E-news February 2018

Your Curriculum Committee is excited to once again offer a very diverse curriculum for this coming spring semester, which begins March 22. The Spring Course Catalog will be available the first week in February, so keep an eye out. We have courses on gardening, technology, tech giants, watercolor painting, writing, abolition, French, figure drawing, the limits of reason, and literature from Chaucer to contemporary short stories. We also have several courses on the state of our nation– its evolution, where we are today, and compelling notions on what to do now. Please join us for another challenging and rewarding semester.

Friends,

On behalf of the entire Senior College community, I want to offer a special welcome to our new members. We are so glad to have you! I thought you might like to know that there have been over one-hundred of you since registration began in the fall. We hope you are having an enjoyable experience and want to do everything we can to make you feel at home. For many of our members, Senior College is an important way of finding friends and community. This is especially true if you are “from away,” which the majority are. It can take some time to feel comfortable in any situation, but engaging classes and refreshment-time encounters help a lot. Another excellent way to get acquainted is to volunteer in some capacity. From committees, the board, teaching, assisting in classes, there are many opportunities to get involved. We are an all-volunteer operation.

Especially if you are new, be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities for information and assistance. While classes are in session, there is always someone in the office. The rest of the year, the office is staffed on Thursdays from 10:00 to 1:00. You can also email Senior College at info@belfastseniorcollege.org. Your inquiry will be forwarded to the person best able to help. Our website (belfastseniorcollege.org) is constantly updated and is the most comprehensive source. We try to keep it easily navigable – so let us know if you have suggestions. Reading the monthly eNews helps keep you in the know. If you are curious about what the other Senior Colleges in Maine have to offer, go to the Maine Senior College Network. It publishes a monthly newsletter and provides links to all seventeen senior colleges.

Hoping you are enjoying your winter,

Arlin Larson, president

Brown Bag Lunch

A brown bag lunch is scheduled for February 8th from 11:45 to 12:45. Mark Pechenik, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach of Maine’s Alzheimer’s Association, will make a presentation called Know the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is a highly compelling educational program that not only identifies the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, but also the difference between normal aging and the disease, and the importance of an early diagnosis. If you or someone you know is experiencing memory loss or behavioral changes, this will be a good opportunity to learn the facts. Early detection gives you a chance to begin drug therapy, enroll in clinical studies and plan for the future.

16th Annual Festival of Art

Dear Friends,

Senior College at Belfast is pleased to announce that the 16th Annual Senior College Festival of Art will take place on June 7 – 10, 2018. Please mark your calendars and plan to join the fun!

Again this year, Maine artists age 50 and up will be invited to have a piece of their artwork exhibited during the Festival of Art. The Festival’s centerpiece is a 4-day non-juried art exhibit held at the UMaine Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

Artists wishing to place a piece of artwork in the Festival show must register during the month of March. The 2018 registration fee will be $15 per person. Registration fees pay for rental of the space where the Festival Art Show and related events are held. The Festival is organized by volunteers and all labor is donated. Senior College at Belfast covers Festival publicity and other costs.

Registration for the 16th Annual Senior College Festival of Art will begin on March 1, 2018. Registration information and forms will be distributed by email to artists who have participated in the Festival of Art in prior years and others who have indicated an interest in learning about this special event.

We are sending you this pre-registration notice to confirm that you are on our outreach list for the 2018 Festival. If you know of others who may not be on our list but might wish to participate this year, please forward this email to them and encourage them to send us their email address!

The registration deadline for this year’s Festival art show will be March 31, 2018.

Participating artists must drop off or arrange for someone to deliver their artwork to the Hutchinson Center in Belfast on Wednesday, June 6th, between 5 and 7 p.m. Artwork must be picked-up at the conclusion of the Festival, between 3 and 4 pm on Sunday, June 10th.

When we send out the registration forms we will provide you with more details about Festival requirements, logistics and special events.

Until then, best wishes from the Festival Organizing Committee.

Juliane Dow
Registration Coordinator

Art Festival Volunteer Opportunities

Please consider volunteering an hour or two of your time. As always, we need Greeters, Security Guards, and providers of light snacks for our opening night.

If you are willing to help, please e-mail me: cathy_bradbury@umit.maine.edu, or give me a call: 223-4459. Volunteers are necessary to make this event work and your help will be much appreciated.

Archives Committee

The task of collecting, sorting, and organizing materials donated to the Senior College Archives has been underway since 2002, when Mary Frenning, the donor of a large part of the collection urged that an archivist be appointed to oversee its initial formation and maintenance. This morphed into the establishment of the Archives Committee whose work initially consisted of writing guidelines for the kinds of materials that would be included and how they would be arranged. Our work currently includes reviewing donations and retaining those that fit the criteria for inclusion.

The heart of the Archives is a set of notebooks that contain Board of Trustees meeting minutes, notes and committee reports from the Annual Meetings as well as newsletters, course catalogs, and miscellaneous documents, clippings, photos and memorabilia. Also, there are three file boxes of loose files that supplement the collection.

Most members of the committee have been on board since day one. The only qualification for membership is an interest in helping to chronicle the workings of our great organization. The group gathers several times a year to discuss policies; most of the work is done by individuals on their own time.

If you would like to help out in any way, please contact Shirley Jarvella at jarvella@prescotthillbooks.com.

Publicity Committee

The Publicity Committee recently met and agreed to republish the popular bookmarks. The Committee is in the process of distributing them to local book stores, libraries, and other venues.

Postcards for Winterim will be printed and mailed in late December or early January.

We are pursuing creating a DVD on the Legends of Belfast Senior College. This project would include interviewing and taping conversations with the organizers and leadership of our organization in order to provide a filmed record of the organization, which plays a major role in the Belfast area.

Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving and a joyful holiday season.

Nancy Perkins

Outing to Colby College Museum of Art

The Special Events Committee is planning an April trip to Colby College Museum of Art, home to more than 8,000 works of 20th and 21st century American art. A guided tour by a Museum docent or professor will be available and time is planned to enjoy the exhibitions of American artists, including John Marin, George Bellows, Fairfield Porter, Marsden Hartley, Terry Winters, and Alex Katz. A special exhibit of the Sports Photography of Walter Iooss, known as the “poet laureate of sports” will also be on view for the sports aficionado.

Following the museum tour the group will meet for lunch at the Riverside Farm Restaurant and Wine Market in Oakland. Details of the trip will be announced in the March newsletter.

Special Events Report

The Special Events Committee’s Belfast premiere of “Maudie” at the Belfast Library on January 21st was a smash hit. The bitter cold day, the Patriot’s playoff game, and two political forums didn’t keep moviegoers from enjoying this excellent film. The film, about the folk artist Maud Lewis, provided 38 happy viewers with popcorn, water and chocolate snacks, and one lucky viewer, Gina Cressey of Belfast and Bayside got to take home the raffle prize of a 16-month calendar of Maud Lewis’ artwork. Local photographer and Senior College lecturer Paul Sheridan provided commentary before and after the film. Many mentioned that this might be an excellent regular event, so watch the newsletter for upcoming announcements!