Sebasticook Valley Arts group plans for summer festivals

NEWPORT – The Sebasticook Valley Arts Alliance has a busy summer planned, scheduling a group or individual presence at festivals and fairs in Newport, Corinna and Pittsfield.

The 5-year-old group has grown to nearly three dozen jewelers, art quilters, weavers, spinners and artists, many of whom will be offering their art for sale at the various fairs.

Members met Wednesday night to deal with a number of issues, including completing details for Newport’s Summerfest celebration.

During the Newport celebration, the group will have more than a dozen artists, jewelers and other fine craftspeople exhibiting at Occasions, the former Grange Hall on Route 2. They will hold their art show on both floors of the building on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15.

Annette Houston, VAA treasurer and founding member, said Alice and Jim Foster, who own Occasions, have offered the space to VAA members free of charge. “This is a wonderful opportunity,” she said.

VAA offers the opportunity to members to participate in Corinna’s Old Home Days and the Central Maine Egg Festival in Pittsfield, both held in July.

VAA member Jim Miller said that a space for cooperative exhibiting and selling is also available at a Newport antiques mall. Miller will be

e-mailing all members to see if they wish to participate.

Houston also told members that Women, Work and Community will be holding an informational meeting from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 1, at the Newport town office. The meeting will explain a free 12-week course that will be offered this fall to teach artists how to set themselves up as businesses. “We are very excited about this,” Houston said.

VAA set 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at Occasions as its next meeting date.