Bay Chamber hosts student concerts

     ROCKPORT -- Bay Chamber Concerts invites the public to attend three student concerts this month.

     The first will be 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11, at Rockport Opera House, Central Street, in which the seven annual prize winners will perform solo works. Each winner will receive a $1,000 prize. They include two pianists, Abby Fields of New Vineyard and Sarah Wheeler of Waterville; two violinists, Kelsey Blumenthal of Cape Elizabeth and Adrienne Watkinson of Topsham; flutist Erin Ouellette of Littleton; jazz saxophonist Jeremy Viner of Orono; and soprano Ashley Emerson of Bangor. Admission will be $5 at the door or free for younger than 23.

     The other two student concerts are 2:30 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 14 and 21. These will be given by the participants in the annual Next Generation Chamber Music Program, which opens Tuesday, Aug. 10. The Next Generation concerts, which are free and open to the public, include trios, quartets and quintets of strings, winds, voice and piano in a wide range of musical styles. A special piece this year is a string quartet by Glenn Jenks of Camden, who will help to coach the students in his own composition.

     For information about the Next Generation and student prize programs and other education programs of Bay Chamber Concerts, contact Kit Pfeiffer, director of education, at 236-2823.

Hike and birdwatch planned

     The Georges River Land Trust will offer two activities Aug. 12 and 14.

     At 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 12, Annette Naegel, the trust’s conservation project manager, will lead a hike to the summit of Bald Mountain on the Georges Highland Path.

     Saturday, Aug. 14, at 9 a.m., Bill Goodwill, field trip chairman of Mid-Coast Audubon Society, will lead a walk into Weskeag Marsh to observe a rich diversity of migrating shore birds as they feed. Both events are organized by the trust.

     A series of great vistas, a challenging climb and ripening blueberries are just some of the attractions making the hike up Bald Mountain a favorite in the Midcoast.

     Hikers should meet by 1 p.m. at the access parking area on Barnestown Road, just west of the Camden Snowbowl and Hosmer Pond. It is only a mile to the summit from the trailhead, but some of the sections are steep and rugged, so participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water and a snack. Binoculars are also suggested, as various places on the trail, and especially the summit, offer spectacular views in all directions.

     On Aug. 14, birders should gather at the parking area on Buttermilk Lane, South Thomaston, about a mile from Route 1, by 9 a.m. Rubber boots are recommended for the trek into the marsh, and walkers will want to bring binoculars or telescopes, insect repellent and a good birding book.

     The Weskeag Marsh is one of the most important feeding sites in the area and attracts shore birds of all kinds as well as birds of prey.

     Goodwill, a birder for many years, knows the marsh very well and describes this as an outstanding feeding area during mid-August, the peak season for migrating shore birds. Among the diverse species likely to be present in this beautiful wetland are killdeer and other plovers, the reclusive sharp-tailed sparrow and the merlin falcon.

     On Thursday, Sept. 9, the popular mid-week hikes will continue with a guided walk on the Oyster River Bog section of the Georges Highland Path.

      For information, call 594-5166.

Bay Chamber presents Paul Winter and friends

     ROCKPORT -- Multiple Grammy Award-winner Paul Winter will be joined by fellow Paul Winter Consort members cellist Eugene Friesen and pianist Paul Sullivan to present two performances at Rockport Opera House, Central Street.

     The concerts will be 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 12 and 13. Both events will be preceded by preconcert talks at 7 p.m. and have post-concert receptions at the nearby Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

     Thursday’s program provides a classical encounter, as Winter, Friesen and Sullivan will perform works by Bach, Bartok and Villa Lobos. Friday’s program is vintage Winter. Titled “A Celebration of the Earth,” the program has music inspired by the natural world and all creatures of the earth, both great and small.

     Winter began his musical career in the mid-1960s with the formation of a jazz sextet. The group toured throughout Latin America and an extended stay in Rio de Janeiro inspired his views about music. He came out of this experience wanting to create a new genre that would have a foot in jazz, but embrace classical and ethnic music as well. What evolved was the Paul Winter Consort, an ensemble that produced music that was earthly inspired and steeped in world rhythms and textures.

     Winter’s concert tours and recording journeys have since taken him into almost every corner of six continents. In 1980, Winter founded Living Music Records, which has since produced 30 albums. Eight of those recordings have earned Grammy nominations and two won Grammy Awards.

     Bay Chamber Concert’s Summer Music Festival will continue next week with the Picker Family Baroque Masterworks concerts Thursday and Friday, Aug. 19 and 20. Featured guests include violinists Lynn Chang and Mathias Tacke, violist James Dunham, cellist Marc Johnson, bassist Deborah Dunham, piccolo player Laurie Sokoloff and harpsichordists Frederick Jodry and Michael Bahmann.

     Tickets are $30 and $24 for adults and $7 for children. For information, call 236-2823 or log onto www.baychamberconcerts.org.

Comedian back at Lincoln Street

     ROCKLAND -- Home-grown comedian Duff Powell returns to Lincoln Street Center for the Arts and Education at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12. Doors open at 7 p.m.

     Powell calls this year’s tour of performances, “No More Kickbacks!”, dedicated to the hard working citizens of this country.

     Powell has been entertaining audiences at Lincoln Street Center for the past year. He draws his humor from his small town roots and keen observations

     Powell has performed at the Comedy Connection and has shared the stage with Bob Marley, George Hamm and Butch Bradley. He has done national commercials, voice-overs, professional theater and several films.

     Tickets are $10 available at the door and can also be purchased online at www.lincolnstreetcenter.org or at Second Read on Main Street in Rockland.

     For reservations and information call 594-6490.

Film screening at library

     ROCKLAND -- Dottie Foote and Carolyn Horn will be showing their documentary “LIVE GIRLS: Stepping Out and Speaking Up,” at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 12, in the Friends Community Room at Rockland Public Library.

     The film captures adolescent girls with real voices, speaking out on harassment, body image and sexuality.

     On Oct. 5, 2002, 12 high school girls from the Diversity Coalition opened the University of Maine conference, “Girls Will Be Girls?” with their inspiring presentation on harassment, body image and sexuality. Through filmed conversations and performances of their poetry and music, this documentary captures the passion of their live performances that day, their work with middle school students in the Harassment Tales Project and filmed conversations among themselves.

     The screening is free and open to the public. The library is located at 80 Union St. Call the library at 594-0310.

Tatelbaum reads at Medomak

     WASHINGTON -- Author, publisher and teacher Linda Tatelbaum will read from her recent novel, “Yes and No,” 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, at Medomak Family Camp and Retreat Center, Route 220.

     Born in Rochester, N.Y., Tatelbaum lives in Appleton, where she, her husband and son have built a solar house and raise their own food. She holds a doctorate in medieval studies from Cornell University and teaches English and environmental studies at Colby College in Waterville. A commentator on National Public Radio and advocate of sustainable living, she is the founder of About Time Press.

     “Yes & No” is the third title from About Time Press. Tatelbaum’s nonfiction “Carrying Water as a Way of Life: A Homesteader’s History” (1997) continues to receive an enthusiastic response from local and national readers who share her insistence that land is not a commodity and that simplicity is anything but simple. Her second book, “Writer on the Rocks -- Moving the Impossible” (2000), a meditation on ambition and despair, demonstrates how physical endeavors like gardening, building and moving rocks can teach us how to overcome any obstacle.

     Tatelbaum’s reading is part of a Thursday night poetry series and is free and open to the public. For information, contact Medomak at 845-6001 or visit Web site: www.medomakcamp.com.

‘Knox County on Parade’

     ROCKLAND -- As part of the Farnsworth Art Museum’s celebration of Rockland’s sesquicentennial, the period documentary “Knox County on Parade” will be screened 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13, at the downtown museum’s auditorium.

     Dating from February 1941, “Knox County on Parade” originally was comprised of seven reels of footage filmed in Rockland and the surrounding communities. Edited to 90 minutes as the videotape “A Portrait of Our People, Mid-Coast Maine, 1940,” the film was co-produced by the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Knox County Camera Club, which was formed in 1937.

     The film features footage of 1940 Knox County life in all four seasons and includes scenes of town buildings, local industries, public celebrations, winter and summer sports and, of course, the people who lived in Knox County more than 60 years ago.

     Seating is limited, so reservations are recommended by calling 596-6457. Admission is $6, or $4 for Farnsworth members $4. For membership information, call 596-6256.

Cuban Fiesta at Watts Hall

     THOMASTON -- There will be a Cuban Fiesta evening Saturday, Aug. 14, at Watts Hall, Main Street.

     At 6 p.m., the public is invited to dine on Cuban cuisine via a buffet style feast of vegetarian and non-veggie selections and more. Maine poet Gary Lawless will read recently translated Cuban poetry. At 7 p.m., the Old Goat All Stars will provide tunes for a dance.

     The cost is $20 for the dinner and dance or $8 for just the dance portion of the evening. Dinner tickets should be purchased by the end of the day Thursday, Aug. 12. Tickets can be purchased at Second Read in Rockland, the Green Store in Belfast and the Gulf of Maine Bookstore in Brunswick.

     The event is a fund-raiser for the Maine-based Cuba solidarity group, Let Cuba Live. For information or to reserve tickets, call 273-3247 or 236-8896 or visit Web site: www.letcubalive.org.

Art auction to benefit animals

     ROCKLAND -- Art by some of the finest local and national artists will be auctioned to benefit the Humane Society of Knox County at its annual Art for the Animals Silent Auction Friday-Sunday, Aug. 13-15 in the gymnasium of the Lincoln Street Center for the Arts.

     Art will be displayed and bids taken on-site Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. A closing reception is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday to award bids. Refreshments will be available.

     Most of the art is online at at www.HumaneSocietyofKnoxCounty.org. Click on the Art for the Animals icon. The Humane Society is accepting bids in person, online and via telephone.

     Some works are animal related like the quilts of Port Clyde’s Eloise Ensor featuring cows, dogs and crows, and the handpainted feline wood carvings of Ruth Willett in Lincolnville.

     Several artists are offering personalized items such as a memorial stone for your pet from Rock ‘n Roll Stoneworks on Vinalhaven or a woodcut print of your pet by Ellen Gilliam of Owls Head.

     Many new artists are participating this year like woodworker John MeAlevey and painter Charles Paine both from Tenants Harbor, and decoupage expert Davene Fahy from Thomaston. But regular supporters like Art of the Sea in South Thomaston, William Wegman, Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, Susan VanCampen, and Robert Ensor have also donated special pieces.

     This event is free and open to the public. LSC is located at 24 Lincoln St. For information, call 594-4897.

Pirogi brings polka to Peoples

     SOUTH THOMASTON -- King Pirogi will perform a benefit concert 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, at Peoples United Methodist Church, Chapel Street at the Keag.

     The repertoire will feature a variety of love songs, old standards and a selection of polka favorites. Accordionist Tom Jamrog said the band has selected tunes that will reflect all the ups and downs that life presents.

     King Pirogi features the vocal stylings of Hank Lunn, who also is the group’s drummer. He has performed and sung in Maine for more than 50 years and is known primarily as a jazz and big band vocalist. He performs locally with All That Jazz.

     Dave Kirkham plays his homemade stand-up bass, while Steve Gruverman plays saxophone and clarinet. Gruverman also has recorded and performed with The Flying Tomatoes. He performs with Casco Bay Tummlers and will tour Europe in the fall. Jake Thomas, the newest member of the group, plays trumpet. He brings a wealth of musical experience to the stage.

     King Pirogi has been featured at the Maine Festival, New Year’s Portland, the New England Folk Festival, Downeast Country Dance Festival and other events, as well as numerous school programs, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and many other benefits across the state.

     The concert is the latest in the church’s series of fund-raisers for its two new pianos. There is no admission for the concert, which will be held in the new fellowship hall, but a free-will offering will be taken. Refreshments will be served.

Bangor Symphony heads to Camden

     CAMDEN -- Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 13, for an outdoor concert by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, in the newly-renovated amphitheater, overlooking the harbor.

     The program, conducted by music director Xiao-Lu Li, will be a mixture of popular classical tunes, show tunes, and patriotic themes and will include the “1812 Overture” complete with bells and cannon.

     Tickets will be available at the library and at the Bangor Symphony Orchestra Web site -- www.bangorsymphony.com -- for $20 for adults, $10 for those younger than 19 and and free for children younger than 13. Tickets will be $25 at the amphitheater. In the case of rain, the concert will be moved to 7 p.m. the same day at the Strom Auditorium of Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport.

Farm hosts art show, sale

     ROCKPORT -- Aldermere Farm will hold its Fourth Annual Art Show and Sale to celebrate the preservation of the farm and its herd Belted Galloway cattle. The art show contributes toward the continued preservation of the farm and its programs while recognizing those artists who capture the distinct qualities of the farm.

     The show will take place 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, at the farmhouse at 20 Russell Ave. Many local artists from Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties are showcasing their original pieces and prints featuring pastoral views and the belties.

     All are welcome to the event. Call 236-2739 or e-mail spost@mcht.org for information.

Children’s Literature Festival at Farnsworth

     ROCKLAND -- The annual Children’s Literature Festival will be held 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, on the Farnsworth Art Museum’s Elm Street lawn.

     The free, fun-filled event spotlights Maine children’s authors and illustrators whose books are published by Down East Books and Tilbury Publishing. Featured books this year are “Charlie Who Couldn’t Say His Name” by Davene Fahy and Carol Inouye; “Mabel Takes Sail” by Emily Chetkowski; “Noodleman: The Pasta Superhero” by Steve Costanza; “Won’t You Be My Kissaroo” by Melissa Sweet; “Visiting Aunt Sylvia’s” by Heather Austin; and “Nellie, the Lighthouse Dog” by Robert Ensor.

     The authors and illustrators will read from their books, discuss illustrations with the children and sign books. There will be hands-on activities for children and families, and refreshments will be served.

     For more information on the Children’s Literature Festival, call the museum at 596-6457 or the museum store at 596-5789.

Hayes workshop gets encore

     ROCKLAND -- The Farnsworth Art Museum has scheduled a second “The Color under the Color: Underpainting” workshop with artist Connie Hayes. The workshop, offered in conjunction with Hayes’ current solo exhibition at the Farnsworth, will run from 9 a.m.-noon Friday, Aug. 13, at the museum.

     Hayes will demonstrate how various color layers combine to increase the luminosity of oil paint. Participants do not need previous experience. This introduction to color layering will begin with the basics, using Hayes’ favorite brushes and brands of pigments and using already prepared surfaces for painting. This is a hands-on class that students will step into and follow along as the demonstration proceeds.

     Hayes taught at the Maine College of Art for more than 10 years and has taught all levels of students, from kindergarten to senior citizens. She was chairwoman of the Foundation Program at MECA and organized hundreds of classes when she was director of continuing studies there during the 1980s. The summer workshops at the Farnsworth are the first she has offered since 1992, when she began painting exclusively.

     Space is limited. The cost is $225 or $200 for Farnsworth members. Materials for the class will be provided and each student will leave with a canvas of his or her work. To register or for information, call 596-6457.

Fall gardening and nightscaping at Merryspring

     CAMDEN -- Merryspring Nature Park will host two separate events. First, the brown bag talk series continues in the Park Hexagon at noon, Tuesday, Aug. 17. The program, “Fall Gardening -- Clean-up & Planting” will feature Lee Schneller, owner of Lee Schneller Gardening in South Thomaston.

     The second program is Thursday evening, Aug. 19, when Merryspring presents “Nightscaping with Lighting,” featuring Dennis Fenton of 17/90 Lighting located on Route 90 in West Rockport. Fenton has won numerous national nightscaping awards and is a member of the Boston Landscape Architect Society.

     The Tuesday program will include discussion about what plants can be divided or planted in the fall and how to do the division or planting, including preparation of the soil. The talk will also discuss cleaning up existing gardens and beds and how to protect gardens for what can be harsh winter conditions (such as last winter). Quite often, the work and preparation done at the end of the current growing season will predict the success of next year’s gardens and plants.

     This talk provides a perfect introductory forum for people who want to perk up their home gardens and their overall landscaping scene. And, the talk will provide a good background for people planning on taking Schneller’s popular workshop on “Designing Continuously Blooming Perennial Gardens,” which will run as part of Merryspring’s winter workshop series.

     During the Thursday program Fenton will demonstrate numerous samples of nightscaping techniques, designs and products with slides, photos and other materials. Products currently on the market, including solar lighting possibilities, will be discussed with catalogs and sample products available to see.

     Both the Tuesday and Thursday evening talks are free to members, $3 for non-members and each talk features plenty of time for questions and answers.

     Call Merryspring at 236-2239 or visit online at www.merryspring.org. Merryspring is located at the end of Conway Road in Camden, behind the Graves Supermarket Plaza.

Gallery talk at CMCA

     ROCKPORT -- Denise Froehlich will present a gallery talk at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 18.

     Froehlich will discuss her photographic essay, “Familiar Allusions” currently on display through Aug. 29. Her signature moody and slightly out of focus black and white photographs are steeped in the artist’s long personal history with six Maine sites ranging from Acton in southern Maine to Phippsburg along the coast, and inland Skowhegan. Froehlich, an avid landscape designer, holds a deep appreciation for farmers whose beliefs in organic gardening run counter to corporate interests. Her images, possessing a sense of quiet slowness, reflect a sense of portraiture of family and friends closely linked to the land.

     Participating in more than 15 exhibitions in the past three years, Froehlich studied photography with Abelardo Morell and holds two degrees from the University of Southern Maine and a Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College. In recent years she has taught at Suffolk University, Boston, Bates College, Lewiston, York County Technical College, and Kennebunkport High School. Her work is part of the permanent collections of the Farnsworth Museum, Rockland and Colby College, Waterville.

     CMCA is located at 162 Russell Ave. The talk is free. For information, call 236-2875, or log onto www.artsmaine.org.