...it just keeps on flowing

I'm overdue for a recap of what's been going on! The turnout for First Friday Art Walk was good; once again, it was nice to see so many smiling, familiar faces. I do believe I've become a regular stop for several different monthly art walkers (individuals and groups alike)! Special thanks to Jennifer Moscone of Interactive Tarot for making it a fun and exciting evening, as always (www.interactivetarot.net), and a very big thank you to Emily Weir for making the trip down from Brunswick and staying late to help with cleanup!
The "Free For All" show at Space Gallery is still going on, although I haven't had a chance to see it. I've heard that it looks really good, so I'm anxious to stop by sometime soon. Thankfully, it's up through early March! The "Joy of Art" show at the Topsham Public Library is winding down (closing reception: Sat., Feb. 18th), but there is still a little bit of time to get over there. I'm hoping to be able to make the closing reception, but I have a sneaking suspicion that a work-related commitment might prevent me from doing so. We'll see how the day works out!

This past Wednesday, Five Rivers Arts Alliance had their re-launch meeting at Frontier in Brunswick, and it turned out to be a very exciting evening for those who attended. Five Rivers has recently gone through a major restructuring and they are now a 100% volunteer-run organization. The people who are involved have breathed new life into Five Rivers, and it seems like the whole group is coming back stronger as a result. They introduced their new website on Wednesday evening (www.5raa.org) and it looks beautiful. There are many great new features on the site, including a calendar where members can post their art events (including out-of-town events, such as...oh, I don't know, First Friday Art Walk...yes, please!) and a members' gallery. Each member is entitled to their own gallery page, and I am very happy to say that my page is up and running! I have images of several paintings on my page, as well as contact information, an artist's statement, and a link to my website...all of which is included in the cost of membership to Five Rivers Arts Alliance. What a deal! Here's a link to the members' page, in case you're curious: http://5raa.org/directory/visual-arts/painting/. You can also find it by going to the home page, holding your mouse over "directory", then down to the "visual arts" category, then over to the "painting" category, and clicking on that. They are still working out the kinks, of course, but things look great, and it is very exciting to see the new, positive direction Five Rivers is headed in. There are other developments in the works, so stay tuned. If you're an artist in the mid-coast Maine area, check them out and become a member! You'll be happy you did.