me arts ed

Closing ceremony

Mark Harrington's sculpture, Franklin, ME

It was a delight to return to visit the sculptures again this summer before they leave Schoodic. On the afternoon I recently visited, many of the other visitors there were retired. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful Maine September day! The sky was blue and the sculptures were all but complete. I enjoyed looking at the art but also watching and listening to the visitors as they interacted with the sculptures and each other about the work.

And again, I returned for the closing ceremony that was attended by (my guess) 200 people. It was a wonderful event. Lisa Blanchette, who teaches music at the Ella Lewis School in Steuben and Peninsula School in Gouldsboro, and three of her students sang as part of the celebration. The artists each said a few words and the children presented them with beautiful flowers.

Songul Telek from Turkey, sculpture will be in Bar Harbor

The conference planners, many volunteers, and visitors that came over and over were thrilled to be there to applaud and appreciate the artists one last time before they depart.

The sun was not shining but the smiles on everyone’s faces brought much bright light everywhere I looked. The visitors were around, in between and on the sculptures.

As the symposium came to a close I wondered about the next one

Lisa Blanchette with students at closing

planned for 2011. I look forward to returning to watch the creation of several more sculptures. If you weren’t able to visit during the symposium the sculptures will remain until the end of the month and some maybe longer. They will be installed in the towns of Franklin, Machias, Gouldsboro, Deer Isle/Stonington, Bar Harbor, and Lamoine. If you’d like to read and learn more about the symposium please click here. You can tour the region to see the sculptures from 2007 and 2009 (when completed).

Closing ceremony

November 13 and 14, Camden
The 2009 Juice Conference that takes place on November 13 and 14 in Downtown Camden, will bring together over 500 of Maine’s most creative entrepreneurs, artists, innovators and statewide leaders at the intersection of technology, tradition and design for the purpose of charting the future of Maine’s economy.

This conference, “Building Maine’s Innovation Networks,” asks participants from across the state to come together to explore the power of creativity and innovation in protecting Maine’s quality of place while transforming Maine’s economy. Connecting our history with the future, investing in technology and design, introducing young and established leaders, fostering art and culture, and protecting and promoting our natural resources; these are elements of the creative economy and these are themes that will carry throughout the conference.

“Juice 2.0 – Building Maine’s Innovation Networks” will connect leaders of the creative economy which will help foster growth and prosperity,” said Skip Bates, President of the Midcoast Magnet Board and VP of Business Banking for Bangor Savings, which is the conference’s lead sponsor. “Our programs committee has woven together the arts, technology, and entrepreneurship to present the interrelated tapestry that is Maine’s economy. Juice inspires innovation by bringing talented people together from widely different backgrounds to build on Maine’s traditions. The conference is a forum for the exchange of ideas, the sharing of success stories, and the development of strategies for Maine’s future.”

To allow attendees the chance to give their critically important insight on the themes of the conference, over forty breakout sessions have been created that will take place throughout downtown Camden over the two days. The sessions were developed by a strong creative partnership that includes Midcoast Magnet, The Maine Arts Commission, Realize! Maine, Build Green Maine and the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board, as well as collaboration by Waterfall Arts Conflux and MEBSR. There will also be ample opportunity to socialize during various functions and entertainment breaks.

Entertainment at the conference will include performances by world class performers, such as The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange who will perform on Saturday evening (tickets available through Bay Chamber Concerts) and Aniruddha Knight who will be performing during the conference. Other entertainment includes the ever popular Pecha Kucha on Friday night, which will be followed by a party in downtown Camden.
Conference tickets cost $175 if purchased before October 15, and $225 thereafter. Special rates are available for volunteers, speakers and for groups with 4 or more attendees. To find out more about what the conference offers, and to register, set up a group rate, or for more information on volunteering or the event in general go to: http://www.juiceconference.org or email info@juiceconference.org.

To become a part of the Juice social network you can visit the recently launched Juice blog that is linked to the Juice Facebook and Juice Twitter accounts.