BRUNSWICK

Pull up a chair: Bowdoin show features furniture collection

Bowdoin College Museum of Art has several events this week that are open to the public. They include the opening of “Sit Down! Chairs from Six Centuries” on Thursday.

“Sit Down!” celebrates the museum’s collection of American and European furniture, focusing on chairs dating from the 15th to the 21st centuries. Ranging in date from a medieval armchair produced around 1500 to the Nurse Hat Chair designed by Richard Prince in 2008, this exhibition will examine the evolution of style, the nature of technological innovation, and the social meaning of seating furniture.

Loans from Historic New England, Maine Historical Society, Victoria Mansion and several other collections will complement Bowdoin’s holdings.

The opening reception begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the museum.

At 2 p.m. Friday, Laura Fecych Sprague, consulting curator of decorative arts at the Bowdoin museum, will lead a gallery talk about the college’s collection of chairs. It will be in the Halford Gallery.

At 5:30 p.m. Friday, Florence de Dampierre, author of “Chairs: A History,” will deliver a lecture at Kresge Auditorium in the Visual Arts Center at Bowdoin. A reception will follow in the museum.

GORHAM

Gorham student wins Grace Kelly dance scholarship

Andrew Wojtal of Gorham has won a dance scholarship from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA to study at the California Institute of the Arts. Wojtal was among eight recipients of the dance scholarship.

The awards for theater, dance and choreography, and film continue the legacy of Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, who helped emerging artists pursue their artistic goals. This year’s winners represent 18 states and 11 organizations.

Wojtal will travel to New York to receive the award at the Princess Grace Awards Gala on Nov. 10 at Cipriani 42nd Street.

ROCKPORT

Maine Media examines photographic processes

Maine Media Gallery hosts the exhibition “Going Forward, Looking Back: Practicing Historic Photographic Processes in the 21st Century” through Nov. 19.

The traveling exhibition includes more than 150 curated pieces by 24 contemporary artists, including Maine Media instructors Tillman Crane, John Goodman, Brenton Hamilton, Sean Harris, Cig Harvey and Christopher James.

Curated by Stephen Halpert, the exhibition features an array of visual experiences dating from 1839 through the present.

The gallery is open 2 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Admission is free. The gallery is on the first floor of the Shepherd Building, 18 Central St., Rockport.

For information, visit www.mainemedia.edu or call 236-8581.

WESTBROOK

Acorn Productions brings two one-act plays to life

Acorn Productions continues the 2010/11 Studio Series of Friday night readings on Oct. 29 in the Acorn Studio Theater. The evening will feature two one-act plays by Howard Rosenfield. Both plays are metaphorical in nature with strong influences from existential philosophy, absurdist drama, and the comedy of Laurel and Hardy.

The plays are “Lifting Rocks” and “A Comet’s Tale.” Both plays were developed by Rosenfield during sessions of “Playwrights Lab,” at the Acorn Acting Academy. “Lifting Rocks” was one of three one-acts recently chosen for full production in January 2011 at the Firehouse Theater Center in Newburyport, Mass..

The plays will be read by a combination of professional and student actors from the Acorn Acting Academy in the Acorn Studio Theater at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29. Admission is a suggested donation of $5. The Acorn Studio Theater is in the company’s home in the Dana Warp Mill, 90 Bridge St., Westbrook.

OGUNQUIT

Playhouse appoints Coast Guard veteran as director

The Ogunquit Playhouse appointed Ned Cooke as director of operations. He will oversee the day-to-day business operations and facilities management of the historic theater building, as well as the 27-acre campus and outbuildings, while supervising both in-house staff and contract vendors.

He has a broad background in facilities management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in general engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and served in various leadership and management positions, rising to the rank of commander.

After leaving the Coast Guard, he worked in construction management, serving as the owner’s representative for many multimillion-dollar projects.

PORTLAND

Itchkawitch etchings on display for a gallery talk

Artist David Itchkawitch will discuss his work during a gallery talk at 7 p.m. Thursday at A Fine Thing: Edward T. Pollack Fine Arts, 29 Forest Ave., Portland. Call 699-2919 with questions.

FREEPORT

Shakespeare Festival adds two new directors

Freeport Shakespeare Festival announced the addition of two new members to its board of directors.

Jan Gerry has had an extensive management career, including executive director of the Fairfax Symphony and executive experience in software, consulting and systems integration businesses from her career at IBM. She has also served in executive management in local and international startups. She served as president of the boards of the Capital Wind Symphony and the Chesterbrook Swim Club. She and her husband live in Freeport and have two children and two grandchildren.

Rebecca Hotelling served on the Freeport Planning Board and was involved in writing Freeport’s first zoning ordinance. Later, she became a member of the town-appointed Conservation Commission and the privately funded Freeport Conservation Trust. In addition to her board service, Rebecca is a professional ice skating coach with an emphasis on ice dancing. She and her husband live in Freeport and have two children and four grandchildren.

Other board members include board president Joseph Hahn, Bud Carlson, Susan Garrett, Michael O’Brien, Daniel Piltch, Steve Putnam, Jennifer Segal and Jonas Werner.

The Freeport Shakespeare Festival will present “Twelfth Night” in August 2011 at L.L. Bean Discovery Park in Freeport.

 

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