Haystack and Beyond

What are you doing to recharge your creativity juices?

Music teachers play in bands, conduct choirs at church, sing on the corner after work. Art teachers work in their studios, paint faces at school and/or church events, attend Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Stonington. There are a variety of opportunities to teach, to give and to be involved in the arts in Maine. Many of these activities are about feeding ones soul.

One opportunity that does so much for so many is attending Haystack – I’ve been attending the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) conference in September for 30 plus years (to numerous to count and remember) and I always leave excited and charged up. I feel nourished! Thank you MAEA for providing this learning opportunity.

This past weekends workshop offerings included the following:

1. •Masks: Michael Stasiuk

2. •Altered Books: Abbie Read

3. •Clay Explorations: Karen Orsillo

4. •Gelatin Printmaking: Susan Webster

5. •Cold Connections in Metals: Sharon Portelance

6. •Plein Air Painting: Cooper Dragonette

7. •Blacksmithing: Peter Happny

I had a chance to visit each workshop at some point during the weekend and I was so impressed with the quality and depth of the work. The new Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Beth Lambert visited on Saturday. Below you can see some photos of the work and the amazing place (Haystack).

Attending Haystack is a great opportunity to learn, network, create, all in a beautiful location. On October 9 at the beautiful Point Lookout Conference Center in Northport dance, music, theatre, visual art teachers and artists, museum educators and many others will learn side by side at Maine’s Biennial Arts Education Conference: Measure of Success. If you’d like to learn more and/or register please go to http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/Biennial-Statewide. If you have questions please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov.