~ Arts & Entrtainment ~

OMAA Upcoming Exhibitions

differences between interior and exterior, the man-made and the natural world. Created painstakingly from hand-dyed and needle-felted wool, his furniture and tapestries slide between form and function. Lee’s work frequently references microbes, fungi, flowers, and seeds, as well as the biomorphic abstraction of Surrealism and mid-century modern design. “Spontaneous Generation” will be Lee’s first solo museum exhibition encompassing all aspects of his multidisciplinary approach to art and design, including furniture, tap - estries, ceramics, and works on paper.

Ever Baldwin: Down the Line

Running July 28 - November 12. Ever Baldwin’s paintings probe the porous barriers that separate and frame experience. Working intuitively and with a material immediacy, he sets his thick, matte abstract paintings - made by mixing marble dust and pigment with wax – within burned and blackened handcarved wooden frames. Baldwin uses the slippages of abstraction to resist legibility and set into

MWA Awards Show Recipients

Kennebunkport

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Maine Women in the Arts (MWA) launched its 2023 show season with its annual Awards Show, which ran through the weekend of May 26-28. Fortytwo local artists participated, with their work being judged by studio arts instructor, Heather Lewis. Heather has taught and conducted workshops throughout the northeast, and is currently a studio arts professor at York County Community College in Wells and at The River Tree Arts Center in Kennebunkport.

First place recipient was Ellen Pelletier for her pastel, “Moonlit.” Show attendees were asked to vote for their favorite piece of artwork, and that “people’s choice” award went to Kathy Chase for her oil painting, “Three Seconds in Time at Boothbay.”

There were six other awards presented at the show. Second place went to Mary Greto-Brunner for her acrylic/ mixed media piece titled “What the Wind Knows.” Third place was Norma Johnson’s pastel “Workshop.” Three honorable mentions included Anne Bertucci’s woven piece, “An Aspect of Pitch,” Ellen Blum’s photograph, “The Tides,” and motion a constellation of relational meanings: the body becomes landscape as breasts and chest hair slide into roadways and tunnels; the materiality of surfaces mix with mystical and unconscious thoughts; drag iconography melds with modernist icons. This exhibition, Baldwin’s first solo museum show, charts for visitors these constellations within his works.

Meg Webster: New Work

Running July 28 - November 12. Meg Webster has long been guided by an environmentalist impulse to celebrate and preserve the natural world. For her exhibition, the artist will critically engage with OMAA’s singular site on three acres overlooking the Atlantic Coast. Webster planned an installation of land art in April, activating the dynamic habitats encompassing OMAA’s immediate surroundings, including wetlands and intertidal zones. Inside the museum, opening in July, Webster will install works inspired by and sourced from the region’s rich natural resources such as ocean water, sumac, and moss.

OMAA is located at 543 Shore Road, Ogunquit. For more information, visit www.ogunquitmuseum.org or call 207-646-4909.

Area Artists Join AGK

KENNEBUNKSix area artists have been selected for membership in the Art Guild of the Kennebunks (AGK), following a recent juried event. The artists, reflecting a variety of media, subject interest and styles, were selected following a review of submitted work, judged by a jury of the guild’s members.

The new members include:

Lisa Roderick’s oil, “Evening Reflections.” In addition, Sarah Ostrov’s pastel “Early Spring,” was a judge’s choice.

The objective of Maine Women in the Arts is to promote and give exposure to local artists and their work in all media.

For more information, visit www.mainewomenarts.com.

A Metalsmith with Stars in Her Eyes

KENNEBUNKShe found in her schooling what can only be described by the artist herself as the more important things in life: artistic passion, the capacity to engage socially, an enthusiasm for living, and an appreciation for the needs of others.

Recent Kennebunk High School (KHS) graduate Emily Mains is the latest recipient of an annual $500 scholarship awarded each year by the Art Guild of the Kennebunks (AGK). Mains was one among five recipients awarded scholarships by other area organizations.

Emily’s forté is metalsmithing, which she studied in KHS’s Alternative Education Program, turning out a variety of ornamental pieces - rings, bracelets, pendants - featuring combinations of different metals coupled with designs in glass or using gemstones. Metalsmithing, however, may end up as a much-loved hobby or side job, for

Mains at work in her studio. (Courtesy photo)

Emily’s true interest lies in cosmetology. Her goal: to eventually make a name for herself in film or television.

Most artists can trace their passion to some early moment in which they could actually feel the tug of the pencil, the brush, or whatever tool any given medium requires. For Emily, it was her mother’s love of crafts. “She was always engaged in some project or another,” Emily recalls. One might add Emily grew up with a marvelous home education that emphasized the creative use of color, form and imagination.

A major part of Emily’s alternative education at KHS involved experiences outside the normal school environment, such as traveling to different locations of cultural or natural interest, and volunteering in extracurricular work projects. “This broadens the world view,” Emily says. “It has made me much more open-minded.”

The AGK is a juried art organization representing artists throughout Southern Maine. It sponsors exhibitions during the spring and summer months, and during the annual Winter Prelude in Kennebunkport. Each year the guild awards a scholarship to a graduating KHS senior who has shown both interest and achievement in the arts. For more information, visit www. artguildofthekennebunks.com.

Jody Agustadt of Gorham: oil; Kailleigh Archibald of Scarborough: oil, colored pencils; Joseph Cousins of Freeport: acrylic, watercolors; Robert Mi-

. . . RIPTIDE from page 1 safety program on Thursdays that is open to the public to help anyone on the beach understand the risks and how to self-rescue, if caught in a rip.” Adds Lifeguard Lt. Miranda, “We want to remind the public to always swim near a lifeguard. Feel free to consult with the guards prior to entering the water for any rip current safety information, always keep a close eye out for changes in the surf that could indicate a rip current is forming.”

The United States Lifeguard Association (USLA) recommends the following guidelines for swimmers caught in a rip current:

Relax - rip currents do not pull you under.

Do not swim against the current. You may be able to escape by swimming out of the current in a direction following the shoreline, or toward breaking waves, then at an angle toward the beach.

You may be able to escape by floating or treading water if the current circulates back toward shore may help in escaping a rip tide.

If you feel unable to reach the shore, draw attention to yourself. Yell and wave for assistance.

If you see someone in a rip laschewski of North Berwick: pen & ink; Deborah Platz of Springvale: acrylic; Nancy Van Tassel of Lyman: watercolor. The annual juried event, according to guild president Linda Van Tassel, “serves to maintain a vital and everexpanding horizon of talent, insight and energy within the guild, securing its position and that of the Kennebunks both locally and in the broader New England Artistic community.” For more information, visit www.artguildofthekennebunks.com. current, remember:

Do not become a victim while trying to help someone else. Many people have died trying to rescue rip current victims.

Get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not present, call 911, then try to direct the victim to swim along the shoreline to escape.

If possible, throw the rip current victim something that floats.

Never enter the water without a flotation device. Ogunquit Ocean Rescue is an accredited USLA lifeguard operation, which comes after an intensive evaluation of the training, skills, and policies followed by the lifeguard staff on Ogunquit Beach.

Chief Osgood said, “Our lifeguards are following the best practices outlined by the USLA. They have increased preventive actions to avert people from getting caught in a rip as well as carefully watching the ocean and when necessary, make even the most challenging rescues seem simple. I am proud of the staff and their commitment to their profession and the patrons at our beautiful beaches.”

For more information, visit www.usla.org/page/rip currents or call 207-646-5112.

PORTSMOUTHThe 100 Market Gallery in Portsmouth, NH is currently showcasing a variety of artists from Southern Maine. The shows are curated by photographer Annette Brennan, and features a distinctive display of works contrasting various styles of drawing, painting and photography.

York Artists Show at Portsmouth Gallery

Stephen Harby and his late father, William, represent the world in distinct contrastone realistic, the other abstract.

Stephen studied architecture and architectural history at Yale, and has shown his work at the Art Institute of Chicago, UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, Hunter College in New York and at the Fine

Arts Building in Los Angeles. William was an artist and engineer, and his work depicts the point where engineering and art overlap in abstract and intriguing ways. Stephen resides in York.

Donna Asquith, a teacher and artist, specializes in paintings of the shore, its birds and their reflections. Her paintings

Area Children’sAuthor Publishes Second Book

SOUTH BERWICKEd Vieira has recently published the second of his children’s picture book series, “Ali and Mr. Buckle,” illustrated by artist and illustrator, Lisa Delaney.

In “Ali and Mr. Buckle,” Ali gives money that she takes from her mom’s cookie jar to give to a food insecure person. The problem is she that did not ask her mom’s permission. After repeatedly gifting the person, Ali comes to realize that she is going about it the wrong way, and decides to confess to her parents. Ultimately, the situation rights itself, and Ali learns a valuable lesson.

The “Ali and the…” series is an ongoing collection of children’s picture books that entertain and teach children. The series is designed to encourage emotional intelligence, with illustrations focusing on the facial expressions of the characters in the context of their situation presented. Children have the opportunity to learn about the meaning of specific emotional expressions, and why people express and feel certain emotions. have been in numerous international, national, and regional juried shows around the country. Donna also resides in York.

They also get the chance to learn empathy through the characters and their experiences in the stories.

Delaney, who resides in Berwick, has an extraordinary ability to bring story characters to life. She works in various mediums, including oil, watercolor, acrylics, pastels, and pencil and ink as well as digital illustration.

Published by Valerius Publishing, copies are available through Amazon and other retail bookstores and distributors. There will be an interactive, digital version of the series that engages young readers through questions and related content that inspire further exploration about emotions in everyday life. For more information, email edward.t.vieira@gmail. com, or call or text 207-384-7104.

Will Hatley is a Navy veteran who bravely served his country, and the trauma of his experiences in the military left him struggling with PTSD. Seeking a way to cope with his trauma, Hatley turned to art, experimenting with colored pencils and color composition.

Jeff Irwin is a commercial photographer whose work ranges from e-commerce to architectural photography. He will be showing work from both his commercial portfolio and his personal photography.

Annette Brennan is an ar- tistic photographer whose work has featured the shores of both Maine and Ireland. Brennan owned a gallery in Kennebunkport for several years where she customized her photography for tourists and coastal homeowners. She is currently the curator at 100 Market Gallery, where she hosts three shows annually.

The summer show is now on view through October 8 at 100 Market Gallery, 100 Market Street, in Portsmouth, NH. For more information and gallery hours, visit www.facebook.com/100marketgallery, email annettebrennaneye@ gmail.com or call 207-3617600.

Rhythm’s Gonna Get You “On Your Feet!”

By Nancye Tuttle, Staff Writer

OGUNQUIT

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Gloria and Emilio Estefan are an American success story. Now a longtime musicaland-married couple, their early collaboration and love story is chronicled in “On Your Feet!,” a true tale about heart, heritage, and two people who believed in their talent – and each other – to become an international music sensation.

Opening last weekend at the Ogunquit Playhouse, where it plays through August 19, it’s the second show in the venue’s 91st season and joins a list of popular jukebox shows about other music icons – including Buddy Holly, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Carole King – that have wowed audiences at the venerated seacoast venue.

The Estefans are Cuban immigrants who met in Miami when she was a 19-year-old aspiring singer and he was a 23-yearold musician and fledgling pro- ducer-promoter. They created the Miami Sound Machine and, with her as the lead, such mega-hits as “Conga” (the quintessential 1980s Latin pop tune) and “Get on Your Feet.”

The couple also collaborated to create “On Your Feet!,” this jukebox biopic about their early partnership and rags-to-riches success through her near-fatal tour bus accident and subsequent successful comeback performance at the American Music Awards in 1991.

The show also details Gloria’s relationships with her supportive grandmother, Consuelo; her talented, jealous mother, also named Gloria, who dislikes Emilio; and her father, José, who suffered from MS and died in his 40s. It had a two-year Broadway run, starting in 2015, and has played London and many other cities on national and international tours, including a Spanishlanguage one.

The Ogunquit production is directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado, a performer in the original Broadway production. In his director’s notes, he writes, “Emilio and Gloria have called on us to be proud and inspired of our own journeys as we honor their work.” This clearly happens here in a show that explodes with colorful music and exuberant dancing from a talented multinational cast hailing from Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and beyond.

Eye-popping visual graphics help tell the story, and that’s a plus, since the sound-mixing, at least on opening night from where I sat in Row L, was off and made it hard to understand dialogue and lyrics.

The performers are energetic and exuberant across the board. Gaby Albo is wonderful as Gloria. She’s in exceptional voice in all the musical numbers, most notably the show-stopping “Conga” that closes Act I, and the magnificent “Coming Out of the Dark” at the end of Act II. Samuel Garnica, who played Emilio on the national tour, exudes charisma and charm in that role. He’s made music since childhood, and it shows in such numbers as “1-23” and “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” sung to Gloria after her neardeath accident. Francisca Tapia plays mother Gloria well. She shines in her flashback-to-Cuba solo at the Tropicana where she sings “Mi Tierra,” and the audience understands her jealousy over her daughter’s success. Also outstanding are Adela Romero as grandmother Consuelo and Max Cervantes as José.

The show is a true testament to believing in yourself and your talents, whatever they are. And you will be dancing in the aisles as you leave the theater. Visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org for tickets.

Grabbing Crabs

OGUNQUITHeathy Rivers Ogunquit

(HeRO) presents the first annual Green Crab Derby on Monday, July 31, and Tuesday, August 1. The launch party starts a 1 p.m. on Monday at the Leavitt Theatre, and is where teams will pick up their crabbing gear and get ready to compete for prizes while helping the environment. Teams will be given equipment and told where to find the crabs. HeRO encourages teams to include children so that they can learn the joys of crabbing and find out how these non-native crabs have been imperiling native Maine species. Prizes will be awarded for most crabs, smallest crab, largest crab, female crab with the most eggs, and a few specially marked lucky catches. All prizes will be awarded at the wrap party at the theater on Tuesday starting at 3 p.m. Participants are invited to stay for drinks, dinner, and a family movie.

The cost is $15 per team of up to four. For more information, call 207-495-0099. For tickets, visit www.leavittheatre.com.

SWE Closes

KITTERY AND PORTSMOUTH -

For its final summer performance, the Seacoast Wind Ensemble (SWE) will close this year’s “Summer in the Street” concert series at Market Square in Portsmouth, NH, on Saturday July 29, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public and will include patriotic tunes, medleys from musicals and movies, music by living composers, marches, and other works. According to the SWE, there is sure to be something new and something familiar for everyone in the audience. It invites listeners to bring family, friends, and a chair, and enjoy music in the street.

Established in 1984, SWE is a 50-piece concert band based in Kittery. Comprised of musicians from all occupations, the ensemble performs annually throughout the larger NH seacoast region, the White Mountains, and Boston. It is directed by Dr. Mark Stickney, who has held teaching and conducting positions at many universities, travels extensively throughout the country as a clinician and guest conductor, and is the founder of the nonprofit organization Historic Music of