Newburgh

25 years at Windover

Windover Art Center, a nonprofit organization marking its 25th anniversary, will hold its open house 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at 3001 Kennebec Road.

Ken Winship and Jen Johnson established Windover Art and Adventure Camp for children to explore art, practice making decisions and build confidence. Photography, pottery, woodworking, music, nature studies, horseback riding and weaving were the menu. But glass beads, go-cart making and guest artists were sometimes the special of the day.

“I began working at Windover in 1984, teaching photography,” said Mari Abercrombie, now the director. “Back then the darkroom was in the laundry room of Jen’s house. That didn’t matter. The kids were so excited to see their prints developing before their eyes. As a teacher I was thrilled to be working with such an enthusiastic group.”

Children who attend Windover choose activities each morning, making for a creative and productive atmosphere, Abercrombie said.

“Working at Windover was like finding the utopia of creative environment,” Abercrombie said. “Besides all the activity going on around us, laughter was in the air and smiles lit up inquiring faces. The staff at Windover was a group of enthusiastic and innovative people.”

In 1994, Windover moved from Miles Road in Newburgh to Kennebec Road. It also became a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Over the years, the art barn, new pottery wheels, a glass bead shop, a pool, Birch Tree Theater, media lab, digital video equipment, filmmaking department, darkroom trailer, three giant murals, a ropes course and an office trailer donated by Marlin Fitzwater were added to Windover.

“We have had some remarkable people involved with Windover Art Center,” Abercrombie said. “Thomas Abercrombie, my father, was a National Geographic photographer and writer for 40 years and traveled the globe. He felt it was important to pass on knowledge and shared his slides and stories [at the center].”

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation contributed a grant for Windover to develop a digital video filmmaking department. Each summer, Windover holds a contest, the Windover Filmmaker’s Prize. Children submit an original story and the winner comes to Windover to make the story into a short film. The parent of a prize winner said, “The experience Rose had making her film boosted her confidence. Imagine making a film at the age of 9.”

In six years, more than 50 short films and many instructional videos have been made.

Instructors have included Heather Small, children’s book author and illustrator; Leah Olson, professional painter and originator of Virgo Moon Cards; Len Leonidas, photographer and now Dr. Leonidas; Jay Hanes, Raku potter; Megan McKeithan, owner of Visionary Mural Co. in Atlanta, Ga.; and Cindy Rizza, Windover camper who became a Windover instructor and now is a professional artist.

Rizza said, “Windover is a place where imagination grows in all of its students. It’s inspiring to see all that blossoms from them.”

This summer Windover will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a reunion on July 2 at Windover. Call 234-4503 for more details and to RSVP.

Bangor

Birch Stream cleanup

Bangor International Airport, other city departments, the Maine Air National Guard and members of the community will combine forces for the second annual cleanup of Birch Stream at 8 a.m. Friday, May 19, behind the Airport Mall on Union Street.

Refreshments and beverages will be provided for all workers. For information, call 992-4600.

Orono

KidsPeace event

With the bells of National Foster Care Month chiming loudly in May, staff at the Orono center of the national children’s charity KidsPeace hope to raise awareness about the state of foster care and the growing need for foster homes.

On Friday, May 19, the Kidspeace Orono Foster Care and Family Services office will honor selfless friends and neighbors who open up their hearts and homes to children in need, giving them the promise of a brighter future.

The KidsPeace Orono center will host a special appreciation dinner for some 30 foster parents 6-9 p.m. at Orono United Methodist Church.

In addition to a free dinner, the event also will treat foster parents to special gifts and gift certificates donated by generous local businesses. Among others attending the event will be KidsPeace’s Orono staff.

“It takes a special kind of person to be a foster parent, especially fostering a child who’s had terrible things happen to them and carries the emotional scars,” said Denise Card, site manager for KidsPeace Orono Foster Care and Family Services. “It’s an emotional roller-coaster with inevitable ups and downs.

“But, being able to welcome a stranger into your home and make them feel like family is a critical necessity and precious gift for kids who have no place to call home,” Card said, “and our foster parents give that gift every day, without expecting anything in return. This year, as part of National Foster Care Month, we wanted to give back to our foster parents, to let them know how much we value and appreciate their hard work and dedication. Without them, it would be hard to do what we do – give kids peace,”

That is why KidsPeace exists, Card said, to give hope, help and healing to children who have been through the worst. A 124-year old charity, KidsPeace has a long legacy of giving kids peace – peace from abuse and neglect, from depression, eating disorders, and from the many perils of the modern world.

The KidsPeace foster care program offers specialized therapeutic services to children to help them heal while in foster homes. In addition, thorough training and 24-hour-a-day support enable foster parents to better relate to emotionally scarred children and give them compassion and encouragement.

The Orono office has helped find homes for close to 100 local children since it opened its doors in an effort to make sure every child who needs a second chance gets one. It is one of 39 foster care offices operated by KidsPeace, which provides services to nearly 4,000 kids a day at 63 centers across the nation.

To find out more about KidsPeace, call 827-4150 or visit www.kidspeace.org.