KennebecTom.com
  • Home
  • Drums
  • Reading
  • Kayaking Maine
    • The Equipment
  • There Oughta Be...
    • Gymnopedie
  • KennebecTom's Favorite Waterville-Winslow Restaurants
  • The Best (material) Things Ever
  • Favorite quotes
  • Maine History
  • Other sites & pages

Indian Food Comes To Waterville

12/4/2014

0 Comments

 
Heavens.  I haven't made a post since April?  Ugh.  Definitely makes the blog title ironic.  I've been very busy with work, touring colleges, and real-world effort to build a creative economy in Waterville via Common Street Arts and Waterville Creates!.  The exclamation point is actually part of the name, not overenthusiasm on my part - and thus the ! followed by a period. Something I don't think Strunk & White ever covered.
Anyway, what this post is about is The Jewel of India.  (FB Page here) It's our new local Indian restaurant, braving the mercurial economic terrain of Waterville.  I've eaten there twice and people keep asking how is it, so here's my answer.  KennebecTom's official rating is "Awesome."


Simply, the food is delicious.  Really delicious.  As good as any Indian cuisine I've had - which is admittedly just a handful of places in a handful of cities.


Now, please be patient.  They are mobbed and nearly over-loved right now.  My wife and I had to wait for a table at lunchtime last weekend.  As soon as I put the first bite of chicken biryani in my mouth, I knew the wait had been worth it.  The garlic nan and vegetable samosa were fantastic.


So, when my wife won a "Teacher of the Quarter" vote at her high school, we celebrated by getting takeout.  Well, it was quite a gauntlet I ran with good humor.  
First, I tried calling from work for 20 minutes, but every time I got a message after two rings that the "user's mailbox had not been set up yet."  Whaaaaat?  I gave up and concluded an in-person order would have to be made.


I drove downtown and was only half-surprised to see every table occupied, people waiting, and the waitress busy with tallying a bill so I had to wait to report both the phone issue and place my order.  Then I learned the wait would be 30 minutes. There was some communication difficulty due to language barrier, but at ethnic restaurants I consider this confidence inspiring.  As you may recall, cornerstones of my immigration policy are that any foreigners can stay as long as they like if employed in cooking delicious foods of their country just like their grandma (or whatever their word is) taught them, or if volunteering to pay my income taxes.


 I still had enough time before picking up a daughter at dance class, so I said fine and went across the darkened, wintery Main Street to check out the new Loyal Biscuit downtown and see if they carried my favorite cat litter.  They didn't, but it's very nice inside and the clerk appeared to authentically have her own dog working the register with her.


Next I wandered down past Kringleville, set up beautifully in The Center in the front windows with a righteous Santa and helpers, but few children this early in the season.  A beautiful, warm setup behind the picture windows it is.  Much improvement over Santa's old shed with often muddy entrance of years past.


I walked down to Common Street Arts, just to make sure our snow removal guy did his job and had a chat with programming coordinator Lisa Wheeler, who is currently working hard to make this year's Holiday Bazaar even bigger and better than last year.  Having satisfied these curiosities and savored the crisp night air amongst the historic buildings (some of which have watched over 123 prior Christmases), I strolled back to wait inside The Jewel.


The place was humming.  I read the news, checked Facebook, and checked my email on my beloved iPhone, and chatted a bit with other customers, included several familiar faces.  Some folks waited, some folks decided to try an alternative, but took a takeout menu with them.  A quartet beside me began discussing the "Chinese restaurant around the corner" as a possibility, and I butted in that if they meant Jin Yuan, it is excellent and my favorite Chinese restaurant in town.  They thanked me and took off, my opinion having clinched it, and I'll stand behind that opinion any day.  It could have been a ruse to advance my position in line, but I'm not that kind of guy.  It was an honest plan to drive business to another beloved restaurant in the downtown of course.  I am that kind of guy.


So I stood and observed the slightly stressed young Indian man and two new waitresses confront their sudden and overwhelming popularity in a milder, culinary version of what Lorde must be going through.  They have all the standard startup issues of any new restaurant - wonky phones, new procedures, untested systems, etc.  I got my food, picked up my daughter, and finally made it home.  And as soon as the first bite of chicken tikka masala and basmati rice hit my tongue, I made my popular "savory face" (lips pursed, eyes closed, face turned skyward), said "Mmmmm" and knew the wait was worth it.


I will stick with them for the long haul as long as they keeping cooking like this.  It's delicious, fresh, and savory.  I'm no regular culinary writer with a food-oriented thesaurus, so I'll have to leave it at that.  They're a wonderful addition to Waterville's Downtown Dining District - as defined by yours truly.
0 Comments

"Hard" Classical Comes to Waterville April 16

4/8/2014

0 Comments

 

A day I've been waiting for a long time.  This is no Pops concert.  This is rock-solid, hard-core chamber music.  And not awkwardly squeezed into an available church with difficult sight-lines, but on the magnificent stage of the Waterville Opera House.  I feel sure the Opera House will smile to itself that night, with a warm glow in its belly as these compositional delights are channeled through time and space to be as fresh and new as the night of their debuts.

If you've ever had even so much as a passing curiosity about classical music, please turn out for this event.  Share this around on the net.  Invite your Friends list.  Print it off and post it in your business.

It is so important for these reasons:

1) The music - enough said:

Randall Thompson (1899-1984) - Alleluia
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) - String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 13
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - String Quartet in A Minor, Opus 132

2) The Quartet:  the DaPonte String Quartet is Maine's resident world-class quartet, much beloved along the Coast, they have long desired to venture further into Maine's interior.  I have seen them twice in Augusta.  They are a delight.  I myself brainstormed ways to bring them to town and I'm pleased to see the Opera House found a path where I could not.

3) The Test:  this concert is in many ways a test of the classical audience in Waterville.  Are classical fans out there?  Will they pay to see top-notch performers?  Will they show their support and encourage future classical offerings in Waterville?  You will answer those questions.

4) The Test Part II:  the Opera House Main Stage is gorgeous - but large.  Can a quartet command that space?  No one remembers a prior test.  This experiment will help us know if the Main Stage can be a chamber space.  I sure hope so, because it's a magical theater.

So Wednesday the 16th, come downtown, have a leisurely dinner, and still easily make the concert's 8 PM start time.  I hope to see you all there.

You can purchase tickets now via the Waterville Opera House here:  http://www.operahouse.org/Events/Music-Comedy/

And here is the event listing on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/643167455750627/

And here is the Quartet's website:
http://www.daponte.org/

0 Comments

Busy Reality Limits Virtuality

7/12/2013

0 Comments

 
I haven't been prattling on as much here on The (non)Daily Consternation because I've been working hard on making arts and music happen in the real world.  It's very exciting that many of my dreams are actually becoming reality. 

First, I organized a classical concert June 29 at Common Street Arts.  This has come about through the ripening of a number of factors.  1) My involvement with CSA. 2) My casual discussions with my daughter's cello teacher.  3)  My law partners' willingness to sponsor the event. 4) My increased familiarity with various online event calendars. 5) My ongoing discussions with Atlantic Music Festival and Daponte Quartet.  And there's a whole lot more subtle discussions, conversations, and research, but suffice to say all these simmering ingredients have finally cooked themselves up into a real manifestation of musical goodness.   It was a wonderful evening at the gallery, with great music, but more than a little residual stress for me.  I learned a lot during this first concert experience and have ideas to make it smoother and less laborious next time.

I feel like I've realized and am at peace with the concept that, at my age, I'm never going to be the musician or be the artist.  But it seems my lot in life, and where I can really be useful, given my skill-set as a lawyer and problem solver - but one who happens to have had a 4-year art education and has a BFA and a self-taught love of music and theater - is to be a patron of, advocate for, and organizer of musical events.  Essentially, a friend of the arts.

To that end, my service on the Board of Directors for Common Street Arts has been very personally rewarding, and I feel I'm in for the long haul, with no real eye on any horizon for not being involved.  There's so many exciting opportunities for enhancing this community and it's downtown and economy  through CSA that I can't imagine not being a participant.  I find it comes naturally to launch into a prolonged and passionate advocacy speech on behalf of CSA - genuine and spontaneous - reflecting to me and presumably others my sincerity (or insanity?).

Atlantic Music Festival is the other organization I have great enthusiasm about helping to become a bigger factor in Waterville.  I have been helping out on a small basis with providing local information to the artistic director about venues, fill-in musician contacts, junior high and high school music directors, housing possibilities, and other "local knowledge" kinds of issues that have been difficult for AMF to sort out due to their remote headquarters in New York City.  Their presence here each summer strikes me as a gift and an incredible fluke, and I would hate to see them choose to locate elsewhere because they felt unwelcome and unappreciated in Waterville.

If I can weave together the strands of CSA, AMF, downtown revitalization, and my historical pursuits, I'll really be at the nexus of all the things I want to be.
0 Comments

Congestion Is Not A Bad Word For Downtown Development

5/21/2013

0 Comments

 
I was beside myself with excitement when I read of possible imminent progress in Paul Boghossian's development of the Lockwood Mill and CMP building.  This being the planned extension of the Hathaway Creative Center project.  All this dovetails nicely with my dreams, schemes, and involvements in sprucing up and revitalizing downtown Waterville (a lot of progress has already been made, if you care to look).

Again, in the article, arises the issue of traffic engineering, a rotary, and whether traffic should be one-way or two-way on Main Street and Front Street.

Well, I look at it this way.  Everybody cries over downtown Waterville, bemoaning the store vacancies and the lack of evening activity that would make it feel vibrant, exciting, and successful.  I’d vote for the two-way option, slowing down traffic, and maybe even increasing suggestion.  I actually feel that the downtown traffic engineering should, surprisingly, not have the goal of moving traffic quickly and efficiently.  Strange?

When a downtown is congested, people complain, "Oh, boo-hoo, it took forever to get through downtown.  There was this big truck blocking one lane, and a field trip of school-kids coming out the museum down there.  Then the cyclist hit the blind lady crossing, and the ambulance and the UPS truck arrived at the same time…."

Well you know what?  Congestion is a symptom of…bingo! – ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.  And of popular, successful businesses and attractions.  If people are crossing streets, those people are employed workers and consumers.  Cars are backing in and out of parking spaces?  More consumers.  If delivery trucks are unloading, that's a sign of retail sales, sales taxes, property taxes, and rents being paid.

If a motorist is stuck in traffic in front of your shop, or theater, or gallery, they just might get bored and glance around and think, "Huh, I never noticed that before.  Looks like some cool stuff in the window.  I'll have to come check that out when I've got more time."

Conversely, anyone complaining about the congestion is likely hell-bent on passing through the area as quickly as possible on some errand, and not the kind of person we want to attract downtown anyway.

I can create for you the kind of downtown that is unobstructed, quick, and easy to get through, but you wouldn't want it.  Just close half the businesses, leave the rest boring, stodgy stuff that doesn't bring much foot traffic or sell any hard goods, and keep the one-way streets.  Traffic will flow right through.  But everyone will be complaining about what they are right now – only worse.

Picture
A photo I found online of Waterville, circa 1945. Man, it's soooo congested. Ah, the good 'ole days.
0 Comments

Common Streets Arts placements at Waterville Opera House

12/14/2012

0 Comments

 
A glowing example of arts collaboration - after the renovation, the Opera House had big, beautiful, but bare walls. They needed art. They contacted Kate  Barnes at Common Street Arts. She came over and looked at the situation. Then she expertly paired the Opera House with the work of an artist known to her. The colors of the paintings and the Opera House complement each other perfectly. No cost to the Opera House. The paintings are for sale. The artist gets exposure, and maybe some sales. It's a win-win-win situation.  Oh yeah, and the public gets to see great art before the shows and during intermissions.  So that's really a win-win-win-win situation.  And later, perhaps the works displayed will rotate.  Each piece has a price and the CSA contact information to seal the deal.  
0 Comments

Why You Should Go To The Show Opening At Common Street Arts TONIGHT

11/3/2012

0 Comments

 
Background:

Common Street Arts is Waterville's flagship downtown art gallery.

It is located directly across from Waterville Opera House, facing Castonguay Square.

Why you should go:

Tonight's opening is for a multi-artist show, where artists were paired with and inspired by Maine farmers.

Tonight is about Maine Art.

Tonight is about Maine farms.

Tonight is about Waterville's downtown economy and vibrancy.

You don't have to be an art expert to enjoy it.

There will be food and drink, including unique apple sparkling wines from Tree Spirits.

There will be interesting people from Waterville and all around the state to chat with.  You are one of those interesting people.

About any range of attire is fine.

CSA is a beachhead in polishing up Waterville into a cultural center and magnet for visitors.

CSA needs your awareness of its existence; and your financial support if you can help.

The gallery opens at 5 PM tonight.  I'll be there for the early part of the evening, and I hope to see you.  Don't be shy.

Here's my account of the last Opening:  http://www.kennebectom.com/1/post/2012/09/common-street-arts-grand-opening.html

And here's tonight's event on the CSA website:  http://commonstreetarts.com/event/csa-at-csa/
0 Comments

PechaKucha Waterville volume 9 - 10/26/2012

10/28/2012

0 Comments

 
I have been watching news of PechaKucha online, via Facebook, for quite a while.  I watched one or two presentations online and was intrigued.  Then I came to know Tammy Rabideau, orchestrator-in-chief, through our mutual involvement with Common Street Arts.  Her passion for  PKN (as it is abbreviated to avoid the awkwardness and insecurity of pronouncing it) convinced me to take her invitation deeper to heart than many invitations I receive.  Thus, I overcame the fatigue of a Friday night after a hell of a disjointed week, and the gravity of one daughter to be picked up from a school dance, and two other exhausted family members cozily schlumping out at home.  Much as I longed for a recliner, I installed myself in my car and ventured forth, up the long hill to Colby College, to try to find, in the dark, a venue I've not previously been to up there - Ostrove Auditorium.

After researching the campus map online and planning my route and parking location based on landmarks I do know, I found the building readily enough.  I had to park a good distance away, but the weather was kind and so the stroll to the building was comfortable enough.  The lobby of the Diamond Building was very full, and I recognized only a handful of the other attendees.  I stood still a bit and gauged the scene.  There was a nice blend of elderly, middle-age, and college age people.  Some snacks and synapse-lubricating alcohol were available.  I myself eschewed the hooch, since I was still on a steady diet of cold medications from the Acadian Death Cold that had been plaguing me for 20 days.  In fact, during my solo stroll to the building I engaged in some vigorous half-intentional power-coughing in an attempt to clear my lungs to sit silently and not be the most annoying man in the auditorium (which I probably only half-succeeded at).  Anyway, while a beer sounded good, I didn't want to risk the paranoid delusions I once experienced in college due to an unwise combination of otherwise innocuous cold remedies and alcohol.


After perusing the informational table, which only made partial sense without the benefit of the  upcoming presentations, I entered and selected a seat.  Ostrove is a fine, modern, comfortable venue.  Plenty of legroom I was delighted to find.  There's a lot of negativity and contrariness in the air of this nation and town due to election-season.  PechaKucha provided a much-needed antidote.

I was in for a night of inspiration and celebration of the human spirit.  As follows:

Inspiration #1:  The 180-seat Ostrove Auditorium was filled - in fact, there were people standing - for an event that is described by Tammy as "a symphony of ideas."  Smart people with open and creative minds.  Heartening to say the list.

Inspiration #2:  Izzy Labbe, the 14-year old emcee, was dynamite.  Her age would suggest she be referred to as a girl.  Her poise at the podium, her command of the crowd, and her sense of humor demand she be called a young lady.  I would easily have believed she was a college freshman rather than a high school freshman.

Inspiration #3:  The format.  Each speaker was well-rehearsed to keep their presentation in line with the 20 images they were permitted, each displayed for 20 seconds.  Really.  20 seconds.  The speaker could not control it.  This format is awesome because it keeps the momentum rolling, ensures people are concise, protects the audience against tedium and tangents (though I assure you I detected no such trends), and gives a fantastic rhythm to the event.

Inspiration #4:  Margy Burns Knight's (mother of Emilie Knight of Common Street Arts fame) germinating idea for a project examining statues of famous women throughout the country in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment.  I was astonished when she displayed a statue of a Native American woman from the Yavapai tribe in my hometown of Prescott, Arizona.  What are the odds?

Inspiration #5:  Gift Ntuli, an unassuming, kind, and genuine Colby student from Zimbabwe, who matter-of-factly described how he is bettering the lives of orphaned children in his homeland by coordinating the acquisition and delivery to them of solar lanterns so they can study after dark.  Their days are consumed with school and survival, since most of their parents have died from HIV/AIDS.  The lanterns permit them to study and perform additional chores after night falls.  I was moved nearly to tears at how this young man happily described how he has put this project together, and how he intends to continue it and expand it.

Inspiration #6:  The friendly, warm, beverage-sipping speech of James Chute describing his project of making drawings while interviewing over 50 female artists.  His drawings were juxtaposed with images of representative works by the interviewees.

Inspiration #7:  The whimsical-yet-questioning relief and installation art of Barbara Sullivan.  She called them frescoes, but to me it was more relief-like in nature.  All of it insightful and tinged with humor, her work reminded me of why I've come back to seeking art after a couple of decades out of touch with it.

Inspiration #8:  Chatting with librarian Sarah Sugden about the so-called "creative economy" in Waterville and it's potential to invigorate Waterville, during which we got that delightful fervent head-nodding "you're so right" kind of effect going.

Inspiration #9:  Tammy Rabideau publicizing and talking up Common Street Arts and, when she asked how many people in the audience had visited the gallery/studio, seeing half the hands in the place go up.

Inspiration #10:  Laura Lessing's presentation of the mysteries confronting a curator at Colby Museum of Art.

Inspiration #11:  The humble, revelation-packed enthusiasm of Rurik Spence for beekeeping.

With that, I had to reluctantly break away before the last presentation to drive across town and pick up my daughter from the junior high dance.  But on my way, I replayed the creative and positive displays of the night in my head and was infused with the warmth of hope, and the conviction that, yes, I would really like to do one of these myself one day.  In the meantime, I hope to attend again.  And should you attend PechaKucha?  Yes.  I firmly believe you'd find the presenters interesting, illuminating, and thought-provoking.  And even if there is a dud, it'll pass in 400 seconds.  

PechaKucha Waterville on the web


PechaKucha Waterville on Facebook
0 Comments

The Recovery of the Dreamer

10/13/2012

0 Comments

 
With a bad cold and a broken-down car, and a generous helping of other chaos, my dreamer's mind has been shut down for a while.  Well, maybe I'm feeling a little better today, because, while downloading a free album of songs by Maine musicians, sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, I stumbled across the story of St. Lawrence Arts, in Portland, which rescued and old church from ruin and turned it into a performing arts venue, just like my Gymnopedie fantasy.  Cause for optimism?  Sounds like their building was in even worse shape than Gymnopedie by far.  Cause for pragmatism?  Looks like the efforts to get where they are have taken about 20 years; and Portland has a larger population and is artsy-fartsier.   Here's the link to the history of St. Lawrence Arts.  Next up, they have a plan to add on a second larger theater to the complex. 
0 Comments

Olas at Common Street Arts, September 22, 2012

9/23/2012

0 Comments

 
Something's happening in downtown Waterville.  Something wonderful.

Saturday night, Olas brought Arabic-tinged flamenco dancing and singing to downtown Waterville.  Gathered in the intimate space of the Common Street Arts gallery, we witnessed amazing musicianship and dancing.  I do believe The Magic Portal was opened once again for a span of two hours. 

One of the first things that caught my eye when I entered the gallery was the lute-shaped music case on the floor that housed an oud.  It is the ancestor of the lute.   I was stunned to see one in person, since I had built a fake lute as a prop for Winslow High School's Production of Once Upon A Mattress last year (a lute, I might add, that did not get the billing or stage time it deserved, given the creativity and time consumption of my design - but I digress).

Prior to the performance, audience members visited and took in the photographs and paintings on the walls, of the current gallery show.  

Olas quickly created a fantastic synthesis of three disciplines.  I've never quite witnessed such interplay between instrumentalist, singer, and dancer.  At times the oudist (is that the right term?), Tom Kovacevic, was staring intently at dancer Lindsey Bourassa, and it seemed his instrument was actually a remote control by which he was controlling her body movements.  At other times the multi-part clapping rhythms required the musicians to observe each other intently to ensure each part fit perfectly to create an overarching gestalt rhythm.

The oud sounded ancient and exotic.  Kovacevic was an intense player, seemingly melding with the instrument, at times hunched over, staring at his own fingers flying up and down the fretless neck.  With something on the order of 14 strings, he had ample room for expression.

Singer Chriss Sutherland's voice was powerful and exotic, sometimes reminiscent of a muezzin, sometimes a soft falsetto.  There were growled dark passages,  as of a half-drunken mournful man, and half-spoken repetitive mumbles like being at a table with a with friend confessing something.  His rich and expressive voice conveyed joy and sorrow with undercurrents of Iberian grandeur.   Iberian grandeur?  Tom, what the heck are you talking about?  Well, watch the videos below  (but keep in mind, my little iPhone microphone doesn't really do justice to the nuances of Chriss' voice).

And of course the most dramatic element of the evening was dancer Lindsey Bourassa.  I myself am a bit shy about dancing in front of others unless the room is dark, I've had a couple of Colorado bulldogs, and preferably everyone else has too.  But she was not daunted by the presence of spectators mere feet from her, and danced with conviction and boldness.  I have a pretty good idea boldness is a mandatory element of flamenco dancing.  The creative multi-color finish-plywood floor of the gallery provided the perfect surface for her percussive footwork.  Rapid tapping with stomping punctuation commanded the attention of the viewer and emphasized the patterns and rhythms woven by the musicians backing her. 

My favorite moment was when Lindsey was in the center of the room, accompanied only by the clapping of the band members.  She was in full flamenco mode with rapid footwork, skirt flourishes, clapping, snapping, and elaborate posturing.  Outside the large glass windows of the gallery, I could see some people emerging from the darkness of Castonguay Square.  Revealed by the light from the gallery, I could see expressions of wonder and "what the...?" on their faces.   They had just exited an event at the Waterville Opera House across the square.  They were drawn to the nearer sidewalk.  I saw some of them take a few steps back or sideways to scan the windows and door for signage indicating what this amazing place was, where a woman was flamenco dancing in a small art gallery.  Good publicity indeed.  

When Lindsey's dance ended, the spectators outside joined in the enthusiastic applause.   Artistic Coordinator Kate Barnes stepped out and invited them in for a better look, and several entered before the next song and stood along the gallery walls to watch.  They were rewarded with several more amazing numbers, and seemed quite content to stand right there, captivated.  At the conclusion of the evening, the audience rose to deliver a standing ovation.  The performance certainly revitalized my spirit after a day of rainy gloom, contemplating the labor of dismantling my above-ground pool, and other foiled plans.  


As I have joined the advisory committee for the formation of the Waterville Arts Collaborative (read more here), I especially loved that Saturday night there were in fact competing cultural events going on, and all downtown.  And I hope that moving into 2013 we can create even more of these wonderful moments.
MORE:

Olas' music is wonderful, the dancing is beautiful, and they are raising money to produce a film they have made about their music.  More information is here:  www.olasmusicanddance.com/ 

Common Street Arts is in it's first year of giving Waterville a big shot in the arm of art and culture.  It is beginning to accomplish a goal that I share - to make downtown Waterville the kind of place to recommend to visiting friends and relatives.  They are currently fundraising to keep this momentum going in 2013, and the best way you can help is by becoming a member, here:  www.commonstreetarts.com/become-a-member/ 

0 Comments

Common Street Arts Grand Opening

9/15/2012

0 Comments

 
It was thrilling and energizing to be in a gallery full of exuberant people Friday evening in downtown Waterville.  The Common Street Arts gallery was packed, with a steady flow of visitors cycling in and out.  In addition to the people carefully inspecting the paintings of Gideon Bok and photographs by Gary Green, there were numerous clusters of people earnestly discussing the art on the walls, art in general, development of the arts in Waterville, 
Picture
The crowd doubled later.
and art as it relates to the economic health of the community.  The conversation was a healthy din, and you had to lean in to hear people.  With delicious hors d'oeuvres and small desserts, and beverages of all stripes, the crowd had more to engage their mouths than just talk.  Outside a few people stood on the street talking and sat on the colorful benches outside CSA's beautiful streetside windows.  And inside, there was a drum kit and guitars set up for the small-space rock concert of Ramones music later in the evening.

I was pleased to see Mayor Karen Heck present, numerous members of the Waterville Arts Collaborative advisory panel, of which I am a member, members of the Colby faculty, librarian Sarah Sugden, and many others.  I enjoyed speaking with Project Coordinator Emilie Knight about the gallery's progress and programming.  It's also exciting that people with associations to The Harlow Gallery and Center For Maine Craft were present, and that the event had brought in visitors from other communities.  Word must have spread through the art grapevine.  


I especially had a great time talking with photographer Gary Green about his work.  The inkjet printing process he used for his large-format portraits completely fooled me.  I would have sworn they were traditional gelatin silver prints.  He informed me of the Epson inkjet printer he uses, capable of producing mind-blowing resolution and nuances of tone.  I left feeling excited about photography again - contemplating pulling out and scanning my old prints from undergraduate school; or maybe even picking up the camera with artistic intent again after so many years.  And it was a great to be talking with someone about darkroom processes, papers, digital and film cameras.  I was flattered when Gary introduced me to someone as a graduate of the photography program at University of Arizona with some degree of esteem.  My memories of it are not grandiose, being of poorly ventilated darkrooms squirreled away in a warren of basements.  But lately I realize just how much four years of art education affected the way I think and view the world.  And I'm glad for it.  Those times seem so distant, and much of the knowledge has burrowed its way into hidey-holes in my brain where it is difficult to access, but conversing about matters like film sensitivity and paper tones started to reopen a lot of shuttered windows and let the light back in.
0 Comments

    The Daily Consternation 
    ​covering Maine, music, and more.

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Tom lives on the east side of the Kennebec River and works on the west.  He relocated from Arizona to Maine, by pure choice,  in 2001 and loves music and history.  He may change any viewpoint expressed on this site at will and without warning.

    Topics

    All
    Atlantic Music Festival
    Community Development
    Drug Policy
    Everything Else
    Fine Arts
    Firearms
    History
    Maine Life
    Music
    Nostalgia
    Performing Arts
    Poetry
    Politics
    Rants
    Reviews
    Site Purpose And News
    Travel

    Archives

    January 2017
    December 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2010
    March 2010
    February 2009

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.