Kennebunk Land Trust’s event, Nature’s Canvas Unveiled: Plein Air Art Auction and Community Art Showcase, will host a public viewing and auction at The Elective in Kennebunk on Sept. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Over the weekend of Sept. 15-17, 15 local plein air artists painted at Kennebunk Land Trust preserves, bringing Maine’s colors and landscapes to life on canvas.

The community is invited to join the artists for an evening as they unveil their final works that were created at Kennebunk Land Trust properties. The open reception on Sept. 28 at The Elective will include snacks and a cash bar and the art will be available for purchase in a silent auction in support of the Kennebunk Land Trust.

All bids, in person or remote, will take place on the Bidding for Good online platform and guests are encouraged to visit the Kennebunk Land Trust’s website to preregister for the auction. For in-person attendees, there will be an additional option to place a bid without a Bidding for Good account.

For more information about the Nature’s Canvas Unveiled event, visit https://kennebunklandtrust.org/naturescanvas/. For a list of participating artists, visit https://kennebunklandtrust.org/meet-the-artists/.

To register for the auction, visit www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?vhost=KENNEBUNKLANDTRUST.

Program Center is site of poetry reading

The Art of Poetry is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 24, from 1 to 2 p.m. with award-winning poets laureate Linda Aldrich and Steve Luttrell, and local poet Paul Nelson reading from their poetry collections.

A reception, refreshments and book-signing will follow the free program. Bohemian Sunday Poetry readings are held at the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center auditorium in Kennebunk.

Coastal Kitchen Tour set for Oct. 6-8

The Center announced that its Coastal Kitchen Tour is back for its 18th year. The event has been expanded into a full weekend of activities.

Friday, Oct. 6 there will be a kick-off party at 173 Mercantile, 4 to 6 p.m. where participants can sample wine and cheese and have the opportunity to speak with kitchen experts.

Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the main event, with seven kitchens in the Kennebunks for participants to explore. This is a self-guided tour and participants are welcome to visit the homes in any order. Immediately following the Coastal Kitchen Tour, patrons can visit The Center for an Octoberfest Beer and Food Tasting from 3 to 5 p.m.

Finishing out the weekend is a Sip and Shop event at J. McLaughlin in Wells, on Sunday, Oct. 8, from noon to 4 p.m. Update the wardrobe for fall and support The Center at the same time. Fifteen percent of all sales at the event will benefit The Center.

The Center is a meeting place for adults 50 and older to explore their interests through programs, social connection and to make a difference through volunteer opportunities that strengthen the community.

For more information and tickets, visit www.seniorcenterkennebunk.org, on social media @CenterKennebunk, call 207-967-8514, or visit 175 Port Road in Kennebunk.

Kennebunk Free Library announces October exhibit

Speers Gallery at Kennebunk Free Library will present a retrospective, Celebrating the Creative Process, by Kennebunk resident Linda K. Thompson that will run Oct. 3-30. The public is invited to an opening reception 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The exhibit’s overarching theme is exploration of various mediums and techniques, ranging from watercolor, acrylics and collage in the Speers Gallery, and weaving, needlework, and Japanese woodblock printing in a library foyer display case.

According to a Sept. 14 news release, “Thompson believes that making art is not only about technique, but also finding a balance between that, and a passion or relationship with the subject of your creation. In Celebrating the Creative Process, the artist portrays a wide range of subjects, which reflect her curiosity in the world around her. Using a range of mediums, her art is grouped thematically, including flowers, landscapes, the ocean, the Southwest, trees, bears and collage. In the foyer the artist hopes that some of her pieces will encourage others to try different materials or crafts. A fun ‘quiz’ will be provided by the artist for adults and children.”

Thompson’s journey into the arts includes a master’s degree in creative arts and learning from Lesley University, as well as courses and workshops in Massachusetts at the Danforth and DeCordova museums, Concord Art Association and Rowe Conference Center. In Maine, she continued her journey at the Heartwood College of Art, River Tree Arts, local adult ed classes and University of Maine Senior College, where she also taught a beginning watercolor class. Particularly formative were week-long art retreats in New Mexico: Painting from the Source, and Wild Heart Art, as well as Watercolor Mandalas at the former Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford Pool. “What helps ignite my creativity is curiosity, intuition, exploration, experimentation, challenge … and playfulness,” Thompson said in an email.

The public is invited to view the exhibit in the library’s Speers Gallery from Oct. 3-30 at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs. For current hours and gallery access, visit www.kennebunklibrary.org.

HarvestFest scheduled for Oct. 14

Kennebunk’s annual HarvestFest celebration is set for Saturday, Oct. 14. Events are planned at the Waterhouse Center, Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk Free Library, Hope Woods, the Farmer’s Market and Mousam River Sanctuary.

This years festival will feature many popular family-oriented activities including live music, games, face painting, crafters, food, inflatables and a scavenger hunt. The parade will step off at 11:30 a.m. and will host many favorites such as the Dunlap Highland Band, Coastal Cruisers, costumed marchers and more.

Those interested in participating in the parade, visit the town of Kennebunk website for the application. For more information, contact Linda Johnson at ljohnson@kennebunkmaine.us or call 207-604-1341.

Newcomers-Neighbors meet on Oct. 5

The Newcomers and Neighbors Club of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel invites the public to learn about a way to care for a pet that is gentle and does not include toxic chemicals. A certified veterinary acupuncturist, Dr. Bluestone will demonstrate and share acupuncture and herbal remedies at the Thursday, Oct. 5 meeting.

Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation at 7:15 p.m. The meetings are held at the Community House, 8 Temple St. in Kennebunkport. For more information, visit www.kptanewcomers.org.

St. David’s hosting Italian supper

One of the many traditions that was curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic was the Italian supper at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Kennebunk. According to a news release, summer residents Roland and Patty Gagne “would work for weeks preparing a feast of six or seven courses for the community: chicken piccata, eggplant and chicken parmesan, meatballs, sausage, peppers and onions, and of course, plenty of pasta. Volunteers and guests brought salads and desserts.

“When the pandemic halted the Gagnes’ annual offering, they’d hoped to resume it once it was safe to gather again. Sadly, Roland died in February, before the dinner could be restarted. As a tribute to a great man who loved a good meal, his children and beloved wife Patty have stepped up to serve Rollie’s Famous Italian Supper this fall.”

All are welcome to enjoy this meal in his honor on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at St. David’s, 138 York St. in Kennebunk. Donations are welcome.

Estate planning basics offered at library

Kennebunk Free Library, on Tuesday, Oct, 3 at 6 p.m., will offer a course on estate planning. The program is a starting point for anyone who wants the protection of an estate plan, but doesn’t know where to start. Attorney Erin Sherman, from Treehouse Legal in Kennebunk, will cover the basics of an estate plan, including describing what is typically included in a plan, how to provide for minor and adult children, and the differences between a will and a trust. There will be time reserved for general estate planning questions at the end.

Sherman lives with her family in Arundel and has been practicing law for seven years. She holds a bachelor of science in sustainable design and a juris doctor in law, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sherman recently opened her own law practice, Treehouse Legal, in Kennebunk where she focuses on estate planning, business planning and real estate.

The program is free and wheelchair accessible. Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk. For more information, call 207-985-2173 or kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Local watercolor artist will host classes

On Saturday, Oct. 7, Kristin Simmons will host the Introduction to Watercolors class. Students will learn about brushes, paper, and washes and create compositions of Seaglass and beach stones to practice their techniques. The class suits beginners and those at the start of their watercolor practice.

On Sunday, Oct. 8, Simmons will host the Autumn Moth and Seaweed Wreath workshop. Guests will paint two designs that build on basic techniques, including delicate linework and layering of color. The workshop is suitable for beginners who have taken the intro class and intermediate and advanced watercolor artists.

Each class is $125 per person. Pricing includes the use of paper, paints, brushes, snacks, and supplies. Each guest will create and take home two 8×11 paintings on premium 100 percent cotton paper, suitable for framing. Simmons’s home studio will be open for shopping before and after each class to participating students.

Simmons is a painter based in southern Maine. According to a news release, she “draws inspiration from life on the seacoast, and her images combine her meditation and painting practice into one. She believes wholeheartedly in the healing power of art and everyone’s ability to be expressive and creative.”

Simmons is a member of the Maine Crafts Association. She lives with her husband, their two daughters, and a menagerie of animals, including a rescue dog named Winslow Homer.

For more information or to book the class, visit kristinsimmons.com/events.

Graves Library announces activities

Visit Graves Memorial Library on Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. for story time for a morning that includes stories, finger plays, and songs. After story time, patrons can check out the Guessing Game, Scavenger Hunt, Bookmark Station, Craft Creations, and I Spy Terrarium.

Lego Madness is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 3:15 p.m. Patrons will be invited to imagine, create, and build. The event will feature an unstructured build time followed by a group building challenge and game. The program is for elementary-age students. Space is limited and preregistration is required.

Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library is located at 18 Maine St., Kennebunkport. For more information, call 207-967-2778 or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

South Congregational announces art project

South Congregational Church in Kennebunkport is inviting artists of all ages and experience levels to participate in a community art installation, called Remade in Hope.

The installation will be in front of South Church next March and April 2024, and will feature a six-sided structure that visitors may walk around and enter. On the outside, paintings will feature works that have themes of despair, grief, and struggle. On the inside the canvases will feature images of hope, renewal and joy. The public will be able to observe the transformation from the darker shades of sadness to the warmer shades of joy.

Artists will receive two free blank canvases, one for each of these two themes. Artists are encouraged to visit the website to download a Statement of Interest form and read other information: www.southchurchucc.org/about-3. Thirty-four artists of varying ages and abilities and mediums will be selected, and will have until February to finish the two canvases. An event on the themes of gloom and renewal will help provide artists a vocabulary from which to draw; that event will be held on Oct. 22, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Community House, 8 Temple St., Kennebunkport.

South Church intends to create an experience of renewal that engages the community and allows everyone to find their own personal experience of transformation.

The program is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. The program will include several events and educational experiences for the general public.

For more information, email hope@southchurchucc.org.

Kennebunkport Historical Society to host preview of ‘Quetico Connection’

The Kennebunkport Historical Society will host a preview of John Doelman’s new book, “Quetico Connection.” The event will take place at the Town House School located at 135 North St. in Kennebunkport on Oct. 4. The preview begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is open to the public and free of charge.

According to the historical society, “Quetico Connection” is a unique literary work that combines introspective poetry and
captivating photography, offering a personal exploration of a lifetime of wilderness canoe tripping. Doelman, a masterful storyteller, uses the backdrop of pristine wilderness to explore the innate relationship that exists within all of nature. Beauty and perfection abound in the symmetry of pristine wilderness.  “Quetico Connection” uses this catalyst to discover the connections that innately live within all aspects of nature. It is a threaded collection of deeply personal yet simple poems and photos that originated during a two-week solo canoe trip into the million-plus acres of canoe wilderness that is Quetico
Provincial Park.

Currently a New Hampshire resident, Doelman has read his poetry at numerous slams and readings in Florida. The reading and presentation event will blend vivid photography, stills, and videos, providing a visual journey through the wilderness. Doelman will also share insights into the history of the places that have inspired his work and provide a compelling narrative interspersed with poetry from the book. He may even offer a sneak peek at poems that promise to be featured in his next edition.

For more information, contact Kristin Lewis Haight, executive director, at Khaight@Kporths.com.

 

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