Arts and Entertainment

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts will host a special exhibition from Vermont Folklife entitled “Portraits in Action.”

The opening reception will take place on April 12, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the lower gallery on Main Street, in Newport.

The exhibition presents 25 Vermont pioneers in renewable energy, environmental conservation, and land planning in photography and text, and runs through May 18, 2019.  

The event is free and open to the public.

For over a decade, the Vermont Folklife Center has been exploring the roots of the environmental movement and renewable energy in Vermont, documenting an evolving course of action that extends from the mid-1960’s to the present.

Since this arc of activity has occurred within living memory, it has been possible to seek out and speak with the very people whose work has been an engine of change.

Seventy-two interviews later, “Portraits in Action” presents twenty-five Vermont pioneers in renewable energy, environmental conservation, and land use planning.

This diverse cross-section is intended to be suggestive rather than comprehensive, recognizing that there are many more whose work has also made a difference.

The exhibit pairs portrait photography and interview audio as a way for visitors to thoughtfully connect with each person featured.

Image and audio are linked to personal statements written in response to the question:

“What will bring us to the next level in meeting the energy and environmental challenges we are facing today?”

In our current political environment, consensus on the defining issues of our era continues to elude us.

“Portraits in Action” offers the opportunity to spend time with a group of people who have been thinking hard about many of these issues over the course of their working lifetimes.  

For more information, visit www.maccenterforthearts.com, or call 802-334-1966.

Courtesy photo from Vt Folklife: Archival photo of Don Mayer (center) pictured with Mr. & Mrs. Eldy Schragg, who were responsible for teaching him about the Jacob’s Wind Generators. Photo courtesy of Don Mayer.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts will be holding a writing workshop, Saturday, March 16, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

The workshop is called “The Power of the Personal Metaphor: A Memoir and Poetry Workshop.”

Come discover how personal metaphors inspire the creation of poetry and memoir.

Whether your interest is in writing poetry or prose, this workshop will delve into the ways metaphor and figurative language work to express the power of our individual experiences and emotions.

In the workshop, the group will use short writing exercises and spend some extended writing time to explore, develop and extend metaphors into poetry or prose.

This workshop will also be relevant for visual artists who use metaphorical imagery in their work.

The workshop will conclude with volunteers sharing their work.

The workshop is limited to 15 participants, ages 14 years and older.

Pre-registration is suggested by March 13.

Registration forms can be found online or by stopping in at the MAC Center for the Arts.

For more information, call 802-334-1966, or visit the website www.maccenterforthearts.com

You can also email pattyos@earthlink.net

NEWPORT — This year’s Winter Festival will kick off at Newport’s Gardner Memorial Park on Saturday, February 2.

Come celebrate timeless Vermont traditions like snowmobiling, ice skating, broomball, and bonfires.

Guy Fortin Broomball Tournament

With broomball skills, smooth line changes and athletic ability optional, this casual tournament has become a favorite Winter Festival activity for residents and visitors alike.

No skates or skills required, the emphasis is placed on camaraderie and old fashioned winter fun.

Players can recruit family members, colleagues, and neighbors to assemble a team and put for an effort to win the coveted championship t-shirts and bragging rights.

Cost is $10 per person to support Winter Festival fireworks.

Sign-up with a full team of 6-10 or sign-up individually as a “free agent,” and organizers will put you on a team.

Registration is due by January 28th.

Fire & Ice Radar Runs

The roar of high-speed engines resonates from Lake Memphremagog during the radar runs outside the Eastside Restaurant during Winter Festival.

This one-day competition showcases local riders competing for speed down a thousand-foot track on the lake.

With categories for all ages, some of the fastest sleds have traveled over 130 miles per hour.

Winners from a variety of age divisions take home trophies and celebrate with an after-race banquet at 4:00 p.m. inside the restaurant.

Registration at 9:00 a.m., runs begin at 11:00 a.m.

Family Events & Fireworks at Gardner Park

As the tournaments and the day’s festivities wind down, families are invited to gather at the park at 5:00 p.m. for the Winter Festival finale.

Finish the evening with free ice skating, a bonfire, and a spectacular firework display over the bay on Lake Memphremagog at 7:00 p.m.

Don’t miss the hysterical Hoagie’s pizza eating contest and Chuck-a-Puck 50/50 fundraiser too to benefit the Gardner Park Playground and Splashpad Project.

Admission to the park is free, but donations are appreciated to support the event.

Nothing chases the frostbite blues away like heartwarming time spent with family and friends. Whether you’re participating in a tournament or simply watching, you’re going to love this winter wonderland weekend.

NEWPORT –Now Playing Newport, the local Vermont concert series that has delighted audiences in the Northeast Kingdom over the past five years, will be presenting its final production on Saturday.

The show will take place January 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the United Church of Newport on Third Street.

This grand finale is in concert with the MAC Center for the Arts performing Liberated Libretto: A Frolic with Gilbert and Sullivan.

Anita Morin, Sally Rivard, Allen Cubit, Ron St John III and Lynn Leimer with Janice Luce on piano, will showcase the humor and history of the dynamic Gilbert and Sullivan duo with favorites such as Modern Major General from Pirates of Penzance, Three Little Maids from the MIKADO and When I Got Out of Doors from Patience.

The revue captures the satire as well as the musicality that made the operettas famous.

All proceeds will benefit the MAC’s ADA upgrade to their venue. Tickets for the event are available at the door.

The Now Playing Newport series will be staging no future shows.

Series Director Jim McKimm says closing out the series was a long thought decision.

He thanks all series partners over the years, those who attended the programs, as well as St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and the United Church of Newport.

NEWPORT — Thinking about decorating for the holidays? Wondering how to make new memories and fun-lore to pass down to generations? The Mac Center for the Arts in Newport is offering the perfect unique experience to satisfy both.

On December 15, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., the MAC is welcoming everyone to come and celebrate the holidays by creating a beautiful seasonal centerpiece made of local evergreens and festive materials. 

This is an activity for family members, friends, and neighbors, so come with a parent or uncle, child or best friend. 
 
Instructor Nancy Nash will conduct the workshop at the MAC’s lower gallery.

This annual event is usually a sell-out, so early registration is suggested. 

The workshop is limited to 25 participants and has a nominal fee of $5.00 per participant to cover supplies.
 
After you have finished creating your masterpiece, take time to browse through the upstairs gallery and select from an astonishing array of extraordinary pieces of arts and crafts, music and books, jewelry and furniture.

The distinctive collection is matchless and supports shopping locally.
 
For more information, visit www.maccenterforthearts.com, call 802-334-1966, stop by the MAC and pick up a registration form, or email pattyos@earthlink.net.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts is getting ready to present their final exhibit for 2018.

The show, titled “WINTER!” opens November 16, with a reception from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the lower gallery.

The exhibit is free and open to the public and will run through January 19, 2019. The gallery is open Monday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.

The exclusive show, being curated by Victoria Mathiesen and Andrea Strobach, includes 2D MAC member artwork as well as a departure from the norm in that the show will be exhibiting Winter themed work from private collections.

The winter wonderland will be celebrated with photographs, paintings, prints, cards, and more adorning the downstairs gallery space.

A special performance, SHOWFLAKES, will highlight the whimsey of the snowscapes on December 14, and just like the weather, a flurry of anticipation is in the forecast for this original musical comedy revue.

MAC Center for the Art is located at 158 Main Street, in Newport.

For more information, visit the website, www.maccenterforthearts.com or call 802-334-1966.

NEWPORT — Newport’s Fall Foliage Festival is getting ready to kick off this weekend.

The Scarecrow Contest starts on Saturday with many businesses and organizations showing whimsical scarecrows throughout downtown as they compete for prizes. Individuals are also displaying their scarecrows along the Main Street fence.

In addition, an estimated 1000 international runners will be coming across the border and into Newport this weekend to raise funds for children’s programs in both the Quebec Province and in the Newport area, in the Relais Lac Memphremagog.

On Sunday, the Newport Rotary Duck Regatta takes place in Gardner Park, raising funds for local charities and civic needs.

Next weekend, from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Main Street will be filled with Chili Fest contestants and those wanting to sample some of the best chili north, and south of the border.

There will also be strolling musicians, courtesy of a donation from Community National Bank and RDI.

The Antique and Classic Car, Truck, Motorcycle, and Tractor Parade kicks off in Gardner Park at noon and winds its way down the Causeway and Main Street to the Newport Gateway Center where awards will be handed out in several categories.

Newport Parks and Recreation will be hosting the annual Downtown Photo Contest and Sidewalk Art Show on Main Street. The MAC Center is also hosting a Newport themed art show.

Cookie decorating for children will be held at Main Street’s Jocelyn and Cinta’s Bakery.

International crafters will fill the Hebard Building patio area with everything from stoneware and wooden crafts to natural products and arts of all kinds.

Le Belvedere Restaurant is hosting an outdoor Vermont Brews Beer Garden with bluegrass music lakeside from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Music continues from 3 to 5:30 as the classic hits band “The Hitmen” perform everyone’s rock favorites for a big party on the deck at the East Side Restaurant for the benefit of MSTF bike trails expansion.

There will also be a “human scarecrow” contest on the deck, with lots of prizes and fun.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts has announced the second in a series of theatrical workshops in 2018 with the premiere Children’s Theatre Academy – ACT 1.

On August 4, from 12:30-4:30 p.m. the workshop “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” tailored for ages 6-12 years old, will be held in the lower gallery at the MAC in Newport.

Yankee Doodle Dandy will explore the history of the song as it tells the 21st-century folktale of why the feather stuck in Yankee Doodle’s hat and why it’s called “macaroni.”

The original script with music under the direction of Sunny Naughton and Lynn Leimer, will have young people hone their acting and singing skills, and learn Americana choreography with show captain, Micaela Ortiz.

The culminating event will feature a full performance at 4:00 p.m. for friends and family.

Each participant will receive a certificate of participation. Additionally, ACT 1 tee-shirts are available for sale.

All are welcome, no experience required other than a love of creativity and fun.

Pre-registration is required. The registration deadline is July 31.

Cost is $25 per student or $40 for 2 siblings/friends.

Scholarships are available upon request.

The theatre workshop is limited to 15 participants and is a first come, first serve basis.

Visit the MAC Center for the Arts to pick-up a registration form or go to the website, www.maccenterforthearts.com.

For more information, please call 802-334-1966.

All questions regarding the day of the event should be directed to ACT 1, Lynn Leimer at macartspr@yahoo.com.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts is presenting a unique musical duo this Friday during the second installment of the Downtown Friday Night Shuffle in Newport.

Come out to hear Saigelyn Green and Phoenix Malanga, and enjoy their dynamic musical stylings from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Green is a senior at the University of Southern Maine in the Music Education program.

She graduated from NCUHS in 2015 and most recently had a composition featured in the 50th Anniversary Concert.

Many community members have heard Green perform with Northsong and a variety of other music showcases throughout the greater Newport area.

Phoenix Malanga graduated from NCUHS in 2017.

He is a consummate guitarist and well known for the variety of bands he has played in throughout the Northeast Kingdom.

Malanga will be a music major at Bennington College this fall.

NEWPORT — The Goodrich Memorial Library will present Liberated Libretto: A Frolic with Gilbert and Sullivan as the finale performance in their CHAUTAUQUA series in celebration of the Newport Centennial.

The MAC Center for the Arts is bringing this force of talent July 6, at 7 p.m. in the upstairs auditorium at the Goodrich.

Anita Morin, Sally Rivard, Allen Cubit, Ron St John III and Lynn Leimer with Janice Luce on piano showcase the humor and history of the dynamic G&S duo with favorites such as Modern Major General from Pirates of Penzance, Three Little Maids from the MIKADO and When I Got Out of Doors from Patience.

The revue captures the satire as well as the musicality that made the operettas famous.

For those curious about the Chautauqua terminology, it was an adult education movement in the United States highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries which originated on the shores of the Chautauqua Lake, NY.

Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s.

The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers, and specialists of the day.

Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua is “the most American thing in America.”

Music was important to Chautauqua. Opera became a part of the Chautauqua experience in 1926 when the American Opera Company (AOC), an outgrowth of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, began touring the country.

Under the direction of Russian tenor Vladimir Rosing, the AOC presented five operas in one week at the Chautauqua Amphitheater.

By 1929, a permanent Chautauqua Opera company had been established.

So, in keeping with that genre, Liberated Libretto will affectionately honor the creativity and uniqueness of Gilbert and Sullivan.

This festooned revue, directed and choreographed by Lynn Leimer, showcases not only the vocal talents of the ensemble, but their propensity for comedy.

Join this acclaimed sextet at the Goodrich concluding the week-long Centennial events and enjoy the legendary music of Gilbert and Sullivan.

There will even be a special guest appearance you won’t want to miss.

The performance is free and open to the public, however, seating is limited.

NEWPORT — The North Country Friends of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s annual benefit party “Swing into Spring” will be hosted at Spates the Florist and Garden Center in Newport on May 24, from 6:15 – 8:15 p.m.

The event will offer live entertainment by the Maple Leaf Seven, a traditional jazz group also specializing in swing and dance styles from St. Johnsbury.

Attendees will have the chance to socialize with friends while strolling through Spates’ greenhouses to take advantage of exquisite plants at special VSO discounts.

The cost is $35 per person and includes gourmet appetizers and two complimentary beverage choice of beer, wine or soda.

Tickets are available in advance at Spates the Florist, Memphremagog Arts Collaborative, or at vso.org.

All proceeds support the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and its SymphonyKids outreach program.

Last season, SymphonyKids programs reached over 3,500 students in the North Country with 34 presentations serving 28 different schools in 25 different communities.

NEWPORT — The MAC Center for the Arts is getting ready to present “A common Thread – Stitches and Stories from Fiber Artists Near and Far.”

The opening reception will be this Friday, May 11, from 5-7 p.m. in the lower gallery.

The event is free and open to the public.

The exclusive showcase of fiber arts will be a cornucopia of visual delights, demonstrating a wide range of accomplishment and skill.

The exhibition includes works in weaving, felting, surface design, knitting, art quilts and art to wear, and will be on display from May 11 – July 28.

Some of the remarkable artists that will have work on display include Donna Jean Safford, Andrea Strobach, Bonnie Nash, Carolyn Ferrara, Pat Lipinski, Pixie Durand, Sharon Diner, Michelle Marsh, Kelly Doyle, Pippa Drew as well as artists from Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild.

This contemporary fiber show is full of examples that blur the lines between fine art and fine craft, updating or innovating traditional practices and materials or by incorporating other disciplines into fiber.

For more information, please stop in during regular hours at the MAC, or visit their website at www.maccenterforthearts.com.

NEWPORT — A mem­oir work­shop, draw­ing on the mem­o­ries and sto­ries be­hind pho­tographs of life events, places, fam­ily, friends, or other sig­nif­i­cant peo­ple through prose nar­ra­tives or po­etry, will be of­fered next Sat­ur­day at the MAC Cen­ter for the Arts, in the Lower Gallery.

The workshop takes place on April 28, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Lo­cal au­thors Patty Oliver-Smith and Peggy Sap­phire will men­tor this work­shop, guid­ing the writ­ers to use pho­tographs as the records of per­sonal ex­pe­ri­ence.

Through a se­ries of writ­ing ex­er­cises ex­plor­ing and re­flect­ing on sen­sory im­ages, metaphors, and the con­text of the pho­tos, writ­ers will be draw­ing on their mem­o­ries and sto­ries to pro­duce a piece of writ­ing in ei­ther a prose nar­ra­tive or a poem.

Pre-reg­is­tra­tion is re­quired by April 22. Class size is lim­ited to 15 par­tic­i­pants with a fee of $10.

Pa­per and pen will be pro­vided, but participants should feel free to bring their own jour­nal and fa­vorite writ­ing im­ple­ment.

The MAC is lo­cated at 158 Main Street in New­port.

For more in­for­ma­tion, stop by the MAC, call 334-1966, or visit the web­site at www.mac­cen­ter­fort­hearts.com.

NEWPORT — Soprano Emma Strange will be performing her senior recital as a fund-raiser for David’s House at the Newport United Church in Newport. The concert will take place on Saturday, May 5, at 4 p.m.

Emma, who is a se­nior at Lake Re­gion Union High School, has studied clas­si­cal singing for al­most six years, and this will be her fi­nal recital be­fore head­ing to a mu­sic con­ser­va­tory in Au­gust.

David’s House provides a home-away-from-home and support for families with children receiving treatment through the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Hav­ing stayed at David’s House sev­eral times when she was six, Emma wanted to give back to this won­der­ful place that sup­ports chil­dren and their fam­i­lies.

She will be singing a va­ri­ety of mu­sic from Mozart to Broad­way, and will be ac­com­pa­nied by Mark Vi­o­lette on pi­ano and Amos Hamil­ton on clar­inet.

Her voice teacher is Vic­to­ria Cole of Fran­co­nia, New Hamp­shire.

Ad­mis­sion is by do­na­tion and checks can be made payable to “David’s House.”