Eastport Arts Center

where creativity and community meet

Tiny Yogis | Photo by Tarah Waters

KinderArts presents Tiny Yogis

January 30, 2019 / / Comments Off on KinderArts presents Tiny Yogis

The Eastport Arts Center’s KinderArts program’s popular Tiny Yogis sessions will continue weekly starting March 21, and will run through June 27, skipping April 18. The group meets on Thursdays from 9:30-10:15 am. Instructor Caroline DiLio will teach yoga through music, dance and storybooks, and young participants will even learn meditation.

Owner of Maine Moon Kids Yoga, DiLio is a certified children’s yoga teacher and a mother of three. She takes a creative approach to teaching children, including games, crafts and sometimes even Minecraft poses. Learn more about her at mainemoonkidsyoga.weebly.com.

KinderArts programs are free and intended for children up to age 5; participants must come with a parent or caregiver. For more information or to be added to an email contact list for the group, please email Alison Brennan at alison@eastportartscenter.org. The class policy is that if AOS 77 schools are cancelled or delayed, the group will follow suit.

The Eastport Arts Center (EAC) is at 36 Washington Street, Eastport and eastportartscenter.org, and is handicapped-accessible. The work of the EAC has been funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Caroline DiLio, instructor for Eastport Arts Center’s KinderArts outreach program, is shown working with children at KidzFirst childcare center in Calais.

Outreach Program Brings the Arts to Area Preschoolers

February 12, 2019 / / Comments Off on Outreach Program Brings the Arts to Area Preschoolers

Eastport Arts Center’s KinderArts program has received a Kars4Kids grant in support of expanded educational outreach efforts for the 2018/2019 school year. In collaboration with Theresa Fisk, District Early Childhood and Youth Coordinator for Washington County of the Cutler Institute, EAC has organized outreach visits of the KinderArts program for the Passamaquoddy Child Development Center, KidzFirst childcare center, Calais Head Start and Pre-K, Passamaquoddy Head Start and the St. Croix Early Care and Education Center. More than 60 local preschoolers have enjoyed learning yoga and meditation through dance, music and storybooks with instructor Caroline DiLio. Owner of Maine Moon Kids Yoga, DiLio is a certified children’s yoga instructor and a mother of three. She also leads the Tiny Yogis program at Eastport Arts Center, which will resume weekly starting March 21.
“Caroline’s quiet and patient presence when working with young children helps them to become fully involved in the activity.” said Marcia Rogers, Site Manager for Head Start at Child and Family Opportunities.
“The yoga and music experience can be relaxing and fun when the instructor is able to capture their interest. Caroline excels at this, which is evident in the excitement of our children when they learn she is coming to visit their classroom.”
Prior to receiving the Kars4Kids funding, EAC’s KinderArts program did a series of outreach visits to private home-based caregivers in Eastport and Perry, with support from the Crewe Foundation and the Maine Arts Commission.
“We reached out to area childcare centers because these children did not have the opportunity to travel to our center,” said Alison Brennan, EAC’s Education and Outreach Director. “Early arts learning is so important to the well-rounded growth of healthy children.”
Eastport Arts Center’s mission is to stimulate and nurture an appreciation of the visual and performing arts and the creative process and to provide a home and an environment within the community where they can prosper. More information may be found at eastportartscenter.org/education.

Drawing by Shelley Weber

Life Drawing Workshop

January 4, 2019 / / Comments Off on Life Drawing Workshop

The Eastport Arts Center will resume its Life Drawing Workshop on January 16. The group will meet each Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on the first floor of the Arts Center.
Participants in the two hour weekly workshop will approach drawing the figure through a series of short exercises that lead to an hour long study, using the drawing medium of their choice. Learning to draw the figure has long been the foundation of learning how to draw. Through history it has been both an academic exercise and a demonstration of mastery. The arts center’s emphasis is to offer a learning experience for beginners, and for more experienced artists an opportunity to hone their drawing skills.  Instruction is offered when requested. Students and artists may sign up for four weeks at a time; however drop-ins are also welcome. The workshop fee is $12 per session, or $40 if a participant signs up for four sessions.  Participants must bring their own drawing or painting supplies.  For further information, please call Joyce Weber at (207) 853-2358, or e-mail at jpweber@roadrunner.com.

The UMaine Jazz Ensemble thrilled EAC with their performance. Photo by Brandy Argir.

Day of Jazz a Bright Spot for Many

October 20, 2018 / / Comments Off on Day of Jazz a Bright Spot for Many

EAC hosted an exciting day of jazz for students and the public on Friday, October 19th. The day began at noon with a big band concert for 126 student musicians from Alexander, Calais, Eastport and Washington Academy. The band featured 19 talented college musicians under the direction of Dr. Philip Edelman, who talked comfortably with the audience, telling them all about what to listen for in the dynamic program of swing, dance band ballads, classic jumps, funk and more. 

Students from four schools had the midday treat of a big band jazz show. EAC photo.

Following the concert, some of the students from Calais and Eastport were able to hang out in small groups and learn more from the UMO players about their instruments, techniques for improved musicianship and life as a college musician.

Brandon Emerson, a member of UMO’s Big Band Jazz Ensemble from Augusta, cracks flugelhorn jokes as part of the break-out group for horns. Photo by Brandy Argir.

During the break between the two concerts, the college musicians toured Raye’s Mustard Mill, visited downtown Eastport and ate a wonderful homecooked spaghetti meal hosted by EAC. At 6:30, the public concert began, much to the delight of area jazz lovers. A very responsive audience thoroughly enjoyed the performance and were very appreciative to have a chance to listen to live big band music.

“We strongly believe in the power of music and shared experience as a force for good in our community,” Edelman said.  The visit from the UMaine Jazz Ensemble to the area was made possible by a joint grant from the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council.

Photos by Brandy Argir

Pop-ups Conclude Summer Workshop Series

September 14, 2018 / / Comments Off on Pop-ups Conclude Summer Workshop Series

An appreciative group met with Jo Smith, traveling art educator from Virginia, to learn the process of making a variety of pop-up cards and pop-up pages in books during the concluding workshop of EAC’s Summer Workshop Series on August 21. Using beautifully colored card stock, origami, scrapbook pages, wires, stickers and more, the card creators made three-dimensional cards for all occasions. Jo loves visiting Downeast Maine and sharing her talent with us and we love having her instruct art processes with her detailed, calm and reassuring teaching style. Thank you for another fun class Jo!

Photo by Tarah Waters

Energetic International Dancers Get Calais Elementary Students Moving

October 19, 2017 / / Comments Off on Energetic International Dancers Get Calais Elementary Students Moving

On Thursday, September 21st, Eastport Arts Center’s International Dancers visited the third grade students of music teacher Miss Moody at Calais Elementary School.

Photo by Tarah Waters

This enthusiastic group of 30 children loved the music and learning folk dances from Israel, South Africa and Greece. The hour-long session began with the Israeli “Fox Dance.” This circle dance was great fun as the three foxes inside the circle chose other foxes to take their place. “This is like a game with music!” one child exclaimed.

Photo by Tarah Waters

“Pata Pata,” a party dance song from South Africa was followed with the exuberant “Tripotis” Greek dance as their final effort. The International Dancers were very impressed with the enthusiasm and skill of these young dancers. A great time was had by all.

Next on the International Dancers tour schedule are visits to Perry Elementary School on November 3 and Pembroke Elementary School on November 8.
For more information about the EAC’s education and outreach efforts, please contact Alison Brennan at alison@eastportartscenter.org.

Kimchi Workshop Christens EAC’s Newly Remodeled Kitchen

October 19, 2017 / / Comments Off on Kimchi Workshop Christens EAC’s Newly Remodeled Kitchen

On September 19 and 20, Anne Shields Hopkins led a dedicated group of kimchi lovers in an exploration of creating customized kimchi. The workshop was the first to use EAC’s newly remodeled kitchen. Using all organic vegetables, including leafy delicate Napa cabbages grown especially for the workshop by Jim Kovaleski, salad turnips, carrots, ginger, garlic, onion and more, they chopped their way to the first step in their process at the workshop’s first meeting. Looking at the bowl of veggies one participant stated “I love the texture and soft chunks of cabbage. It really looks so pretty.” 

Liz Weaver and Becky McCall pack their kimchi mixtures into glass jars to finish fermenting. [Robin]

After the overnight brining, the mixture was combined with a special pureed sauce and rice congee. The final task was the packing of the veggies and spices tightly in glass jars to take home and enjoy after the fermentation was completed. Hopkins, a mother of three and General Manager of Eat Local Eastport Co-op, gave expert advice and her infectious love of all food fermented was thoroughly enjoyed by all. 

Anne Shields Hopkins (left), instructor, and Sam Cottone work on their customized kimchi blends. [Robin]

Others interested in fermented foods may want to mark November 19th on your calendar, when Hopkins will lead a reprise of her very popular sauerkraut workshop.

For more information or to sign up, please email Alison Brennan at alison@eastportartscenter.org or call her at 454-8822.

Anne Shields Hopkins and Tarah Waters, EAC’s Island Institute Fellow, are very excited about their kimchi-to-be. [Robin]

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Eastport Arts Center
where creativity and community meet
36 Washington Street • P.O. Box 153
Eastport, Washington County, Maine 04631

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The work of Eastport Arts Center is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The work of Eastport Arts Center is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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