The arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, Maine
Learn MoreFriday Art walk Performance: Michele Choiniere and Diner en Blanc
On June 29th L/A Arts in conjunction with Art Walk Lewiston Auburn presents the original, Franco inspired Folk music of Michele Choinere and the second annual Diner en Blanc, an international phenonmenon where thousands of people, dressed all in white, and conducting themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette, to meet for a mass “chic picnic” in a public space. The Diner en Blanc will be located at Dufrense Plaza beginning at 6PM and ending at 8PM.
To Prepare for Diner en Blanc Guests are asked to wear all white Guests provide their own table, chairs, food and drink Set up begins as early as 5PM In the case of rain–Diner en Blanc moves to Lewiston Public Library, with chairs and tables provided.
About Michele Choiniere
Michele Choiniere is an award-winning Smithsonian Folkways recording artist, with a radiant, compelling voice. Her music and artistry capture a delicate sensibility, overlaying a raw authenticity. Her concerts transport audiences to another time of wistful cafe-cabaret culture, with riveting rhythmic melodies or a wistful lament, which stay with you long after the concert has ended.
About Diner en Blanc
Diner en Blanc is a pop up party based on theParisian party of the same name which began in 1988 as a reunion of 100 friends wearing all white in order to distinguish guests present. This event has since grown to reach more than 15,000 people a year in 15 cities worldwide across 5 continents.
A New Collaboration: Lewiston Public Library & L/A Arts
3 Poets
The Poet As Art: A Poetry Series
Featured Poets: Megan Grumbling, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, and Chris Seid
Where: Lewiston Public Library, Callahan Hall
When: Tuesday May 15th at 7:00PM
Cost: Free
On Tuesday May 15th, the Lewiston Public Library and L/A Arts will present 3 Poets the first of The Poet As Art Poetry Series. Featured poets include: Megan Grumbling, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc and Chris Seid. The reading will take place at 7PM in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., Lewiston.
Three Poets is the first installment of a new poetry series that is currently under development through collaboration between the Lewiston Public Library and L/A Arts. The goal of the poetry series is to bring poets to the Lewiston Auburn area to share their original works and processes with the community. With each performance in the new series, poets will engage in a dialogue with audience members regarding their works. Books published by the poets will be available for purchase on site.
About the Poets:
Christopher Seid
Christopher Seid was born and raised in Iowa. He lived in New Hampshire, Cape Cod, Southern California and Brooklyn before moving to Maine in 2002. He attended the University of Iowa as an undergrad and received an MFA from Vermont College. His first–and only–book of poems, Prayers to the Other Life, won the Marianne Moore Poetry Prize. His second book, Tranquility Base, needs a few finishing touches before it’s ready for prime time. Chris lives in Yarmouth with his two children and works as a freelance writer.
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc is a writer and teacher. His first collection of poems, Death of a Ventriloquist, was chosen by Lisa Russ Spaar for the Vassar Miller Prize and published in 2012. His poems have appeared in magazines including Guernica, The New Republic, and Tin House and received awards from the Bellevue Literary Review and UC Berkeley. With graduate degrees from UC Berkeley and Columbia University, he has taught writing and literature in public and private middle schools, high schools, and colleges in California, Vermont, New York, and Maine. In 2011 he was named one of Maine’s “emerging leaders” by the Portland Press Herald and MaineToday Media for his work directing The Telling Room, where he still occasionally teaches writing. He is the Poetry Editor of Maine Magazine and is at work on a novel.
Megan Grumbling
Megan Grumbling’s work has appeared in Poetry, The Iowa Review, and The Antioch Review and was awarded a Ruth Lilly Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. She teaches writing at the University of New England and Southern Maine Community College, edits reviews for The Café Review, reviews theatre for the Portland Phoenix, and coordinates the LIT series for Mayo Street Arts.
L/A Arts in Education Recent Press
Two of L/A Art in Education 2012 spring programs were recently highlighted in the Lewiston/Auburn Sun Journal. A brief summary about each of the programs, plus links to the articles at the newspaper online, are below.
“We believe that every school and student is enriched by exposure to art from diverse cultures. In these performances, students learned both by being entertained by the artists, and in actually getting up and experiencing it personally; by dancing, playing, speaking and singing the music of West Africa. This process of students engaging in creative art making, while deepening their understanding of an academic subject, social studies, exemplifies what arts in education is all about.”-Joshua Vink, Director of Education at L/A Arts
“African Drumming with Michael Wingfield”
On March 21st, Auburn Elementary students had multicultural celebration day workshops and a performance by African drumming specialist Michael Wingfield
Lewiston/Auburn Sun Journal
“Auburn elementary school students drum to a different beat”
by Russ Dillingham, Chief Photographer
Link to Article
“African Dance and Drum”
On April 6th, 2012 at Montello Elementary School in Lewiston, Senegalese performers “African Dance and Drum” performed for the K-3, and 6th graders in the school gym.
Lewiston/Auburn Sun Journal
“Montello students treated to singing, dancing, drumming”
Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal, Photographer
Bonnie Washuk, Writer
Link to Article
Storytelling with Antonio Rocha
Feb. 27 began storyteller Antonio Rocha’s artist residency and school performances at both Montello and Martel elementary schools in Lewiston. Rocha had students write and perform original stories based on events in their lives where they made a mistake and learned a lesson from it. The residency culminated in sharing between classes, and for invited friends and family, where the students recited their humorous and well crafted stories to the delight of all attendees.
Lewiston/Auburn Sun Journal
“Lewiston elementary schools to benefit from artist residency”
Link to Article
Moral Courage, Inspiring Arts and Community
From: Auburn Public Library
Lynn Lockwood, Director
207-333-6640 ext.6
[email protected]
Event: Michele Jean-Pierre and Ulrick Jean-Pierre
Moral Courage, Inspiring Arts and Community
When: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 6:00-8:00 PM
Where: Auburn Public Library, 49 Spring Street, Auburn, ME 04210
Michele Jean-Pierre will speak on community building projects in public schools along with work as a volunteer on the JazzFest Board that led her to her current position as the Director of the Ellis Marsalis Center for the Performing Arts in New Orleans at Auburn Public Library on Wednesday, April 25 at 6pm. She will also share stories of giving and receiving help after Hurricane Katrina and speak about the arts and their potential to build community. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Michele was raised in Louisiana. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Sociology with a concentration in Gerontology and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ulrick Jean- Pierre has become renowned for this creation of Haitian Historical paintings in which he retraced the history of Haiti. Jean-Pierre’s works interpret and illustrate the essential elements of the culture of his native land and its history and characters that helped to shape its society and religion. The focus of his talk will be how stories of moral courage have shaped his art work. Light Refreshments will be served. Free to the public. For more information call the reference desk at 333-6640 Ext. 4
Piano Men, A Wild And Exciting Success!
On March 17th 2012, L/A Arts brought “Piano Men” to Central Maine. A tribute to the amazing songs of Billy Joel and Elton John, the “Piano Men” concert combined a four piece rock band featuring Joe Boucher on piano and vocals, with arrangements, back up vocals and bass by Christopher Eastburn with the beautiful sounds of The Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra.
“The Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston was ROCKIN’!!”
Just under 400 attendees coming from around the state, gave the performance a standing ovation which was met with an encore that left everyone wanting more.
L/A Arts cannot thank the performers, sponsors and members of the community who attended enough for helping make this a simply breathtaking success.