Tuesday, January 5, 2016-- In this issue:

•  Thanks to You We Met Our Goal!
•  National Geographic Bee for Homeschoolers
•  Film: McCabe and Mrs. Miller
•  Opera Preview: Pearl Fishers
•  Exhibit: The Art of the Book
•  Drawings: Crystal Gems

• Everyone is invited to the first meeting of "52 Weeks of Giving" THIS FRIDAY! from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. 52 Weeks of Giving is a volunteer program for kids of all ages. More info here.

Thanks to our wonderful donors we not only met but exceeded our goal! At last count we raised over $140,000!

Thanks to this week's donors:
Anonymous * Mr. & Mrs. John Bannister * Wesley Barton * Tom Batt and Galen Davis * Mr. & Mrs. Scot A. Bell * Lucy Benjamin & Clifton Page * Michelle Berger * Ron & Genice Billings * Holly Bixby * Ms. Ellen V. Booraem * Mrs. Louise Giguere Boulet * Elena Bourakovsky & Bill Raiten * Barbara Bramble * Steve & Susan Brookman * Juanita Bruns * Kathie & Jack Burnett * Kate & Harry Caldwell * Peter M. Carr-Smith * Sally Chadbourne & Delacroix Davis III * Mr. & Mrs. Homer Chisolm * Sarah A. Clark * Clements Family Charitable Trust * Charlotte Clews * Jessica Booth & Ethan Coit * Steve & Sandy Collier * Gloria Coomer * Martha Cooper * Mr. & Mrs. James B. Crawford * Jonathan and Malinda Curtis * Barbara Damrosch & Eliot Coleman * Christopher Dadian & Nina Davis * Stephen Decker * Patty Deetjen * Peter & Anne Louise d'Entremont * J.A. Dixon & P.J. Dussault * James W. Dow * Phyllis V. Eckfeldt * Don & Merrie Eley * Rooster Brother (George & Pamela Elias) * Jordan-Fernald * Ms. Alida L. Fish & Mr. Stephen Tanis * Bob & Nina Fleming * Rex Florian * Francoise Gervais * Susan & Charles Guilford * June Harding * Barbara Haring * Betsey Wanning Harries * Dana & Howard Harrison * Elisabeth Heinicke & Michael Levin * Hanna & Kris Henderson * Mr. & Mrs. Price Heppe * Keith Herklotz * Elaine & Michael Hewes * Glenn & Laura Hill * Joan MacCracken & Robert Holmberg * Betsey Holtzmann * Mrs. Diane C. Horton * Rich & Mary Howe * Hans & Laurel Huber * Lori Huckel & Rob Bauer * Lori Huckel & Rob Bauer * Nicholas Sichterman & Mariah Hughs * Mark Hurvitt * Robert Jones * Jeremy Kazan * Phillips & Karen Kuhl * Amy Fulton & John Laterra * Vaughn & Melanie Leach * Serge Liros * Loriman & Lisa Looke * Russ & Katie Magnuson * Mircea & Barbara Manicatide * Frances & John Martin * Maria Matthews & Michael Scott * Sarah McCloskey * Dan & Nancy McGraw * Dee Miller * Jennifer Mitchell-Nevin * Catherine Moore * Maureen Foye & Matt Murphy * Sam & Jane Nesbitt * Marianne New * Joyce & Art Newkirk * Sigrid Noack * The Norgang Family * Cate and Brendan O'Dwyer * Steve, Carol & Kate Orlofsky * Charlie & Kathleen Osborn * Diana Page & Oscar Ruiz * The Palermos * Sarah Pebworth * Paul & Kip Perkinson * Ann Pladson * Kathleen Podraza & Joe Perkins * Vicki Pollard & Howard Evans * Timothy & Barbara Poole * Alan Pooley * Blasdel A. Reardon * Ms. Florence L. Reed & Mr. Bruce A. Maanum * Joy & Tom Richardson * Ruth Robinson * Mary Patricia Roth * Jeanne Rotunda & Michael Weinberg * John Ryan * Jeff & Sharon Scheff * Wendy & Ken Schweikert * June Sendrowski * William V. Shaw * Claire Shaw * Casey Family Foundation * George O. Siekkinen * Janet Simpson * Mr. & Mrs. Peter W. Sly * David & Joyce Snow * Ruben Steck & Kirstin Witting * Joanne & Carsten Steenberg * Susan S. Taylor * Keith & Zoe Tenney * Judith & Lowell Thomas * Lisa & Rex Thors * Jeff Titon and Marta Daniels * Jennifer & Andrew Traub * Win & Deb Turner * Adele Ursone * Cynthia & Walter Voigt * Mr. Charles S. Waddell * Robert S. Walker * Debbie Weil & Sam Harrington * Wellington Management Company, LLP * Allene White * Deborah Wiggs and Phil Norris * John & Alice Wilkinson * Rev'd Persis Williams & Barbara Sorlien * The Williams Family Foundation * Page & Gail Williamson * Barbara Wright * Syedell Zove & Steve Kaufman

The Library will be hosting the annual National Geographic Bee for 4th to 8th grade homeschoolers on Thursday January 14, 10:00 AM to 12:45 PM. Every year thousands of schools across the country participate in the event, which is sponsored by the National Geographic Society.  The contest is intended to increase public awareness and student interest in geography and to encourage teachers to include the subject in school curricula.

The library's event is free and no reservations are necessary. The winner of the Bee will advance to the next level of competition, a written examination that will determine who will compete at the state level. For sample questions and tips on preparing for the bee, check the National Geographic Society's web site at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/. For more information call Libby at 374-5515.

The Friends of the Library Film Series continues on Thursday, January 14 at 7:00 PM with McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), starring Julie Christie and Warren Beatty. The film is about a prostitute and a gambler who become business partners in a remote mining town in the old west. The film's director, Robert Altman called the film an "anti-western" because it ignores and subverts a number of western film conventions.

All films are shown free of charge on the Library's "pretty big" screen in the Howard Room. For more information, call the Library (374-5515) or Michael Donahue, 374-5248 or Donahue.mg@gmail.com.

The Bagaduce Music Lending Library and Friends of the Blue Hill Public Library will present a preview of Georges Bizet's opera, The Pearl Fishers at 1:00 PM on Friday, January 15, at the Library. A live performance of the opera will be simulcast at the Grand in Ellsworth the following day, Saturday, January 16, from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Nicolas Testé as Nourabad and Diana Damrau as Leila in Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles. Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.

According to the Met website, "Bizet's gorgeous opera of lust and longing set in the Far East returns to the Met stage for the first time in 100 years. Soprano Diana Damrau stars as Leïla, the beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. Her suitors are tenor Matthew Polenzani and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien, who sing the lilting duet "Au fond du temple saint," which opera fans know and adore. Director Penny Woolcock explores the timeless themes of pure love, betrayal, and vengeance in a production that vividly creates an undersea world on the stage of the Met. Conductor Gianandrea Noseda brings his romantic flair to the lush score from the composer of Carmen."

A scene from Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles. Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.

Local opera enthusiasts Linda Lesko and David Porter will summarize the plot, introduce the music and offer some ideas of special ways to enjoy the Saturday simulcast. All are welcome, no previous opera knowledge is needed, and admission is free. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.

A new exhibit, "The Art of the Book," is now on display in the Library's Howard Room glass cases through the end of March. This show is offered by a collective of bookmakers, who have been making and sharing their artwork together for nearly 15 years. Handmade artist's books express narrative through text, image and sculptural forms.

By Beth Smith

The artists in this group meet several times a year to share their work, to look at book forms and to come up with a "theme" for the next meeting. Then in the intervening time the artists each make a book generally along the chosen theme." Some of the themes included in this show are: Pockets, House, String, T, Color, Balance, 60 minutes/Simple, Random and Wings, Waves and Woods.

By Kristy Cunnane

According to one of the bookmakers, Kristy Cunnane, "When we get together we share new book ideas or models along with food and conversation. We have inspired each other to grow as artists over time and have formed lasting friendships through our shared work. Indeed, this show is a celebration of our time together."

By Jennifer O. Pappas

Books in the show cover a wide array of media- prints, ink, watercolor, collage, found objects, photographs, acrylic- whatever. The artists include:  Anne- Claude Cotty, Jennifer O. Pappas, Karen Zimmerman, Cathy Willey, Beth Smith, Kristy Cunnane, Holly Betrand, Judy Ham and Deborah Holmes.

By Cathy Wiley

The exhibit is in the Howard Room cases, available for viewing during Library hours subject to the meeting room schedule through the end of March. For more information call the Library at 374-5515.  

The Library is now hosting an exhibit of colored pencil drawings: Crystal Gems, by Bean Fitzpatrick in the Children's Larchwood exhibit case through the end of February. Bean is 7 years old, and has been drawing his whole life.  The gems are drawn in colored pencil and part of Bean's most recent interest, objects from nature.

Bean attends Blue Hill Consolidated School, and was born in Kampala, Uganda. From the day he came to his family he exhibited an enthusiasm and a gift for art and finds his greatest joy in creating beautiful things on paper. Bean has 5 sisters and wants to be a Magical Girl when he grows up.

The exhibit will be available for viewing during regular Library hours. For more information call Libby at 374-5515.

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