New Commons Project
at the University of Maine at Farmington
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April 2019
Improvisations on the Pastoral with Dan Beachy-Quick, Steven Pane, and Kristen Case
Join Dan Beachy-Quick (Professor of English at Colorado State University), Dr. Steven Pane (Professor Music at UMF), and Kristen Case (Associate Professor English at UMF) for an examination of the pastoral, an artistic mode utilized in BEETHOVEN'S SYMPHONY NO. 6 “PASTORAL" that focuses on the…
Find out more »September 2019
Kerry D. Hebert Memorial Paddle
The New Commons Project kicks off its programming for Fall 2019 and its consideration of the CANOE with a community paddle in tribute to the late Kerry D. Hebert. Kerry loved his CANOE. Each Spring he would take a run or two down Lemon…
Find out more »Nina MacLaughlin, Spoon-carving workshop (Day 1)
In this unique, two-day workshop (part of the New Commons Project's consideration of the CANOE), participants will learn to carve a wooden spoon from blank to finished object. Along the way, Nina MacLaughlin will be on hand for individual guidance. All materials provided and…
Find out more »Nina MacLaughlin, “The slow time of the hand: a writer’s life between water and wood”
Having worked as a journalist throughout her twenties, Nina MacLaughlin finds herself yearning for more tangible work, and applies in response to a Craigslist ad seeking a carpenter's assistant (despite having majored in Classics and not knowing the difference between a Phillips and a…
Find out more »Nina MacLaughlin, Spoon-carving workshop (Day 2)
In this unique, two-day workshop (part of the New Commons Project's consideration of the CANOE), participants will learn to carve a wooden spoon from blank to finished object. Along the way, Nina MacLaughlin will be on hand for individual guidance. All materials provided and…
Find out more »Flagstaff Lake CANOE Trip
In this special CANOE outing (co-sponsored with Experiential Education) for University of Maine at Farmington students, participants will explore the beautiful waters of Historic Flagstaff Lake (a classic location for New England CANOE trips). This is an all-day event and preregistration is required.
Find out more »Robert Kimber and Bill Roorbach, Reflections on the CANOE
Local Maine authors and CANOE enthusiasts Robert Kimber and Bill Roorbach will share creative writing inspired by their canoeing experiences and adventures. Robert Kimber is the author of several nature-focused texts, including 2004's A Canoeist's Sketchbook. Bill Roorbach is the author of The Girl…
Find out more »Keynote Event: Lisa Brooks, “The River to Which I Belong: Relationships of Reciprocity and Resistance in the Waterways of Wabanaki”
Join Dr. Lisa Brooks (Professor of English and American Studies and Chair of American Studies at Amherst College) for a presentation on the historical relationship between the Native Americans of the Wabanaki Confederacy and their waterways. This is the keynote event for the New…
Find out more »Alexandra Conover Bennett and Jerry Stelmok, CANOE History Overview and Paddle Demonstration
Alexandra Conover Bennett (professional canoe and snowshoeing trip leader and instructor) will first provide an on-the-water introduction to the north-woods stroke on Wilson Pond. Canoes will be available for attendees to try out the northwoods stroke themselves. Thereafter, Jerry Stelmok (canoe builder, artist, and…
Find out more »Rollin Thurlow and Garrett Conover, CANOE Slideshow Double Feature
Join local CANOE enthusiasts for multiple slideshows of canoeing experiences featuring beautiful panoramic photography. Rollin Thurlow (2 p.m) will explore the history and construction of the wood and canvas canoe here in Maine in particular, while Garret Conover's presentation (entitled "Wildwater North," 4.p.m.) focuses…
Find out more »October 2019
The New Commons Film Series: DAWNLAND
The New Commons Film Series presents the 2018 Emmy-nominated documentary DAWNLAND, a powerful exploration of the US government's forcible removal of Native American children from their homes. As recently as the 1970’s, one in four Native children nationwide were living in non-Native foster care,…
Find out more »Keynote Event: Cheryl Savageau, Poetry Reading
The New Commons Project proudly presents a poetry reading by Cheryl Savageau, author of the Pulitzer-nominated poetry collection DIRT ROAD HOME (the New Commons selection for October 2018). Savageau’s poetry retells Abenaki stories, often focusing on the unrecognized lives of women and the working…
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