ORONO – John Patches, executive director of the Maine Center for the Arts, has always kept a producer’s eye on Atlantic Canada’s art scene, programming theater, dance and music generated by artists on the other side of Maine’s northern borders. Canada acknowledged Patches’ attention last September when he became the first American to receive the Professional Presenters Award from the Atlantic Presenters Association.

The Canadian-based organization promotes performing arts acts in four of the country’s eastern provinces and gave Patches the honor at a conference in New Brunswick.

The award recognizes excellence and achievement regarding programming, professionalism and contribution to community life and to the touring sector of Atlantic Canada.

“John met those standards beautifully,” said Peter D. Smith, president of APA and general manager of the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Smith added that Patches has made it possible for venues in Canada to afford American-based touring shows that piggybacked on bookings at the MCA, and that he has supported quality Canadian acts by regularly programming them in Orono. Cirque Eloize, Theatre de l’Oeil, Anne Murray, Beausoleil and the Leahy family singers and dancers have been among the more popular MCA offerings from Canada.

Smith described Patches as a tenacious presenter, whose broad strokes may not be to everyone’s taste but show an intrepid dedication to arts programming.

“He’s got balls as a presenter,” said Smith. “He’ll take chances and do things that might upset some people but are valid shows and enrich people’s lives. The new buzzword is ‘curatorial vision.’ He has it.”

Smith added that APA unofficially made Patches an “honorary Canadian” several years ago. Not only has Patches, who lives in Bangor, been an important resource and networker for the arts, said Smith, but he also knows the best international restaurants and hotels, and his wife, Elizabeth, a voice instructor at Colby College, has taught voice at summer events in Canada.

“For me, this award means a lot because it is decided by a jury of your colleagues, and in this case, my Canadian colleagues,” said Patches, who has been at the MCA for 10 years and began programming Canadian acts for many years previously while working in New York. “Canadians are very supportive of the arts and they are very proud of their own accomplishments. This time, they stepped out of the box by giving the award to an American. I was very surprised and touched.”

More than a dozen performing acts are scheduled at the MCA through June. Three are from Canada: Toronto’s Ballet Jorgen on March 19, Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre production of “Blue Orphan,” a fairy-tale musical epic about a mill town, on March 28, and Nova Scotia’s Mermaid Theatre production of “Very Eric Carle” on May 26.

Alicia Anstead can be reached at 990-8266 or aanstead@bangordailynews.net.