me arts ed

THANK YOU FOR THE OUTSTANDING WORK YOU DO FOR MAINE STUDENTS AND THEIR ARTS EDUCATION!

Please take a minute and post a comment at the bottom of this page. Share what the highlight of your year has been….

AN ACT TO DESIGNATE JULY 12th AS WYETH DAY

Andrew Wyeth The Murray House Watercolor on paper, 23X293/4" Colby College Museum of Art The Lunder Collection

Andrew Wyeth would have been 92 on July 12th. He passed away in January of this year and the State of Maine has set aside July 12th as an annual observance to honor him. Andrew, son Jamie and father, N.C. have made strong contributions to the State’s artistic and cultural heritage.

It was at the Olson farm in Cushing, Maine that Andrew painted his most famous image, Christina’s World, in 1948, and he continued over the next 50 years to paint Maine people and places. I always loved taking 8th graders to the Olson house when I taught.

Jamie presently has an exhibit at the Wyeth Center, at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, entitled Seven Deadly Sins. The exhibit will remain until August 30th. I recently saw an interview with Jamie on 207 where he talked about his strong relationship with his dad. They were wonderful critics for each others work.

In recognition of Wyeth Day there are resources and information available on the arts ed webpages at the Department. You can get there by clicking here. I realize the timing is poor because summer is just around the corner. You may not be able to use the resources this school year but know that the information will continue to be there.

At the link above you will learn about the activities planned for July 12th at the Farnsworth, please tell your students about them. Colby has a few Wyeth’s in their collection and have kindly given permission to use one of the pieces. Colby Museum is a great museum, I suggest you check out to plan a visit with your students.

And, if you have any lessons and/or units that you would like to share with others please contact me or leave a comment below.

“Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney

Many of you have read or heard about “Miss Rumphius”, the children’s book by Barbara Cooney. It was one of my own children’s favorite books and I also shared the book with my students. In my last email to the arts ed list serve I mentioned that I was finally able to grow lupines. Shortly afterwards I received an email from Victoria Wilson, Assistant to the Director, Public Education Outreach and Membership Manager at the Bowdoin College of Art.

Victoria was glad I mentioned my lupines and let me know about one of Bowdoin College Museum of Art’s exhibits going on during June.

On view now are the paintings for “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney June 5 – June 28, 2009 in the John A. and Helen P. Becker Gallery.

The Museum holds the original paintings for the illustrations in four of Barbara Cooney’s books. This exhibition includes the original paintings for the beloved Miss Rumphius, part of Barbara Cooney’s “Maine Trilogy.” Miss Rumphius travels the globe before setting in her home by the sea and making her local world more beautiful. During the later part of the summer, another exhibition of Cooney’s works will include paintings from other books.

Please click here to visit the Bowdoin College Museum of Art web site and book a tour. If you use any of Barbara Cooney’s books in your classroom, please share by posting a comment.

A variety of projects keeps Huey busy

I love to get Huey’s emails… I know I can count on him to share the good work he is doing and they close with “Peace”. As I go about my crazy, busy day to day life I really need to feel peaceful. Just reading it helps a bit!

Please click here for Huey’s website and to learn more about what has been keeping him busy. Besides hearing about screenings, residencies, and new films in the works, you’ll see some new pictures of Spring in Maine. You can learn about his film on Marian McPartland, the jazz piano playing legend and host of NPR’s Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz which is in post production.

You can also read the Portland Monthly magazine article on SALT HAY, a feature narrative film Huey is developing with other producers. The article includes an interview with Judd Nelson who will play one of the lead roles in SALT HAY. Judd is a Maine native and star of St. Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club, other films, and many TV appearances.

Huey also has DVDs and CDs for sale on the site. Perhaps if you’ve worked with Huey on a project or had him to your school for a residency you could share your comments to help others learn more.

Upcoming events related to film: 32nd Maine Student Film and Video Festival, Public Screening of Winners and Finalist, July 18, 12:30PM, Waterville Opera House, Waterville FMI please click here. July and August, New England FIlm Academy, Summer Film Camps for Youth. FMI please click here. June 27 -Huey’s film “Graceland Gatewalk” made in 1981, part of a New Media Artists in Maine screening. Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, 2PM. FMI please click here.

July 29-31st: Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, Maine

Great Just Got Better! Cost Slashed, Super Keynote, Terrific Presentations! With the cooperation of the NCLBA Title 5 Program Director Dennis Kunces the cost for attending the MLTI Summer Institute is just $65 per person! Please click here for more information and registration, now open!

Last year's keynote speaker Randy Judkins

The keynote is a passionate, enthusiastic teacher and speaker. Take five minutes and view Chris Lehmann, founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy, a progressive science and technology high school in Philadelphia. Please click here to see Chris in action.

Half-day sessions with a major focus on grades 7-12 educators. You can check the website for the sessions to learn more. There will be 12 contact hours awarded.

Economy impacting future of the center

The Maine Folklife Center contains the Northeast Archives, the oldest folklore and oral history repository in the Northeast. It has been in existence for 50 years and open to the public for research. The University of Maine funding for two staff positions will end in 2009.

This reduction creates an emergency for the center, jeopardizing its eligibility for grants and eliminating access to teh Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History. It also impacts the ability to publish Northeast Folklore and discontinue public programming.

If you’d like to learn more about the center please click here. If you’d like to learn how you can help please contact Julia Lane (Castlebay) @ castlebay@castlebay.net.

Latest edition is out online or in print

You now have a choice… you can access the Maine Arts Commission magazine online by clicking here or you can receive a printed copy by contacting Darrell Bulmer darrell.bulmer@maine.gov at the Maine Arts Commission.

Don’t forget the Maine Arts Commission Blog. By clicking here you can go directly to the blog. I hear that the Marketing workshop that Darrell and colleague Kerstin Gilg recently presented was a great success. If you missed it you can see pictures and a summary at the blog.