Theater production – UMA
Archive for March, 2017
Maine Drama Festival
March 5, 2017March 11-12
Regionals: Friday and Saturday, March 10th and 11th
State Finals: Friday and Saturday, March 24th and 25th
Photo by Marti Stone
In the upcoming weeks, over 2000 students from 75 high schools will be preparing for the 86th annual Maine Drama Festival.
March 10th and 11th, at nine regional competitions across the State, schools will present plays ranging from the classics to original student-written plays. Schools compete in two classes: Class A (over 525 students) and Class B (less than 525 students).
At each of the regional competitions, a panel of three judges will decide which performances advance to the State Finals (March 24th and 25th). The Class A finals will be held at Falmouth High School and Class B will be held at Yarmouth High School. The outstanding performance at each State Final will be nominated by the judges to participate in the New England Drama Festival (April 20th, 21st, and 22nd in Norwood, MA)
Photo by Marti Stone
The performance schedules for each of the regional sites will be available on the Maine Drama Council Facebook page www.facebook.com/medramafest/
Please feel free to contact me for further information. A list of Regional winners should be posted on the MDC Facebook page on Sunday, March 12th. If you have questions please contact Maine Drama Council Coordinator Tom Heath at thomas.heath@fivetowns.net.
Blaise Agüera y Arcas
March 4, 2017TED Talk – How computers are learning to be creative
Principal scientist at Google Blaise Agüera y Arcas spoke at the National Art Education conference yesterday in New York City. He believes that “we are on the edge of a new frontier in art and creativity – and it’s not human”. This from the TED Talk site with the recording of Blaise’s talk: Blaise works with deep neural networks for machine perception and distributed learning. In this captivating demo, he shows how neural nets trained to recognize images can be run in reverse, to generate them. The results: spectacular, hallucinatory collages (and poems!) that defy categorization. “Perception and creativity are very intimately connected,” Agüera y Arcas says. “Any creature, any being that is able to do perceptual acts is also able to create.”
Michelangelo said: “Every block of stone has a statue inside of it and the job of the sculptor is to discover it.” Blaise thinks that what Michelangelo understood was “that we create by perceiving and that perception itself is an act of imagination and is the stuff of creativity.”
Watch Blaise Agüera y Arcas TED talk below and google him for other talks of his recorded.
Dancers Making a Difference
March 3, 2017Dance performance March 4 – Noble High School
Under the direction of Emma Campbell, the Thornton Academy dancers performed at the Southern Maine Regional Finals for Poetry Out Loud which took place on Tuesday, February 28 at Thornton Academy.
The dance education community is amazing. I’ve included information on the blog about the work that has taken place, starting in 2015 that raised funds to establish a dance education grant that the Maine Arts Commission administered. The first round provided money for a dance residency in MSAD #33. You can read all about it on the blog posts from February 9-11. Here is THE LINK to the first of the series.
Now we have an another opportunity to add to the fund and provide more grants, thanks to “Dancers Making a Difference”. The following dance programs will be participating in the performance: Alegria Dance Company, Belletete Ballet Company, Berwick Academy, Brixham Danceworks, Community Dance Project, Corinne’s School of Dance, Fusion Dance Academy, Joy of Dance, New England Dance Project, Portsmouth School of Ballet, Sole City Dance, SonDance Academy, Studio 109, Thornton Academy, and Miss Annabelle’s School of Dance.
Their 5th annual benefit performance takes place tomorrow night, March 4, 7:00 at Noble High School in North Berwick. The money raised will be added to the dance education fund which will provide grants for schools that do not offer dance education during the next year. A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all of the dance programs who are making a difference in Maine dance education!
If you are interested in learning more about the dance education please email me argy.nestor@maine.gov.
YAM it Up!
March 3, 2017Youth Art Month
Invitation artwork created by Lizzie Valdmanis grade 6 collagraph kimono
The Maine Art Education Association
and the
Portland Museum of Art
Cordially Invite You to the Opening Reception
of
Youth Art Month
at the Portland Museum of Art
on
Saturday, March 11, 2017
4:00-7:30 pm
Presentation of Certificates of Participation:
4:30 PM: Grades K-3
5:30 PM: Grades 4-7
6:30 PM: Grades 8-12
The youth Art Month Exhibition remains hanging:
March 1 thru April 2, 3017
For more information about the Maine Art Education Association please CLICK HERE.
Engineering Expo
March 2, 2017Celebrate: Curiosity, Innovation, Imagination, Technology, Maine’s Future
POL: Heading to the State Finals
March 2, 2017Poetry Out Loud
Maine Arts Commission Announces Top Ten Poetry Out Loud Finalists
AUGUSTA, ME–The art of poetry and competition is alive and well in Maine, as 42 individual high school students competed at the Poetry Out Loud Regional Finals February 27 and 28.
This year’s regional poetry recitation contest was hosted at Hampden Academy in the north, and Thornton Academy in the south. The Maine Arts Commission, which administers the competition at the state level, is pleased to announce the top 10 finalists who will participate in the State Finals at the Waterville Opera House on March 13 at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following Maine high school students – we are so proud of you!
Northern Maine Regional Champions
- Natalie Lisnet, Grade 12, Bangor High School
- Kate Hodgson, Grade 12, Camden Hills Regional High School
- Emma Beyor, Grade 12, Erskine Academy
- Gabrielle Cooper, Grade 12, Gardiner Area High School
- Antyna Gould, Grade 12, Medomak Valley High School
Southern Maine Regional Champions
- Amran Mahamed, Grade 11, Deering High School
- Jordan Bryant, Grade 120, Greely High School
- Sabrina Small, Grade 12, Maine Coast Waldorf School
- Skyler Vaughn, Grade 12, Maine Girls Academy
- Arielle Leeman, Grade 12 Morse High School
Poetry Out Loud Northern Regional Finalists left to right: Antyna Gould, Medomak Valley High School; Gabrielle Cooper, Gardiner Area High School; Emma Beyor, Erskine Academy; Kate Hodgson, Camden Hills Regional High School; Natalie Lisnet, Bangor High School.
Poetry Out Loud is organized by the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation to encourage performance art, memorization, and public speaking skills in high schools nationwide. Since the contest started in 2005, nearly three million students and 10,000 schools have participated. Maine high schools consistently draw a high participation rate from around the state. The top-qualifying student from each participating school is then selected to compete in either the Northern or Southern Regional Finals. There are two rounds of recitation in which students must perform one poem written pre-20th century, and one poem that consists of 25 lines or fewer. The final round is reserved for the top 10 performers to recite one final poem. Performances are judged on the student’s physical presence, vocal articulation, dramatic appropriateness, and evidence of understanding of the poem. The juried panel then chooses the top five finalists from each region to move on the State Finals.
Poetry Out Loud Southern Regional Finalists left to right: Sabrina Small, Maine Coast Waldorf School; Skyler Vaughn, The Maine Girls’ Academy; Arielle Leeman, Morse High School; Jordan Bryant, Greely High School; Amran Mahamed, Deering High School.
The Maine State Finals will take place on March 13 at the Waterville Opera House. The doors will open at 2:30 p.m. The state champion will receive $200 and a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books for the winner’s school. The winner will then be flown to Washington D.C. in April to participate in the National Finals and compete for a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends, as well as a $20,000 scholarship.
For more information about the State and National Finals, please visit Maine Arts Commission: Poetry Out Loud 2017 or contact Argy Nestor, Maine Arts Commission Director of Arts Education at argy.nestor@maine.gov or 207-287-2713.
The Maine Arts Commission shall encourage and stimulate public interest and participation in the cultural heritage and cultural programs of our state; shall expand the state’s cultural resources; and shall encourage and assist freedom of artistic expression for the well being of the arts, to meet the needs and aspirations of persons in all parts of the state.
Celebrate: March and the Arts!
March 1, 2017Happy Arts Education Month!
YAHOO! We have a great opportunity this month to celebrate the amazing work and accomplishments of students in the visual and performing arts. CONGRATULATIONS to all the educators who provide an excellent arts education and access to it for learners of all ages. I know that you are proud of your students and I encourage you to take advantage of this month designated to celebrate arts education. Whether you do it in a small or large way, please let me know about the work you are doing so I can let others know. Your good ideas should be shared so others can learn from you! And, a great big THANK YOU for your commitment to visual and performing arts education!
MY SUGGESTION: Take advantage of Arts Education Month to engage others in the conversation of why a quality arts education is essential for all students.
Below are the professional organizations who provide many suggestions and links to ideas to help you and your students plan for a celebration.
NAEA
The National Art Education Association has been celebrating Youth Art Month since the 1960’s. Check out what the National Art Education has to offer on the topic by using the key words “youth art month” in the search bar on the site. The purpose of YAM is to emphasize the value to children from participating in visual art education.
CFAE
The Council for Art Education at provides tons of resources to help you plan. They have ideas on their site that teachers and students are engaged in across the country. The ideas range from school based to community, both large and small. You can sign up for their free newsletter and receive information on a regular basis.
NAfME
The National Association for Music Education has been recognizing Music in Our Schools Month since 1985. The idea started in 1973. You can learn what NAfME has to offer on MIOSM by CLICKING HERE. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that schools is where all children should have access to music.
EDTA
The Educational Theatre Association and the International Thespian Society have partnered with American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) to sponsor Theatre in Our Schools. For ideas on how to create a celebration CLICK HERE. Their resources are directed towards Thespians, schools, and educators. The purpose is to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and draw attention to the need for more access to quality programs for all students.
NDEO
The National Dance Education Organization celebrates the artistic and academic achievements of exceptional students through the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NAHSDA) by teaming up with the US Department of Education during March. Learn more about their advocacy work by CLICKING HERE.
As you’re contemplating your March celebration checking out the blog post I included last year at this time can provide you with more resources. CLICK HERE for that blog post from March 1, 2016.
AFTA
Americans for the Arts envisions a country where everyone has access to—and takes part in—high quality and lifelong learning experiences in the arts, both in school and in the community. Their arts education council represents a cross section of the country so all voices are represented. The Americans for the Arts website has a plethora of resources on arts education. Check them out by CLICKING HERE.
MALI
The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative provides plenty of resources at THIS LINK. Like all academic areas, students of the arts are successful because of teachers who are highly skilled, knowledgeable of developments in their fields, and motivated. MALI Teacher Leaders and Teaching Artists Leaders take on multiple leadership roles. If you’re interested in being part of a supportive collaborative group of visual and performing arts educators consider applying to be a Teacher Leader this Spring. If interested, or if you wish to learn more at this time please contact me at argy.nestor@maine.gov.
ARTS ADVOCACY DAY
We know that arts-rich schools benefit everyone. It is our responsibility to help others who may not understand this statement. Arts Education month provides that opportunity and the Maine Alliance for Arts Education has plans for Arts Advocacy Day in Augusta at the State House on Wednesday, March 8. To learn more visit the MAAE site by CLICKING HERE.
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