Deer in Field, woodblock print by Holly Meade, part of the August Art Show Animal Magnetism.

@Blue Hill Library

     Unless otherwise noted these events are free and open to everyone. Many of these free events are made possible by generous funding from the  Friends of the Blue Hill Library. If you like what you see, thank a Friend. Or better yet, become one! There are many ways you can help support the Library.

• Stop by and check out the August Art Show, Animal Magnetism, now up in the Britton Gallery and Roland Howard Room! This year we are featuring four local artists-- the late Holly Meade, Gerald Cumbo, Rebekah Ray and Cynthia Stroud with a combination of woodblock prints, paintings, collage, carvings and sculpture. This show is an important fundraiser for the Library and, as always, is a wonderful showpiece of local art.

Constant Comment, bronze, by Cynthia Stroud, from the August Art show, Animal Magnetism (through August 31)

 

• The last Kneisel Hall Childrens Concert of the season is TOMORROW! Wednesday August 7, at 4:30 PM. Students from the Kneisel Hall summer program will play pieces specially chosen for young audiences.

• Join Blue Hill summer resident and writer Paula Deitz THIS THURSDAY! August 8 at 7:00 PM, as she shares her travels from Britain, Jerusalem, and India to Japan and back to the United States, in a slide presentation, "A Garden Writer's Journey." It is based on her "extensive travels and a great adventure of continual discovery, not only of the artful beauty of individual gardens but also of the intellectual and historical threads that weave them into patterns of civilization." 

• Kids ages 7 to 13 are invited to "Geology Rocks" at the Blue Hill Public Library THIS FRIDAY! August 9 at 4:00 PM. Tony Sohns, the Maine Science Guy, will introduce participants to the geology of Maine, and then the kids will put together their own mineral collections. Please register using our web calendar or by calling 374-5515. 

• Dog-lovers ages 8 to 12 are invited to a writing workshop at the Library THIS SATURDAY! August 10, 10:30 AM to noon.  Participants will create "dog tales," using blank dog bone-shaped books. Materials for illustration will be provided by the Library, and if a writer would like to feature a particular canine in their story, s/he is encouraged to bring photographs to use as illustrations in the book.  Please register using our web calendar or by calling 374-5515.  

     The "Beyond Labels" (formerly, "Let's Talk") discussion group continues to discuss the issues of the day with a small but engaged group of "regulars" plus a few new faces each week.  For its August 12 meeting, the group has selected "Immigration Reform: What should it look like?" as the topic.  Potential sub-topics include issues such as:

• What penalty, if any, is appropriate for current undocumented immigrants?
• What should be the path to "green card"-type eligibility and citizenship?
• At what point along this path should the "social safety net" and other benefits (education, social security, Medicare/Medicaid) be available to immigrants?
• What quotas or other limits to immigration should be in place?
• Who should accompany an eligible immigrant (how broadly should "family" be defined)?
• What should be the criteria for citizenship of children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents?
• How important is enhanced border protection (particularly the southern border) to immigration reform?

     All are welcome to join the discussions every Monday from 10:30-12:30 at the Library.  Or join the discussion online at http://beyondlabels.ustiger.net.

     Local author and art critic Carl Little will show slides and talk about his recent book, The Art of Francis Hamabe, at the Library on Thursday, August 15. There will be a reception at 4:00 PM with iced tea and cookies followed by the presentation. The event is co-sponsored by the Blue Hill Library and the Courthouse Gallery in Ellsworth. Books will be available to purchase and and be signed by Mr. Little and Phyllis Hamabe. The event is free and open to the public.

    Carl Little lives in Somesville and has edited ten art books, many of which focus on the landscapes of Maine. He has written many articles for Art in America magazine, Art New England, Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors, Ornament, Bangor Daily News and the Maine Times. Much of his freelance work focuses on his knowledge of Maine art, an interest he acquired from his uncle, the painter William Kienbusch.

     The Art of Francis Hamabe covers the life and work of one of Maine's most beloved artists, who was born in 1917 in Orange, New Jersey, to a Japanese father and Swedish mother. He served in World War II and subsequently attended the Rhode Island School of Design. Moving to Maine in 1947, Hamabe established himself as a sought-after painter, printmaker, ceramicist, and puppeteer. He was the first art instructor at the Farnsworth Art Museum and later taught at the University of Maine at Machias-he also served as art director for Down East and Maine Life magazines and for the state's first public television station in Orono.

Frank Hamabe, doing some pottery at Rowantrees.

    The book offers a selection of Hamabe's work, from dynamic modernist oil paintings and lively Sumi ink abstractions to his well-known screen print posters. Writer Carl Little weaves an engaging narrative of the artist's life and art illustrated with vintage photographs and examples of Hamabe's witty and stylish graphic work. Paintings from the Colby and Bates College museums and the University of Maine Museum of Art are featured, along with numerous works from private collections, many of them reproduced for the first time. For more information contact the Library at 374-5515.

    BHPL's First-Thursday Brown Bag Book Club will meet on Thursday, September 5, from noon to 1:30 PM to discuss Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick.  The book is an account of the Mayflower's voyage and the settlement of the Plymouth Colony.  
 
    The Book Club is open to anyone - no registration needed!  For more information or to request a copy of the book call the Library at 374-5515.

Don't hesitate to call us for more information at 207-374-5515.