Family Arts Festival
Sat, Sept 17, 10am - 4pm
Family Arts Festival is a celebration of community and the arts
In 1996, we held our first Family Arts Festival on a beautiful September day on the Brunswick Town Mall. The tradition continues! Each year we bring you new faces, workshops, and performers for a day of art, music and dance making. We are grateful to artists and performers for making this festival possible. And thank you for coming; have a great day!
Silent Auction
Please take a look at great silent auction items at the bottom of this page. Silent Auction will be held during the Family Arts Festival. All proceeds support the festival. You do not need to be present to win.
Music begins at 10. Check back soon for additional information.
10:00 Shanna Underwood Trio. Bringing out the folk and blues aspects of Americana music with homegrown instrumentals and deep, rich vocals.
11:00 Bath Municipal Concert Band. Best entertains the festival with a performance celebrating American music, Broadway favorites and a touch of Salsa!
12:00 Daisy Lee. Daisy performed last year during open mike. This year she has her own repertoire. Click here for video of performance.
1:00 Jim Loney, Kat Logan & Will Brown. Folk, traditional and blues. Festival favorites!
2:00 Red Beans & Rice. Dave Hunt and Carter Ruff play blues, originals and recycled classics.
3:00 Jud Caswell. "Jud Caswell captures the American experience through carefully crafted songs while instantly setting a tone of "we're all friends here" with his audiences. He is truly a new songwriter to be treasured." - Scott Hayward, Tupelo Music Hall.
10-12 Mysterious Mime Kay Mann makes an appearance!
10-4 Festival Mural. Add your impressions to this group effort.
10-4 Face Painting with out enthusiastic and artistic volunteers.
10:00-12:00 Puppy Parade with Elaine Reed. Using Model Magic (a self hardening clay like material) we will use the pinch pot method to create little sculpted critters ( puppies, kittens, etc.). These little critters take about 20 minutes to make and can than be carefully transported home. The actual drying time is about 1 hour.
10:00-2:00 Collage with Maria Castellano-Usery and Patricia Boissevain. Choose a theme, and choose from many materials at hand, and you are on your way!
10:00-1:00 Wearable Art with ArtVan crew. Join Jamie Silvestri and volunteers to create something new to wear created from recycled materials. Make your own headband, vest, bracelet, you name it.
10:00-12:00 Recycled Stuff = Art with Shift Owners Corie
Washow
and
Rob Schulz.
Using unique connectors we'll turn your trash and recycleables into cool creations. Bring your own materials to build with - along the lines of cereal boxes, paper plates, the cardboard tubes from paper towel/toilet paper, yogurt containers, egg cartons, milk jugs,etc.! 
10:00-12:00 BookMarks with Topsham Library volunteers. Decorate a bookmark for your favorite book.
Image: Festival Mural
10:00-4:00 5x5 Masterpiece with Arts Are Elementary. Come join Arts Are Elementary and create a "5x5" masterpiece - a mini version of the locally familiar "10x10". A variety of mediums available at this station to inspire young art minds - come use paints, markers, or pencils on foamboard to make your own masterpiece and then border it with a handmade "frame". Will be ready to hang in your very own home exhibit! We estimate 5-20 minutes for this project.
10:00-12:00 Bubble & Print. Learn this print technique from Robin Brooks, Donna Parkinson and Sarah Vosmus. All ages welcome!
12:00-2:00 Giant Inflatable Creature with Susan Perrine and Big Brothers-Big Sisters. A giant inflatable creature will be built onsite during the festival. Show up at noon and join an impromptu group of artists who will design and build a giant inflatable art object. Using simple materials, recycled plastic and duct tape, we will construct an object that will hold air and with the help of a large fan will inflate to enormous proportions. Image, right: Inside the Giant Inflatable
12:00-2:00 Light Catchers with Bridget Spaeth. Create luminescent art of light and color with paper and inl. For ages 7 and up or younger artists with a parent.
12:00-4:00 Extreme Hats with Linda Blanton and volunteers. Create your personal festival statement with this workshop of remarkable toppers!
2:00-4:00 Jewel Jam Wearable Art. with Aura Ever. Bracelets, medallions, crowns and masks are created out of cardboard colored duck tape, sharpies yarn, string and ribbon and jewels....all we need are scissors, tape and imagination!
2:00-4:00 Family Hoop Jam with Amanda Walden from Spin Art. Amanda will have hula hoops in various sizes available for the whole family to try. Come and give them a spin!
2:00-4:00 Masks Make a face-a cat a monster a flower power mask-Your imagination is the only limit.
10:00-4:00 Weaving Demonstration with Michael Patterson. Patterson, whose studio is in Brunswick, offers demonstration weaving technique and patterns.
10:00-4:00 Learn more about local cultural nonprofits at info table, including The Theater Project, Maine Maritime Museum, The Chocolate Church, Bowdoin College Craft Center, Maine Fiberarts, and more.
10:00-12:00 Wrapped Rocks. Wrap your favorite rock in linen thread. Maine Fiberarts Director Christine Macchi shows how to crochet these one-of-a-kind keepsakes.
12:00-2:00 Henna Tattooing Demonstration with members of Lewiston Somali community and LA Arts
12:00-2:00 Celestial Star Maps with Rebecca McNulty from Dragon's Eye Ventures will share an old fashioned method of making nearly invisible star maps of the celestial seas.
Recommended for young adults and adults.
2:00-4:00 Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain with Hati Modr. Using these techniques helps everyone learn to draw!
2:00-4:00 Oil Pastels with Lee Cheever. Create your own Maine coastal scene and learn pastel techniques.
Images: Mask-maker at work, Light catcher at 2010 festival.
The Family Art Festival celebrates its 15th year this fall. It is sponsored by Five Rivers Arts Alliance, with support from Town of Brunswick, Thornton Oaks Retirement Community, Midcoast Health Services and the generous donations of many local individuals and businesses. Workshop Sponsors include: Atlantic Regional Federal Credit Union, Hannaford Supermarkets, Hammond Lumber, T. Kevin Sullivan, D.M.D., El Camino, Gulf of Maine Books, Maine Home Realty, Riley Insurance, and Scarlet Begonia's.
Membership and individual contributions are more than one third of Five Rivers Arts Alliance’s budget. If you are not a member already, join today! We are offering a discount, or a free t-shirt today! Your membership supports this festival and many more events, including ArtWalks in Bath, Brunswick and Topsham, member Meetings and Pecha Kucha Nights. We think that the arts play an essential role in our communities, in life-long learning and in our economy and your membership support our work to strengthen our communities through the arts.
Local artists and businesses have supported the festival with donations. Many have donated gift certificates and merchandise for our first Silent Take a look. Make a bid. There are great items for you, or someone you know. We are grateful for donations from:
- Saddleback Maine, 2 lift tickets, $150 value
- Gelato Fiasco, $25 gift certificates
- Agren Appliance, $50 gift certificate
- Best Buy, $10 gift certificate
- Great Impasta, $25 gift certificates
- Sea Dogs, $40 gift certificate
- Broadway Deli, $50 gift certificate
- Penobscot Bay Porch Swings, canvas bag, $25 value
- Michael Patterson, Handweaver, Woven wall hanging, $65 value
- Judy Johnson at Starz Hair Studio, $40 gift certificate for hair cut and style
- Sherwin Williams Paints, ceiling paint and roller set up, $30 value
- "The Outsider" by Livy Glaubitz giclee print, $45 value
- Oriental Restaurant, $10 gift certificate
- Murphy’s Seafood Grille, $25 gift certificate
- Grease Lighting, two $32.99 gift certificates for oil change
- Dunkin Donuts, $25 gift certificate
- Bart & Greg’s DVD Explosion, $25 gift certificate
- Thai Villa, $25 gift certificate
- Silver Earings by Judith Barker, of Markings Gallery, Bath, $78 value
- Summer Island Studio Gallery, $25 gift certificate
- Dawgtopia, $25 gift certificate toward dog care and grooming
- Pancho Villa, $25 gift certificate
- Matt Loosigian "Hungry for the Sun" CD
- Wilbur's Fine Candies, Box of chocolates!, $19.50 gift certificate
- Luxe Salon & Spa Gift Basket with Gift certificate and products, $120 value
- Bodwell's, Front end Alignment, $60 value
- Eco Kids Art Supplies, 2 sets, $72 value, donated by Eco Kids, Portland and also available at Shift, Brunswick
- Spindleworks Gift Basket, $56 value
- Lee Cheever Family Portrait-in time for Christmas cards, $140 value
- Susan Perrine Handwoven Sagadaho Wrap, $85 value
- Long Branch School, $25 Gift Certificate toward class of your choosing
Images: Photos from 2010 by Lee Cheever. Muck Monster, Mask Making, Giant Inflatable, Five Rivers T-shirts, Shotakan Karate demonstration
