 pm for Art Walk L/A! 

 

Enjoy live, in-person arts experiences in more than a dozen locations, including a Meet-the-Artists event and performance by Chicks With Sticks at 5 p.m in Dufresne Plaza.* And stay downtown for the Music in the Park summer concert from 7-9 p.m. in Kennedy Park.  

 

Public Art Celebrations

Join community celebrations and official dedications of three new public artworks in Auburn and Lewiston!

 

4 pm Bud Form sculpture by artist Hugh Lassen. Great Falls Plaza entrance, Auburn. Remarks by Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque

 

4:30 pm  Ledgers sculpture installation by artist Andy Rosen. 130 Mill St, Lewiston (next to Baxter Brewing). Remarks by Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline.

 

5 pm Path of Perseverance mural by artist Susan Harkins. 72 Lisbon St (Dufresne Plaza), Lewiston. Meet-the-Artists! Hugh Lassen, Andy Rosen, and Susan Harkins will be on site at these events to talk about their new public artworks.

 

Art Downtown

Check out exciting visual arts exhibitions at these and other Art Walk LA venues:

  • Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St. LHS students: I Wish My Teacher Knew
  • Kimball Street Studios, 191 Lisbon St. Bangor Artist Diana Young
  • The Hartley Block, 155 Lisbon St. Bates Dance Festival Presents Arthur Fink: Images from the Studio and Stage 
  • Co-Lab Creates 86 Lisbon St. Your Heart, a multi-panel photo installation mapping the vagaries of life and the unplanned surprises of healing. More at  www.seafree.space.

 

Art Walkables 

Looking for to-go food items along the art walk route? Try these spots!

    • Sambusas and Somali tea at Mogadishu Store, 240 Lisbon St.
  • David-Made Pizza at Forage, 180 Lisbon St.
  • Spicy Tots at Boba, 97 Lisbon St.


Music in the Park summer concert series**

After the art walk, head to Kennedy Park for a local hip hop and reggae concert! This month’s concert features

  • Stream Reggae
  • MOJOSUDAN
  • Chaly Rich
  • JDubb
  • Gazzy

 

   

Art Walk LA and all LA Arts programs would not be possible without the generous support of community partners including Community Arts Champion sponsors Austin Associates, P.A., Bates College, Baxter Brewing Co., Berman & Simmons, the City of Auburn, the City of Lewiston, DaVinci’s Eatery, Dirigo Federal Credit Union, Liberty Mutual, Munka Coworking, Payroll Management, the Sun Journal, the Szanton Company, as well as the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation,  Maine Arts Commission, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Onion Foundation, and the Ladd Foundation. 

 

Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and arts organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

 

*Rain location: Callahan Hall, Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., Lewiston

**Rain location: 1800 Club, 34 Court St, Auburn

 

We’re hiring! Non-Profit Arts Agency Manager

LA Arts is seeking an Agency Manager to support the organization’s mission of engaging and inspiring a vibrant community through arts and culture. The candidate should be passionate about artistic expression in all its forms and skilled at managing multiple initiatives to expand the organization’s reach and achieve its goals. This role will serve as the public face of LA Arts.

 

The manager, engaging with and supported by an active volunteer board, will provide initiative and oversight in four areas of programming: Art Walk LA, community relations, exhibitions, and performance. The position requires collaboration with a range of constituents, including board and community members, business and foundation partners, artists, musicians, writers, other arts and culture organizations, and city officials. The scope of this role is broad and diverse, and we expect it to evolve in unison with our strategic plan and the candidate’s interests. The Search Committee welcomes applicants with the following kinds of experience, especially in the arts, but will also consider those who offer related skills and proficiencies.

 

Experience (some or all of the following)

  • Program Development
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Office, Gallery, and Event Management – We’re moving to a new location this summer! 
  • Board and Community Liaison
  • Grant Writing and Implementation

 

Qualifications 

  • Strong professional interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships within our community and bring people together. 
  • Excellent communication and writing skills; ability to create engaging content while ensuring a consistent voice and brand. 
  • Skill at planning and executing a variety of online marketing efforts through email, social media, website, and interactive media platforms. 
  • Commitment to working as a member of an organization that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
  • Ability to think strategically, work collaboratively, and implement tactically to bring new programs to life. 
  • Creativity, resourcefulness, technical savvy, and a willingness to learn new skills, while adapting to shifting needs and priorities. 

 

This is a full-time position or could be divided into part-time positions. The pay is $20-25 per hour, based on qualifications and experience; benefits package negotiable.

 

Applicants should submit a résumé (including references) and cover letter to the LA Arts Search Committee at contact@laarts.org. The Search Committee will begin considering applications on June 20.