ROCKPORT — The “Work of the Hand” crafts show and sale at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport presents new work by Maine craftspeople. After a year’s hiatus, the invitational “Work of the Hand” returns to a new venue: Pascal Hall, 86 Pascal Ave., Rockport. The show opens with a Collectors’ Preview and […]

One of the most famous, beloved and — indeed — powerful paintings in the world is Salvador Dali’s surrealist masterpiece, “The Persistence of Memory.” The iconic painting depicts a dreamy landscape in which even clocks are so mellowed that they melt in sleepy repose. I have seen it many times at the Museum of Modern […]

Cafe Miranda feels real big. This is despite the fact it’s a converted fraternal hall with 40 seats, a handful of bar stools and a few tables on a side patio in the nice weather. It’s been open since 1993. That giant experience comes from a variety of factors: a menu with a staggering variety […]

A new novel details the fame and misfortune of Mrs. Tom Thumb.

PORTLAND — Matt Welch understands that the economy is not well. Especially as it relates to the arts, the sluggish economy poses the single greatest challenge to visual artists and the galleries that represent them. But Welch isn’t interested in wallowing in the fear that’s associated with these difficult times. “Sometimes you get to the […]

CHRIS VAN DUSEN

• Portland Ovations opens its season Thursday with a concert by contemporary jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at Merrill Auditorium. A Grammy Award winner, Botti fuses jazz and pop. Since the release of his 2004 album “When I Fall In Love,” Botti has become the largest-selling American jazz instrumental artist. He has […]