Community Events Calendar

A juried exhibition of 3D work by Maine high school aged artists. Juried by professional artist, activist and curator Cheryl Harper. Conceived and coordinated by Cheryl Herr-Rains, teacher of art at Gardiner Regional High School. Sponsored by a generous grant from the Evergreen Foundation. Opening Friday, March 19, 5-8 p.m., awards announced at 6 p.m.

Join us at Lithgow this month and enjoy the Chas Lester Duo, soulful and jazzy Augusta natives. The series will continue through September. Other acts will include Spencer and the School Spirit and Mafia. All concerts will be free and open to the public! Event Sponsored By: Kennebec Savings Bank and Augusta Fuel Company.

Call for Artists Propose an exhibition at the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell, Maine! Deadline: October 1, 2010. Ken nebec Valley Art Association has issued an open call for exhibition proposals for the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell, Maine for the 2011 exhibition season.The Harlow Gallery has been owned and operated by the Kennebec Valley Art Association, a nonprofit membership based organization that has been supporting the arts and artists of central Maine for half a century now. An exhibition committee will meet in October to determine the Harlow s exhibition schedule for the calendar year 2011. Pro posed exhibitions may be solo, group or themed-open, invitational or juried. Please note that we generally limit solo shows to one per year, therefore submissions for small group shows are encouraged, or themed shows open to submissions from other artists. The exhibition committee is especially interested in presenting art by promising or under-appreciated Maine artists; art from a range of disciplines; contemporary or conceptual art; and shows that have the potential to appeal to new audience (recent examples include art dealing with issues of domestic violence, mental illness, global warming and our society s love affair with the automobile. Maine artists or artists with a strong Maine connection are our primary focus, but we will consider proposals from outside the state. Please note we do not have a budget for travel or art shipping costs, and artists from away would need to take full responsibility for transporting their work to and from Maine. For proposal forms and further details, please visit www.harlowgallery.org, email kvaa@harlowgallery.org, or call 207 622-3813. Find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theHarlow

RSVP Please. CYNERGY is a Capital area young people (ages 20-40), connecting to foster career, social, and community betterment. With help from our major sponsor Bangor Savings Bank and sponsorships form local businesses, we are able to host FREE events which provide an opportunity for members to use their talents, skills, and enthusiasm to further their own growth and career interests while seeking ways to support our communtiy needs. Please RSVP.

The island management area, about 1,755 acres in size, is located in the Kennebec River between the towns of Richmond and Dresden. It includes Swan Island, Little Swan Island, and several hundred acres of tidal flats. Swan Island, known for its abundant and often quite visible wildlife (especially nesting bald eagles, white-tailed deer and wild turkey), is actually an abandoned 18th and 19th century town called Perkins Township, and has long been recognized for its varied and interesting history. It was used by Native American tribes, early explorers, and settlers, and was reportedly visited by American historical figures such as Aaron Burr and Benedict Arnold. Each year, more than 4000 people visit Swan Island. The Island's public visitation season runs from May 1st through Labor Day (with limited access through the fall). All access to the island requires reservation with the exception of self-access day visits. For more information on self-access visits to the island see sections below. Interpretive tours and environmental programs are offered to schoolchildren and the public by Department employees. Operating Season Dates: Ferry Schedule: Leaves Richmond Parking Area at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Leaves Swan Island at 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 a.m., and 3:15 p.m. Self-Access Visitation: Accessing Swan Island by private watercraft is encouraged; however there are a few things to be aware of. Overnight visitors are still required to make a reservation. Day visitors arriving by canoe or kayak do not need to make reservations. They must self register at one of the collection boxes. These boxes are labeled and are located at the island landing and at the campground. A self-access season pass is available. The docks at the landing are for department use and are NOT to be used to store visitor s boats. The Kennebec River around Swan Island has 5-7ft tides. Please keep this in mind as visitors are responsible for the safekeeping of their watercraft. Click here for a link to tide charts for Swan Island. (These charts are provided as a courtesy only and no guarantees are made as to their accuracy.) To get to Swan Island, take Route I-295 to Exit 43 (Richmond/Litchfield). From the exit, follow Route 197 East for approximately 3 miles to Richmond Village. Turn left at the intersection of Routes 197 and 24. The Swan Island parking lot, marked with a brown State of Maine sign, is immediately on your right, next to the brick Richmond Utilities District building.

Lots of new and exciting activities. Visit the TREE HOUSE/NATURE CENTER - climb into this real tree house and learn about Maine animals and where they live and play. THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE - Learn the construction trade from conception to actual construction. Use real tools to design roads, buldings and bridges. PRETEND RESTAURANT -Create meals, learn which foods keep you healthy and learn good table manners. BIRTHDAY PARTY ROOM - Have your birthday party here - be "king or queen" for a day with your very own throne. You and your friends can do arts and crafts in a special area made specially for you. PRETEND GROCERY STORE - Work a real cash register, scanner and stock in the store shelves with real groceries. You'll learn about money, customer service and organizing things. RAIN Forest/Toddler Play Area- You're in the jungle surrouded by jungle animals. You hear the soft, tickling sounds of rain. Real tanks and acquariums complete with live animals! Perfect area for moms and young toddlers. MULTI CULTURAL MUSIC CENTER - Where's my oboe? It's not a body part, but it IS a musical instrument. Learn about music, other instruments, different cultures and their music. RIVER ROOM - Climb through a replica of a submarine. Climb up high on the bird's nest and pretend to be a pirate. Play on the dock and pretend you're a real fisherman. KIDS BANK - Have you ever been to the bank and wondered how it works? KSB's Kids bank will show you how to be a teller, count money and write and cash checks. You can use your money to buy groceries at the grocery store next door! BICYCLE AREA - Learn about the exciting world of bicycling through interactive displays. You'll learn the importance of bicycling and how it enhances our community, environment and economy. MAINE AUTHOR'S READING LOFT - You'll love this special hideaway where you can curl up in a bean bag chair and read some really great books written by people right here in Maine! THEATER -Let your imagination come to life on the stage of this theater. Use the stage lighting and sound equipment to create your own puppet show or put on the costumes to act our your own play.

Summer Saturday Hours begin July 5th, 9:00 AM - noon thru Sept.6th. Monday through Thursday 9 am - 8 pm * Friday and Saturday 9 am - 5 pm. NOTE: Library will be closed for City Shutdown Day - September 3rd.

Uncommon Threads Exhibit to be Focus of Upcoming Maine State Museum Gallery Talk and Book Signing. Uncommon Threads: Wabanaki Textiles, Clothing, and Costume. Following the talk, they will sign copies of their book by the same name, which will also be available for sale. The Uncommon Threads exhibition explores the beautiful, but little known textile arts of the Wabanakis, the Native people of Maine, southeastern Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces. Many of the over one hundred objects in this unprecedented exhibition come from the State Museum s collections. Bourque and LaBar also included objects from museums and private collections throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Many of the objects are being shown in Maine for the first time. For millennia, textiles have played a vital role as these Native Americans have expressed and maintained their identity, explains LaBar. The exhibit's exceptional objects, dating from prehistory to the late 1800s, demonstrate how careful observation of traditional textiles and costume can provide insights into Wabanaki history. Historical examples of Wabanaki textiles are scattered, scarce, and fragile, adds Bourque. Our concern has been that, fragment by fragment, more will slip away over time. We hope that this landmark exhibition will help rescue from obscurity one of North America's most dynamic indigenous textile traditions. Between them, Bourque and LaBar have studied and published about Wabanaki history and material culture for over sixty years. The results of their work in the Uncommon Threads exhibition and book will find an even wider audience next year, as the exhibition travels to museums in Canada and the U.S. following its closing at the Maine State Museum on September 4, 2010. Co-sponsored by the museum and the Friends of the Maine State Museum.

MaineGeneral RSVP is collecting new and gently used childrens books to be given to families through food banks the week of Sept. 20. Join us at Elm Plaza in Waterville to "Stuff the Bus." For a list of drop-off locations and more details, call RSVP at 861.3534.