Youth Art Month (YAM), Common Street Arts’ March Exhibition, Spotlights Area Youth Art

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“A Journey Through Art” opening reception – Thursday, March 5 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Waterville, Maine — Waterville Creates! is filled with child-like excitement to host the Youth Art Month (YAM) exhibition at Common Street Arts! YAM honors the amazing art teachers in central Maine while celebrating the work of aspiring youth artists in grades K-12 from 17 participating schools. This year’s YAM theme is “A Journey Through Art” and is sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank. Each Saturday, Common Street Arts will host a series of free programs that explore the themes of travel, culture, and human creativity. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 5 from 4:30 – 6:00pm at Common Street Arts. For a complete list of the scheduled projects and programs, please visit www.commonstreetarts.org.

Gallery Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
CLOSED SUNDAY

Featured Schools:

Albert S. Hall School
Canaan Elementary School
Carrabec High School
George J. Mitchell School
Glen Stratton Learning Center
Kennebec Montessori School
Madison Elementary School
Madison Junior High School
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences
Messalonskee High School
Messalonskee Middle School
Mount Merici Academy
North Elementary School
Warsaw Middle School
Waterville Alternative High School
Winslow High School
Winslow Junior High School

 

Free Youth Art Month Events:

Arts Around the World at the Chace Community Forum

Explore art throughout the world and become inspired by artists from different countries. Members from the Colby College International Club and Colby Museum of Art will assist in art-making projects and discuss art from various countries throughout the world.

Saturday, March 7 @ 1:00 – 4:00pm

Kids Art Yoga

Join yoga teacher Stephanie Pinnette as she leads a youth yoga class in the gallery. Participants will create unique poses inspired by artwork in the exhibition.

Saturday, March 14 @ 10:00 – 11:00am

 

Family Game Café

Every time we play games, we are transported to another world. Explore board games that bring us on journeys, from the more recent Settlers of Catan to the old school Oregon Trail.

Saturday, March 21 @ 1:00 – 4:00pm

Music from Around the World

Musicians from Snow Pond Center for the Arts will introduce participants to instruments from around the world. Families are invited to create art as they listen to music!

Saturday, March 28 @ 1:00 – 2:00pm

 

About Waterville Creates!
Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org

 

Waterville Creates! Invited to Participate in 17th Annual Maine Nonprofit Day

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Waterville, Maine — Waterville Creates! joins the Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) at the 17th annual Maine Nonprofit Day at the State House. Nonprofit Day provides an opportunity for nonprofits and government to assert their commitment to working together in order to creatively, efficiently and effectively serve the people of Maine.

The Maine nonprofit sector is a major economic engine, employing 1 out of every 6 Mainers. Maine’s nonprofit sector paid over $4.7 billion in wages in 2017, or 17.9% of the state’s total payroll. These wages translated in an estimated $271 million of personal income tax revenue for Maine’s state and local governments. Nonprofit Day at the State House seeks to educate lawmakers on this critical piece of our economy and celebrate the importance of the work of exhibitors.

Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community.

“Maine’s nonprofits are complex and strategic organizations. They create jobs, develop community leaders, and invest significant financial and human resources across the State,” said Jennifer Hutchins, Executive Director of MANP. “We are thrilled to highlight this diverse sector at the State House.”

“Waterville Creates! serves over 86,000 patrons annually through theatre, live music, and special events at the Waterville Opera House, daily film programming at Railroad Square Cinema and the annual Maine International Film Festival, ongoing arts education and exhibitions at Common Street Arts, and numerous collaborative community events,” says President and CEO Shannon Haines. “In addition to providing outstanding year-round arts programming, Waterville Creates! is a significant economic engine for Waterville and the region.”

Other exhibiting nonprofits include:

Auburn Public Library
College Guild
Community Concepts
The Ecology School
In Her Presence
Jackson Lab
Kids Peace
Pine Tree Hospice
NAMI Maine
Sexual Assault & Crisis Support Center

The 17th Annual Nonprofit Day takes place on February 11th, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm, in the Hall of Flags at the State House in Augusta. For more information on this event, please call the Maine Association of Nonprofits at 871-1885 or visit www.nonprofitmaine.org/nonprofitday.

About Waterville Creates!

Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org

Serena Sanborn, Education and Outreach Coordinator at Waterville Creates!, Accepted into Maine Master Naturalist Program

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Waterville, Maine — An exciting new chapter will begin in the new year for Serena Sanborn, Education and Outreach Coordinator at Waterville Creates!, as she has been accepted into the Maine Master Naturalist Program! The Maine Master Naturalist Program is a nonprofit volunteer-based enterprise that trains people to become citizen-naturalists. The graduates of the Maine Master Naturalist Program help enrich nature education in Maine. The program is quite extensive, with 100 hours of in-depth training and more than 200 hours of practice as students learn about topics varying from Maine’s ecological systems to conservation biology, animals, geology, and more! The program extends beyond graduation, with students promising to volunteer their time leading nature walks and sharing their knowledge, becoming part of a nexus of naturalists around the state, and having opportunities to continue learning about Maine’s natural world through advanced seminars. Upon her completion of this course, Serena has plans to expand on her already popular guided nature walks, share her knowledge through fun activities, and design even more programming around nature education.

“I am delighted not only to expand my knowledge and participate in this program, but also for all the opportunities that this will allow me to bring back to the Waterville community,” says Serena Sanborn, Education and Outreach Coordinator at Waterville Creates! “I have always been an advocate for citizen science, involvement with the outdoors, and the connections to art, so I’m thrilled and honored to be accepted into a program that focuses on something so dear to my heart.”

About Waterville Creates!

Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org

Common Street Arts Spotlights Studio Members in the new exhibition, CSA Clay!

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Opening reception – Thursday, January 16 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Waterville, Maine — The new year will bring a new and exciting exhibition to Common Street Arts: CSA Clay!. This exhibition celebrates Common Street Arts’ clay studio members alongside a selection of established Maine potters. CSA Clay! will be on view in the Common Street Arts gallery from January 13 through February 15, 2020. This will be a great opportunity to directly support Maine artists as each work is a one-of-a-kind, locally crafted piece and available for purchase. The opening reception is Thursday, January 16 from 4:00 – 6:00pm. Join CSA as we explore incredible works by skilled local artists.

CSA Clay! will feature quality pieces crafted by our talented studio members as well as established Maine potters. “This is the first exhibition that has focused solely on ceramics, pottery, and clay creations and we’re just thrilled to be able to showcase this work in a gallery setting.  It’s a great opportunity for us and for Maine artists,” says Patricia King, Vice President at Waterville Creates!

CSA Clay! Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
CLOSED SUNDAY

Featured Artists:
Chris Cubberly
Goodland Pottery
Magpie Creative
Monica McCaw
Brian Soldano
Tamsen Brooke Warner
Unity Pond Pottery

Associated Programming:
January 8 – Beginning Wheel Class
January 9 – Clay on the Wheel
January 15 – Art Happy Hour: Pint + Paint

About Waterville Creates!

Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org

The World’s Greatest Detective Shines in a New Light as Miss Sherlock Holmes

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Miss Holmes Opens At The Waterville Opera House January 24, 2020

Waterville, Maine —The Waterville Opera House (WOH) is excited to present a mystery that shines a new light on favorite characters when Miss Holmes opens this January in Waterville. Inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it’s not just another mystery – it’s a reexamination of the Victorian world of Holmes and Watson that explores the added obstacles that these two iconic characters would have faced if they had been women.

In a time and place where gender roles are rigidly defined, Miss Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Dorothy Watson dare to challenge societal norms by providing an unusual, but necessary, service. When an anonymous note sends a newlywed wife looking for help, Miss Holmes and Dr. Watson work together to uncover the secrets surrounding a corrupt police inspector whose wives have a habit of turning up dead. But this Holmes and Watson face far greater challenges than bringing the cunning criminal to justice. Miss Holmes possesses one of the greatest deductive minds of her generation, but she chafes at the restraints imposed upon her by society and family. Dr. Watson struggles to make a difference at the only hospital in London that will hire female doctors.

Join the Waterville Opera House and go on the hunt for a killer with Miss Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Dorothy Watson, and an all-star local cast of memorable characters. With murder, mystery, mistaken identities, and plot twists that you won’t expect, Miss Holmes is an exciting and thought-provoking mystery with a positive message. Reserve your tickets today!

Miss Holmes Showtimes*
January 24, 25, 31 and February 1 at 7:30pm
January 26 and February 2 at 2:00pm 

The talented cast of community actors performing in Miss Holmes are:
Miss Sherlock Holmes: Phoebe Sanborn
Dr. Dorothy Watson: Maggie Wachtl
Edwin Greener/Passerby: Erik Hyatt
Superintendent/Passerby: Joe Blackwell
Mycroft Holmes/Vagrant: Bart Shattuck
Dr. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson/Peggy/Martha: Jeralyn Shattuck
Mrs. Hudson: Eve Blackwell
Eudora Featherstone: Marie Cormier
Inspector Geoffrey Lestrade/Orderly #1: John DeWitt
Lizzie Chapman: Hannah King
Thomas Chapman/Orderly #3: Tim Croce
Dr. Michael Stamford/Passerby: Melvin Morrison
Reginald/Orderly #2: John Buys

Production Team
Written By: Christopher M. Walsh
Director: Debra Susi
Scenic and Lighting Designer: Tony Gerow
Sound Designer: Ben David Richmond
Costume Designer: Candace Chase
Stage Manager: Isaac Tardy

Miss Holmes runs January 24th through February 2nd at the Waterville Opera House. Tickets range from $21 – $24. Groups of 10+ receive a 10% discount. WOH’s 19 – 20 season programming is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Harold Alfond Foundation, Colby College, Golden Pond Wealth Management, Maine General Health, Kennebec Savings Bank, Central Maine Motors, Northern Light Inland Hospital, GHM Agency, Granite Hill Estates, Central Maine Newspapers, Marie Cormier, JS McCarthy Printers, and Woodlands Senior Living. Miss Holmes  is presented through special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing. For more information or to reserve tickets call 873-7000, visit our website at http://www.operahouse.org or our Box Office at 1 Common Street!

About The Waterville Opera House
The Waterville Opera House has been Central Maine’s cultural center since 1902, treating audiences of all ages to the magic of the performing arts. The 810-seat venue has been host to theatrical productions, ballet performances, concerts, vaudeville and comedy acts, touring shows, as well as a variety of community celebrations and special events. Each year, the Opera House draws 30,000 patrons, reaches 4,000 students through its education performances, and features 250 youths in their theater camps and productions. From the classics to new releases the Waterville Opera House has a seat for you. For more information, visit http://www.operahouse.org/

Waterville Creates! Invites You to Joy to the Ville on Saturday, December 7th

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Free community fun day offers family-friendly entertainment, activities, goodies and more at participating locations in Waterville

Waterville, Maine —On Saturday, December 7th the city of Waterville will once again embrace the holiday spirit with the 3rd annual “Joy to the Ville” event– an all-day community celebration meant to highlight the magic of the holiday season on the Kennebec River. Waterville Creates! and their friends at the Waterville Public Library, the Colby College Museum of Art, Snow Pond Center for the Arts, the KVCAP Family Enrichment Council, and the Children’s Discovery Museum are joining forces with local business sponsor Bangor Savings Bank to organize this day of free, family-friendly holiday programming throughout Waterville! For a complete listing of activities visit: https://www.watervillecreates.org/event/joytotheville/

Joy to the Ville Schedule of Events
*All events and admissions are FREE

FREE Hot Chocolate Cotton Candy from 10am – 4pm at Railroad Square Cinema, Common Street Arts and the Colby College Chace Community Forum. (While Supplies Last!)

10 – 11am: Princess Storytime at Waterville Public Library
10am – 12pm: A Christmas Story at Railroad Square Cinema
10am – 2pm: Make holiday cards for nursing home residents at the Waterville Public Library
10am – 4pm: Tinker and explore with the Children’s Discovery Museum’s pop-up exhibitions at the Chace Community Forum
11am-3pm: Make a holiday ornament using 3d printed parts, ribbon, colored paper, and more! Get creative and see how a 3d printer works Common Street Arts
11am – 5pm: Visit Santa at Kringleville in Castonguay Square
1 – 2pm: Satur-Play: Families in Theater Workshop led by members of the Recycled Shakespeare Company at the Waterville Public Library! Caregivers and kids will learn fun theater games to get them used to stage life!
1 – 2pm: Join Snow Pond Community Music School for a Melody Makers class where we use our bodies and instruments to make music at the Chace Community Forum
1 – 3pm: Holiday Green Screen Winter Fun Photos at the Chace Community Forum
1 – 3pm: Make a cool creative holiday frame for your festive photos with Colby Museum of Art at the Chace Community Forum
1 – 4pm: Holiday Mind Jars with KVCAP Family Enrichment Council at the Chace Community Forum. Similar to a snow globe, mind jars can be used for fun and can also be used to relax
2 – 3pm: Instrument Petting Zoo at the Chace Community Forum sponsored by the Snow Pond Community Music School. Try your hand at xylophone, violin, African drum and lots more!

About Waterville Creates!

Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org

Featuring 60 Maine artists at the 7th Annual Holiday Bazaar in Waterville

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When you shop you support Maine artists and Common Street Arts programing!
November 21st – December 23rd
Opening reception – November 21st 5:00pm – 7:00pm

 

Waterville, Maine — For the seventh consecutive year, Common Street Arts gallery will transform into a wonderous hand-crafted artisan gift shop in downtown Waterville! Featuring more than 60 selected artisans, this unique holiday retail experience is the perfect place to find special gifts for everyone on your list while supporting Maine artists. From incredible handcrafted wooden products, astonishing clothing, jewelry, accessories, and ceramics, to tasteful home décor, adorable felt animals, fine arts, and more, there is truly something for everyone at the Holiday Bazaar!

The Holiday Bazaar will be open Monday – Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm and Saturday from 10:00am – 4:00pm in Suite 106 at the Hathaway Creative Center in downtown Waterville. In addition to regular hours, the Holiday Bazaar will be open for special events throughout the holiday season. For more information about participating artists and special events, visit www.watervillecreates.org.

Special Events Include:

Small Business Saturday – November 30: Take $10 off any purchase of $20 or more!
Hathaway Holiday Stroll – Friday, December 6 from 5:00 – 8:00pm: Create, shop, and have fun!
Joy to the Ville – Saturday, December 7: Make your own 3D Printed holiday ornament!

“The Holiday Bazaar is one of our most popular events – both with artists and our arts patrons,” says Marie Sugden, Coordinator of Special Projects at Waterville Creates! “Now in its seventh year, the Holiday Bazaar has become a local tradition where residents and visitors can experience a truly unique shopping experience that supports Maine makers, our local economy, and our diverse programming at Common Street Arts.”

Holiday Bazaar Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
CLOSED SUNDAYS
CLOSED November 28 and 29

 

2019 Holiday Bazaar Exhibitors

33 By Hand
Amphitrite Studio
Ann E. Rhinehardt Fine Art
AP Curiosities
Atlantic Art Glass
Baskets by Dot
Black Dog Ironworks
Brookes Smith Knitting
Butler Woodworking
CE Nilles
Creatively Crafted Creatures – by Bette
Cute Knits
Delilah Iris Designs
Earth Tones and Fish Bones
Elizabeth’s Ephemera
Ember Grove LLC
Emily Shaffer Studio
Fabula Nebulae
Fine Mess Pottery
Frost
Gale Davison Photography
Good Land Pottery
Gray Day Studio
Helene Farrar
Heléna W. Melone
Hennessey Jewelry
Holmes + Hudson
Jennie Blue
Jones Limited
Magpie Creative
North Circle Studio
Olivia Atherton Decorative Painting & Design
Pennello
Pinecone and Sparrow
Pooka Design
Pure At Heart Glass Art
Purplebean Bindery
Running Blynd
Rusted Pulchritude
Seegers Studio
Singing Water Spirit Creations
Snazzybaggs
Spig Woodwork
Stoneflower Quilt
Yikes Studio Enamels
Sweet Beetle
The Adventures of Claudia
Unity Pond Pottery
Willy Wires
Zootility Tools
and more!		  

About Waterville Creates!

Waterville Creates! connects artists, organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. Supporting and promoting arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org

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Join Waterville Creates at the 1st Annual Variety! Fundraiser for an evening of exceptional entertainment at the Waterville Opera House on Saturday, October 19th

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Waterville, Maine — Waterville Creates!, a non-profit supporting and promoting high-quality, accessible arts and cultural programs and institutions in Waterville, Maine, is pleased to announce tickets are now on sale for Variety! – an evening of exceptional entertainment – at the historic Waterville Opera House on Saturday, October 19th at 7:30pm. Tickets for this first annual fundraiser are available for $35.00 each online at www.WatervilleCreates.org/variety or by calling the Waterville Opera House Box Office at 207-873-7000.

Variety! is a new, signature fundraising event for the performing, visual and cinematic arts in Waterville and promises to be the hottest ticket in town. This year features a live equestrian act on stage, which hasn’t happened at the Waterville Opera House in over eighty years. All Variety! proceeds will directly support the programming of Waterville Creates!, the Maine Film Center, and the Waterville Opera House.

Amazing and original performances have been curated especially for this community event! Your Emcee for this evening of exceptional entertainment is Hannah Dineen, NEWS CENTER Maine’s newest weekend news anchor and Colby alumni. Featured Variety! performances include:

  • Kevin Crane, Intuitive Horseman with Star the Dancing Horse
  • King of New York by the cast of Disney’s Newsies the Musical
  • Joao Victor, Maine Poetry Out Loud 2019 Champion
  • The cast of Waterville Senior High School’s Cinderella
  • Emilienne Ouellette, Begin the Beguine by Cole Porter
  • Mike Miclon, Stand-Up Juggler
  • Happy Hoofers by TNT Dance Studio’s Tap Company – Hannah Butler, Maya Gray, Hunter Hamlin, Haley Libby, Kali Lozada, Rowan Saucier (choreography: Terri Glidden)
  • Screening of Ocean Child, an award-winning film by Isabelle and Phoebe Rogers
  • MIFF Trailer Compendium by Jak Peters
  • Barbershop by Maine Stream – Jay Daniel, Steve Eccher, Tim Giroux, Emmons Pinkham, Tim Giroux, Juan Lavalle-Rivera
  • Music by Automat – Gary Coons, Dan Dubord, Steve Fotter, Greg Goulette, Jim LaLiberty, Christine Poulson

“Only 41% of our total budget is covered by ticket sales and program fees,” says Shannon Haines, president and CEO of Waterville Creates! “We rely on the support of our community to help sustain outstanding arts and cultural programming that is accessible to all. We felt that a variety-show fundraiser featuring performing, visual and cinematic arts would be the perfect way to represent the impact our organization has on central Maine, highlight incredible local talent, and provide our patrons with a delightful evening in thanks for their ongoing support.”

VARIETY! is made possible by Presenting Sponsor, Central Maine Motors Chevrolet, Media Sponsor NEWS CENTER Maine, Stage Sponsor Ware-Butler Inc., and Print Sponsor, SBS Carbon Copy.

About Waterville Creates!
Waterville Creates! connects artists, cultural organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. We firmly believe that art and culture have the power to enrich lives, strengthen community bonds, and serve as an economic engine. We promote and support arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all residents and visitors. By helping to build a creative economy, Waterville Creates! is leading the effort to make Waterville an exciting cultural destination and a thriving, vibrant community. Learn more at www.watervillecreates.org. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org.

Over 1,000 Yellow Tulips to be Planted in Waterville to Raise Awareness for Mental Health

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Community Hope Garden Planting on October 12 at 2:00 pm

Waterville, Maine— Waterville Creates! and The Yellow Tulip Project are teaming up to smash the stigma around mental illness by planting vibrant yellow tulips in community Hope Gardens at the RiverWalk at Head of Falls, Veteran’s Memorial Park, and at the Bill and Joan Alfond Main Street Commons in downtown Waterville. The Yellow Tulip Project was founded by Julia Hansen when she was just a sophomore in high school. The public is invited to participate in the planting of the Hope Gardens on Saturday, October 12. Planting will begin at the RiverWalk at 2:00 pm and finish at the Veteran’s Memorial Park. A Yellow Tulip ambassador, Abi Bloom, will lead the opening ceremony at the Veteran’s Memorial Park at 4pm, where there will be hot cocoa and cider to enjoy.

Participating organizations include Waterville High School, Kennebec Behavioral Health, Waterville Parks and Recreation, Hardy Girls/Healthy Women, The Family Enrichment Council, Maine General Hospital, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, FEDCO Bulbs, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville Peer Recovery Center, the Universalist Unitarian Church, Waterville Rotary Club, Waterville Public Library, Waterville Creates!, Waterville Lions Club, Maine Film Center, as well as many privately-owned properties throughout Waterville.

Julia had the goal to make a space for determined youth to join together to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental illness, build communities, and spark conversations about how to decrease the suicide rate. This is done through the Hope Gardens and related programming. In May, when the tulips are in full bloom, there will be associated wellness events available for all to attend in Waterville.

“We are thrilled to be working with The Yellow Tulip Project to help raise awareness for mental illness while spreading joy throughout Waterville. I’m looking forward to the programming in May and seeing all the beautiful tulips in bloom,” says Serena Sanborn, Education and Outreach Coordinator at Waterville Creates!

About The Yellow Tulip Project
The Yellow Tulip Project is a Maine based non-profit organization whose mission is to diminish the stigma surrounding mental illness while building a supportive community combining youth and community leaders. The goal is to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and The Yellow Tulip Project is fiercely devoted to making this aspiration a reality. For more information about The Yellow Tulip Project, visit TheYellowTulipProject.org

About Waterville Creates!
Waterville Creates! connects artists, cultural organizations, and the public with arts and cultural events and programs happening in our community. We believe that art and culture have the power to enrich lives, strengthen community bonds, and serve as an economic engine. We promote and support arts education, exhibitions, theatre, film, music, and dance that is accessible to all residents and visitors. Learn more at www.watervillecreates.org. For more information about the ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center visit www.downtownartscenter.org.

I am not a stranger

I Am Not a Stranger: Portraits by Séan Alonzo Harris

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September 16 – October 26, 2019

Waterville, Maine—Presented by Waterville Creates! in partnership with the Colby Museum,
I Am Not a Stranger: Portraits by Séan Alonzo Harris, is an innovative and participatory exhibition featuring individual photographic portraits of community members who live and/or work in Waterville. Waterville Creates! and the Colby Museum of Art will present the full suite of approximately fifty photographic portraits at Common Street Arts Gallery and the Colby Museum.

There will be two concurrent exhibition openings on Thursday, September 19 to celebrate the exhibition. Common Street Arts will host its opening from 4:00-6:00 p.m. and the Colby Museum will include the opening of I Am Not a Stranger as part of its Fall Open House celebration that same evening from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Other venues that will participate and include a selection of community portraits are: Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville Public Library, Waterville Opera House, Waterville City Hall, Chace Community Forum, Beth Israel Congregation, Alfond Youth Center, Goodwill, United Methodist Church, Re-Books, Waterville Area Habitat for Humanity, Waterville House of Pizza, South End Teen Center, and Yardgoods.

Like many cities in the United States, Waterville has welcomed new residents in recent years, including more people of color and new Mainers. Using a combination of individual portraits and personal narratives, I Am Not a Stranger will create channels for storytelling, capture local history, and build bridges across difference.

“I’m looking forward to learning more about Waterville and hearing from folks about their individual histories and aspirations. It will be interesting to reveal the shared characteristics that connect and unite us as a community,” says artist Séan Alonzo Harris.

“Through his work, Séan is able to facilitate moments of visual and narrative exchange between members of our community,” says Patricia King, vice president at Waterville Creates! “This is an opportunity to challenge assumptions and make new connections, and we are thrilled to undertake this project with so many of our local partners, especially the Colby Museum.”

“This is a truly collaborative effort that invites participation and engagement across the city of Waterville. There will be a free printed map that will guide residents and visitors to the project’s multiple venues, generating new relationships throughout our community,” added Beth Finch, Lunder Curator of American Art at Colby College.

The Sterrs Gallery at Common Street Arts is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 – 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Hathaway Creative Center, 10 Water Street in Waterville. The Colby Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (and until 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays during the academic year) and Sunday from 12:00– 5:00 p.m. To learn more about the I Am Not a Stranger exhibition, please visit: www.commonstreetarts.org.

I Am Not a Stranger: Portraits by Séan Alonzo Harris is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Waterville Creates!
Waterville Creates! enriches lives and grows the creative economy by supporting and promoting high-quality, accessible arts and cultural programs and institutions. Learn more at www.watervillecreates.org, and learn more about our ongoing community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center at www.downtownartscenter.org.

About the Colby College Museum of Art

The Colby College Museum of Art is a collecting and teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, display, and interpretation of the visual arts. We manage these resources for the benefit of the Colby College community, the region, and the nation, and we aspire to display works that embody the highest standards of achievement. For more information, visit www.colby.edu/museum.