Cultural council brings ‘Arts on the Green’ to Bangor

BANGOR – There’s a misconception that being artistic is reserved for established, professional artists and artisans in the community.

Susan Potters, executive director of the Bangor Region Arts and Cultural Council, wants to change that perception.

“Not everyone can be a Picasso, but everyone has artistic vision and can be creative,” she said Wednesday.

With the hopes of involving the community in “doing art,” the Bangor Region Arts and Cultural Council will host “Arts on the Green” from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday on the two downtown greens sandwiching Central Street.

The interactive festival will feature drop-in art and crafts workshops and demonstrations – not sales – and continuous musical performances throughout the day.

From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., children can try their hand at making floral miniatures, comic illustrations and sun visors, while teens and adults can learn about calligraphy, beading and fabric painting. Attendees can stay at the workshops as long as they want and can even take home their creations.

“The more people do the arts, the more they appreciate the arts,” Potters said. “It makes for good audiences.”

Demonstrations will include hand embroidery, stained glass and wooden boat sculpture with found items.

All workshops and demonstrations are led by local artists. Local teens from the Bangor High School Key Club and the YMCA Interact Leaders Club will be art workshop assistants. Some also will be strolling jugglers, led by Zachary Field.

During the same time, musical performances will kick off with bagpiper Ernie Smith and include performances by the Queen City Big Band and Planet Pan Steel Drums, among others.

Daytime workshops and musical performances will occur under tents rain or shine.

As long as weather permits, the celebration will move to the Norumbega Hall Parking Lot at 4 p.m. for community dancing until 8 p.m. Fiddler Greg Boardman and the Arcady-Bangor Fiddlers will lead country dancing for the whole family from 4 to 6 p.m. Sentimental Journey will provide music for social dancing from 6 p.m. until the festival ends.

“It will be a chance for people to kick up their heals,” Potters said.

The day’s events are free to all, but attendees should bring cash to sample food from Thai Siam, Taste of India and the Intown Internet Cafe. A number of downtown restaurants will also be offering 10 percent off to members of BRACC, Potters said.

The National Folk Festival got people excited about the arts and “Arts on the Green” is hoping to capitalize on that energy, Potters said.

“People realized how exciting it was to have the arts downtown and we’re just kind of building on that momentum,” Potters said.

A complete schedule of workshops is available from the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau and will also be available at the festival.

Arts on the Green is sponsored by Bangor Raceways and WVII-TV Channel 7, with funding from the Maine Community Foundation and Unity Foundation. For information about the free event, call Susan Potters at 990-2805.