The Kennebec Explorer 2018 Visitor's Guide to Maine's Kennebec Valley | Page 33

A dancer emerging from the shadows.
A critic and filmmaker together on the
same stage. The lone voice of a guitarist
at an open mic night. Three centuries
of American masterworks. Concertos,
operettas and country music standards.
Shakespeare. The arts are alive and
well in Maine’s Kennebec Valley.
Art hiding in plain sight
If you look beyond the obvious or trendy
that often steal the spotlight, you will
see that Maine and especially the
Kennebec Valley have long been
a haven for those who love to make
art in all its forms.
The art of performance
For classic and contemporary theater
productions and concerts featuring
top-tier musicians, book your seat at the
Waterville Opera House or Gardiner’s
Johnson Hall. During the summer
months, enjoy an outdoor concert
at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in
Sidney. Lakewood Theater in Madison
raises its curtain on compelling dramas
and laugh-out-loud comedies every
season, as does the Gaslight Theater in
Hallowell, and Theater at Monmouth.
Each winter classic holiday dance
performances are shown region-wide.
South Solon Meeting House
Hallowell offers an abundance of music
venues, including a stage right on the
banks of the Kennebec River. And if you
love bluegrass, don’t miss the Blistered
Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival in
Litchfield (held twice each summer). If
your soul is stirred by classical music,
bathe in the experience of Waterville’s
multi-week Atlantic Music Festival.
Our finest works
Maine’s largest art museum. Yes, it’s here.
The Colby College Museum of Art is a
modern architectural wonder housing
a vast collection of works of art from
diverse cultures and historical periods,
with a focus on American and con-
temporary art. All of this and more
are housed in the 26,000-square-foot
Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion and
an additional 10,000 square feet of
exhibition space. Admission is
always free.
For art on a smaller yet still-compelling
scale, view the work of gifted artists
at Gardiner’s Monkitree, Hallowell’s
Harlow Gallery, or Waterville's
Common Street Arts.
Screen gems
Waterville is the place for film in mid-
Maine. Specifically, The Maine Film
Center, which projects movies onto
the silver screen year-round and hosts
the annual Maine International Film
Festival bringing together filmmakers,
critics, educators, and fans from around
Maine, New England, and the globe.
Travel to The Forks in August for the
Maine Outdoor Film Festival, where
you’ll find the perfect venue for watch-
ing films about the great outdoors
beneath the shimmer of stars on a
moonlit night.
VISITOR RESOURCES:
Maine Arts Commission–
MaineArts.Maine.gov
Theater at Monmouth
For more about arts in the region
visit KennebecValley.org
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