No Fireworks This Year

I hate to report sad news, I really do, especially when it involves our sweet town.

Did you hear that there wouldn't be any fireworks this year? Yup, it's true. Had the Oktoberfest beer garden and fireworks happened this year it would have been last weekend.

So here's my understanding of what happened. 1.) Rotary didn't get approval from Mill & Main in time (it's easy to forget that this event happens on private property). That meant that 2.) safety permits weren't issued in time. Which led to 3.) not being able to be contract a fireworks company in time. But a bigger, overall issue is 4.) that the Rotary Club, as a civic organization, doesn't have enough membership to handle the volunteer work that this project takes.

There are ramifications of not having the Oktoberfest event. The funds raised from hosting the beer garden are what pays for our Christmas parade. Don't panic just yet. My understanding is that, though there will be no Oktoberfest, the parade will still happen in 2016. It just might not happen next year.

So now we all need to start putting our heads together and try to figure out how to make these two very dear events happen in the future. We can't just let them slip away. And don't forget that it takes volunteers—lots of them—to make these things happen. If it's just a handful of people, they will get burned out and give up. If the call goes out for volunteers, consider adding your name to the list.

Artist Petting Zoo Happening September 24 and 25!

Come see artists in their natural environment. Dare to step into their unbarred cages where they make their art. Feel free to feed them (artists have a reputation for being extremely hungry). Whatever you do, don't miss the Artist Petting Zoo! Okay, it's really Open Studios, but tell the kids it's an artist petting zoo—they'll love it. 

I really want you to come and visit during ArtSpace's Open Studios. It's where I make my hats, and it's where I've found a very important Maynard community—the artist community. With about eighty artists working in the studio building, we're a pretty substantial group.

This year ArtSpace has had some changes. Aside from some important building maintenance, there were some changes in artists. One artist had to move out, and we miss her terribly, but we did gain about eight new artists, a few of them from right here in Maynard. We even had one of our artists move here from Stow to be closer to her studio. (Originally from New York City, she loves that she can walk to so many great places right here in our small town.) 

Two of our artists (Ingrid Goldboom and Jen Maestre) will be missing Open Studios because they're flying to Azirbaijan. They were chosen to participate in the Fourth International Exhibition "From Waste to Art" to create recycled art for a museum. The group responsible brings artists from around the world (this year there are 10 and only 2 from the US, our Maynard two!) to create art to highlight reuse and recycling. There will be a big event with high government officials October 2nd, and our Maynard artists will be there for about two weeks making pieces that will go on display there. We're all super proud of them. You'll still be able to visit their studios even when they're gone, so come and see why they would have been chosen for such a cool project. 

The annual show in the ArtSpace gallery has more art than every before. It's beautiful to see visual representations of so many of our artists, so make sure you stop into that part of the building. 

There are so many wonderful artists worth visiting, and I'd love to mention them all, but there's just not enough room. There are also so many artists that I can't know what new things they're up to. Instead, I'll make some suggestions of things you shouldn't miss:

• Trina Baker: She and her husband, Curvin Huber, teach and do animation. 
• Brenda Cirioni: Be sure to take a closeup look at her paintings.
• Andrew Child: Had a very successful KickStarter and is publishing a book of photos of Cuba.
• Priscilla Alpaugh Cotter: has been doing tons of illustration and has been working on some animation. She's always posting new work on her Facebook page. 
• Catherine Evans: She did the community arts project that hangs on the fence across from ArtSpace. Now she's taking remnants from that project and turning them into something new. 
• Gwen Murphy: You may know her for her shoe sculptures, where she turns old shoes into beings. She also reuses old bathroom scales in some of her more recent art. 
• Sue Huszar makes sculpture out of bones. Seems strange, right? Some of it's really cute.
• There are free concerts at the end (5:15) of both days of the event, first with Berit Strong on Saturday, and Ron Hertz and his trio Shikaya  on Sunday. .

Stop in to my studio—I'd love to see you and show you my hats. While you're there, ask me about the ArtSpace Honeybee Meadow.

And don't be shy! Your questions let the artists know that you find something interesting in their work, so ask away!

Here are the details:

Visit the studios and view the work of more than 75 artists, both emerging and long practicing, including painters, sculptors, bookbinders, ceramicists, a milliner, photographers, print makers, illustrators, jewelers, musicians & writers.

Here we invite you to explore the artists’ world outside of the normal gallery experience.  Meet the artists, ask questions and see how they work in their own studios.

In addition to seeing these studios, visitors will see a group exhibit in the ArtSpace Gallery and join a backstage tour of the Acme Theater.

IF YOU GO:
WHAT: ArtSpace Artists Annual Open Studios Event
WHEN:  September 24 & 25
HOURS: HOURS: The studios are open Noon to 5 p.m. both days. 
On Saturday, September 24th from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. there will be a musical performance by ArtSpace resident Ron Hertz and his trio Shikaya, performing an eclectic mix of Jazz, Celtic and Latin music. On Sunday, September 25th from 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm there will be a concert featuring Classical Guitarist Berit Strong.

COST:  Free and Wheelchair accessible
INFO: visit us on our web at:  www.artspacemaynard.com

LOOK AT ALL THESE ARTSPACE ARTISTS!!!
ACME THEATER
DON ALDEN
TRINA BAKER
STEVEN BOGART
HELEN CITRON BOODMAN
LOLA CHAISSON
LILY CHEN
ANDREW CHILD
BRENDA CIRIONI
TETE + ELIZABETH COBBLAH
DEE COHEN
BILL COHN
MERILL COMEAU
BETSY CONSTANTINE
PRISCILLA ALPAUGH COTTER
JULIA CRAPO
DARTHEA CROSS
JENNA DELUCA
JULIE DUFFY
JOYCE MCJILTON DWYER
GAIL ERWIN
CATHERINE EVANS
JIM FERGUSON
ARLENE FINS
CYNTHIA FROST
MICHELLE GARRO
INGRID GOLDBLOOM BLOCH
ERIK HANSEN
KAY HARTUNG
RON HERTZ
WHITNEY HEAVEY
LISA HEFFLEY
GEORGE HERMAN
RUTH HERMAN
LAURA HOWICK
CURVIN HUBER
SUE HUSZAR
JUDITH JAFFE
DONNALISA JOHNSON
JANE MCKINNON JOHNSTONE
MICA KNAPP
MAUREEN KIMBALL
RACHEL KORN
MARGARET KUSNER
JULIE L’HEUREUX
SAMANTHA LINNANE
MELISSA LJOSA
HELENA LONG
SUE KIM LUCCHINI
NATALIE MACKNIGHT
JENNIFER MAESTRE
SUSAN MARSHALL
BRENT MATHISON
SARA MATIAS
CATHY MCCARTHY
DONNA MELANSON
MARY MOONEY
DOUG MOORE
MARY MORAZZI-HENDERSON
TERI MORSE
GWEN MURPHY
BARBARA O’BRIEN
WENDY OLTSIK
DIANNE PAPPAS
COLLEEN PEARCE
JILL POTTLE
KRISTIN REGAN 
FAY SENNER
DONNA SHAPLEIGH
DENISE SHEA
STEVE SMITH
ERNEST STONEBRAKER
BERIT STRONG
VICTORIA VANDERLOOP
KATE WHEELER
SANDY WILENSKY
TOBY WILLIAMS
JEANNE WILLIAMSON
LESLIE ZELAMSKY

Don't Miss the First Party in the Basin, the Water Ball!

Your first question might be, "Where's the Basin?" That's the nickname that people are giving to the parking lot where El Huipil and Babicos are. Remember it because I'm sure it will come up a lot in the next several years. Now that we've taken care of that...

Why is there going to be a party in the Basin?

Have you heard of the Maynard Cultural Council? You probably have, but just in case, let me give you a basic primer. The Maynard Cultural Council gives out grants to local organization (or people) that apply for funding for their community cultural projects. Applicants have to adhere to Massachusetts Cultural Council Guidelines as well as our local Maynard Guidelines, and preference goes to projects that benefit Maynard.

Here's what I heard from somebody, and I think I have this right... Over the last few years, the Maynard Cultural Council (MCC) has felt that the Maynard cultural community should get more funding. They have decided that, by raising funds at an annual event (this party), they could give applicants more money, and then more cool Maynard projects could take place.

"What kind of a party will it be?" 

I asked around and this is what I heard:
It's like a cocktail party, but just wine and beer. It's like an art opening with no art on the walls. It's a mix-and-mingle thing. There's no big central spectacle. We'll be projecting onto the big white wall, creating an environment that encourages people to see the basin as a place of potential. 

Be curious and interested. Attend to explore and see.
Play in the projectors' rays and make some beautiful silhouettes."

It seems that beer and wine will be served, and there will be munchies available, but not proper food. Kids are welcome, but they may not find anything other than making silhouettes to do. There is no ticket price—it's free to get in. Yup, I said it, FREE. The hope is that your love and appreciation for the people applying for grants will make you want to give a little something back in the form of a donation.

How can I join the party?

Here's the info on their Facebook page invitation

And why wouldn't you come? It's free. It'll be fun. It's just one more cool thing happening in Maynard that helps to support and emphasize our growing arts community.

the WATER BALL party
is a kick-off to the Council's WATER project challenge
is a fund-raiser to increase the Council's grant-making capacity
is a celebration of progress toward recognition of Assabet Village, Maynard's Cultural District

You can apply for a grant. 

Do you have a good idea that's going to have a positive impact on Maynard? Every year, the Maynard Cultural Council funds projects and events which enrich the cultural life of our town.

Apply for funding between September 1st and mid-October.
This year, the Council challenges all lovers of life on this planet to conceive and execute projects which express the myriad qualities and values of WATER. All compete applications received by the deadline will be considered. Your project doesn't have to have a water theme, but it would be nice if it did.

Let them know you're going!

Click on the link to the invitation above and let them know you'll be there. Bring your friends. Be part of the Maynard Arts Scene!