This just in from Space Gallery in Portland:

"SPACE Gallery announces the resignation of Todd Bernard, its founding director, and the hiring of Ian Paige as the Events Programmer. Bernard drew upon his experience as an artist, educator and event planner when co-founding SPACE in 2002 with Jon Courtney. After six months’ work gutting a former pizza parlor in a storefront location in the heart of the arts district at 538 Congress Street, Bernard and Courtney opened SPACE with a group art exhibition that featured works in a variety of media and invited the participation of the public. It didn’t take SPACE long to become home to a wide range of emerging artists, local and touring musicians, and documentary film screenings."

The news is not unexpected. Word on the street for the past several months was that Bernard would be leaving to pursue a project related to developing a performing arts space, with seating for 500. This press release makes his departure official.

The other significance is the impact that Bernard and his staff have had on the Portlands arts scene. In its five years, Space made its reputation for presenting a great range of programming, both in performing arts and visual arts.

As evidence of that, in 2007 the gallery was named one of the top 40 music venues in the United States by the national music magazine Paste.

A musician, Paige has worked at Space for several years. He also is a local writer. Paige will book local and national touring acts and work with the rest of the gallery staff to develop other performance, literary and film events.

Hank would have been proud.

On what would have been Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 201st birthday, the Maine Historical Society and its supporters gathered Wednesday night to salute the great poet with a champagne toast, an impressive birthday cake, and to celebrate the launch of its $9 million capital campaign to renovate the historical society’s research library.

The campaign has just entered its public phase, but is well on the way to being completed. Already and very quietly, the historical society has raised $7.5 million. Included in that total is an anonymous donation of $1 million to name the library after John Marshall Brown and his wife, Alida Carroll.

The Brown family played a significant role in the history of Portland, Maine and the United States, and John Marshall Brown was active in the Maine Historical Society. He was on the board when the current library opened in 1907.

The renovation is underway, and the new building will open in spring 2009. After that, the historical society will begin the second phase of its campaign, as it attempts to raise money for a new museum building to replace its current home at 489 Congress St.

The activity is all part of what Maine College of Art president Jim Baker described in my column in Audience last week as a renaissance along Congress Street and the Arts District.

Wednesday’s event was festive. After the champagne toast and a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” in honor of Longfellow, Ted Noyes turned to me and quipped, “I bet you didn’t think we were such a jovial group.”

While the highlight of the event was the announcement of the campaign and the anonymous donation to name the library after the Browns, another highlight was the birthday cake. Shaped like open pages of a book, the cake included many of Longfellow’s most famous lines. It looked too good to eat, but we managed.

Historical society executive director Richard D’Abate cautioned supporters from becoming complacent, given the money already raised. “This is not the end of the campaign. It’s the beginning of the end,” he said.

We've been having trouble with our Web site today, and as you can see I am being mistaken for Kevin Thomas, our baseball writer. Now, I love baseball, and would love the chance to step in Kevin's shoes and write about the Sea Dogs and Red Sox for a change of pace, but that's a fantasy for another day.

We apologize for this inconvenience. I will update the blog later this week, as soon as we resolve our technical issues. Thanks for your patience.

Oftentimes, the most enjoyable art experience is that which is least expected.
That happened to me on Sunday, when I took my little white dog Mac on a walk over to Hinckley Park in South Portland.

It was a gorgeous morning, with a lot of sun, still-fresh snow on the ground and not a lot of people. Besides a few fellow dog-walkers, the only folks I encountered were a couple of people ice fishing on the frozen pond.

They drew my attention, but something else held it. In the middle of the pond, a huge wooden ladder ascends to the heavens.

My first instinct was to climb. I though of Jack and the Beanstalk, and wondered what the world might look like from above.

Common sense prevailed. Even though the hand-carved ladder appeared to be solidly built, svelte is not the first word that comes to mind when I describe my own physical structure. I could stand to loose a few pounds, and the thought of crashing down onto the ice in a heap wasn’t very appealing.

Besides that, the ladder was build with safety in mind. Some of the lower rungs are set far enough apart that you couldn’t humanly climb more than a couple of feet.

The work, called “Ascend,” is the creation of Portland-area artist Maisie Broome. She erected it on Feb. 19, and it will remain in the ice until March 1.

Be sure to check it out.

A solid 30 members of Portland's performing arts community will support their friend and colleague Daniel Noel Monday night, for a benefit on his behalf at Portland Stage Company.

Noel, an actor and playwright, lost nearly his entire collection of art, first-edition books, vinyl LPs and manuscripts when his Portland apartment flooded in January.

Noel had been away from his apartment, house sitting at a friend’s place, when the flood, caused by burst pipes, occurred. By the time the mishap was discovered, the damage was done.

He estimates that he lost almost all of his 1,700 books - many of them signed and many others first editions – and a large collection of art by local artists. Most of his 700 albums were damaged, along with a collection of antiques.

At 7:30 p.m. Monday, his friends will present a benefit show for Noel at Portland Stage, titled “After the Flood.” People who attend are asked to donate $10 at the door. Money raised on Monday will help Noel replace furniture, clothing, appliances and personal items.

The list of performers is a who’s-who of the Portland theater scene. Subject to change, the roster looks like this: James Herrera, Gordon Tweedie, Moira Driscoll, Ian Carlson, Nate Amandon, James Hoban, Deb Freeman, Peter Brown, Duane Pierson, Mark Honan, Ron Botting, Christine Marshall, Karen Ball, J.P. Guimont, Patricia Buckley, Ted Tibbits, Susan and Tony Reilly, Bob Gans, Andrew Harris, Harlan Baker, Madelaine Paine, Thomas Smallwood, Martin Steingesser, Carolyn Gage, Kevin Neales, Jay Piscopo and Hans Spencer.

Noel wrote “Longfellow: A Life in Words,” and appears regularly in plays in Portland and around Maine.

Taggers beware. Police are ratcheting up their efforts to catch graffiti artists.

The Boston Globe ran a fascinating story on Sunday about Boston-area cops’ dogged pursuit of the notorious graffiti artist Adam Brandt, better known by his tag, “Spek.”

According to the story, police have been after this guy for several years. After arresting him, police executed a search warrant of his home, where they found spray cans, nozzles, sketches and other materials.

The Globe story suggests that Brandt could face between two and three years on each charge that he faces, and he’s up against 16 counts each of tagging and malicious destruction of property.

The story should signal a warning to graffiti artists everywhere. Police are catching on and catching up.

The month of February offers several great opportunities to experience the rich traditions of Maine art in Portland galleries, and the best may well be at Aucocisco on Congress Street.

In the main gallery by the front door, David Moses Bridges, a Passamaqoddy, displays a 16-foot, hand-hewn birch bark canoe. More than a canoe, it’s an aesthetic wonder, down to the finely etched native motifs that adorn the sides of the canoe.

A basket maker, Bridges also shows many other examples of his work throughout the gallery. He shares the space with a peer, Richard Van Buren.

Bridges made the canoe with a single sheet of birch bark, and harvested the ribs and other structural supports from cedar and maple. He tied it all together with red spruce roots. The boat is seaworthy, made entirely from hand with natural materials.

It is gorgeous, and well worth a look. The show remains up until March 1.

From the surprisingly big-time department, Maine figurative artist Tanya Fletcher will show her work in March in the new Los Angeles showroom of Maine-based furniture-maker Thos. Moser, opening in March.

When she got word that she was selected to show in Thos. Moser’s L.A., Fletcher thought that meant Lewiston-Auburn.

She focuses her work on the human form, and in particular details of the body – a hand, the lips or neckline. In current work, she emphasizes the hands as they are engaged in furniture making.

“My hope is that the figurative movement of the hands illustrates and encompasses the totality of the actual individual in the act of crafting a piece,” she said in an e-mail.

To learn more, visit http://tanyafletcher.com or www.thosmoser.com.

The theater scene is buzzing this week. At least four shows are playing in the Portland area, including “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday,” which opens Thursday and runs only through the weekend at USM in Gorham.

Also opening Thursday, appropriate for Valentine’s Day, is “Prelude to a Kiss” by Good Theater at the St. Lawrence in Portland.

Continuing are “Fully Committed” starring Dustin Tucker at Portland Stage, and “The Pillowman” by Mad Horse at the studio theater at Portland Stage.

“Fully Committed” closes on Sunday. Tucker is getting a standing-O every night. It’s a one-man show, and Tucker plays somewhere around 35 characters. His main character is a reservation clerk at a haughty NYC restaurant. All the other characters are those he interacts with over the course of the day.

Writing in Monday’s PPH, Steve Feeney gave “The Pillowman” by Mad Horse a solid review. One of the most-talked about plays in America, “The Pillowman” is dark and funny, exactly the kind of show for Mad Horse.

Good Theater’s “Prelude to a Kiss” is the Portland premiere for the Tony- and Pulitzer-nominated show. It premiered in California in 1988, and moved off-Broadway in 1990 before opening on Broadway starring Timothy Hutton and Mary-Louise Parker. It ran for 440 performances on Broadway, garnered a Tony nomination for best play, and was a Pulitzer finalist for drama.

Bob Fish directs the Good Theater production, which stars Brian Chamberlain, Tess Van Horn and Chris Horton.

And speaking of Good Theater, I caught “Marvelous! The Judy Garland Song Book” on Saturday night. A tribute to Garland and her remarkable voice, the show is a perfect vehicle for Maine-based singer Kelly Caufield. More than once, I felt that Caufield was as good a singer as I’ve seen on a Portland stage in a long, long time.

“Marvelous!” is closed now, but will be back. The show is designed to travel, and it almost certainly will resurface soon. When it does, go.

The law and the arts can be a murky mix. Beginning this afternoon, the Maine Center for Creativity and the University of Maine School of Law collaborate on a discussion series designed to help creative thinkers wade through the muck.

The Portland-based Maine Center for Creativity and the law school's Center for Law & Innovation host a discussion from 3:30 to 5 p.m. today at the law school with designer Angela Adams and designer-turned-lawyer Margaret O'Keefe. Today's session focuses on fine arts and graphic design.

Other sessions will include Connie Hayes, Scott Nash, Spencer Albee and others. For details, call 874-6521.

If you are out and about on Sunday, check out the "Linear Perspectives" exhibition at the June Fitzpatrick Gallery at MECA. Beginning at 2 p.m., Brown Brown hosts a discussion with several artists in the show.

Brown, curator emeritus at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, curated the show. It's CMCA's annual winter Portland exhibition.

And, speaking of Brown and Fitzpatrick, they will appear on MPBN's "Maine Watch" program at 8:30 tonight, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Jennifer Rooks hosts a panel discussion about contemporary art in Maine. Also appearing is yours truly.

And finally, am I the only one who thinks the plastic-wrapped building that's going up at the corner of Marginal Way and Preble Street Extension looks something like a Christo installation?

The New England Foundation for the Arts announced today a series of seven events intended to encourage the exchange of ideas in New England's dance communities, including one March 9-10 in Lewiston.

The events, which are free, are designed to bring together local dance artists, educators, presenters, funders, advocates and audiences to discuss pertinent dance-related topics.

In Lewiston, participants will explore strategies to contextualize work to broaden audiences and deepen impact, and think about ways to leverage regional artists through the support systems for national artists.

The event, titled "Context and Collaboration," will include performance, discussions, networking and community building.

It will be at the Franco-American Heritage Center and Bates College.
For more information, visit www.nefa.org.

Two prominent Portland arts groups are collaborating to present "Movies at the Square," a film series that launches at 8 tonight and continues each Wednesday through May.

Whitney Art Works and One Longfellow Square are teaming up for the series, which opens with "Five Easy Pieces." Each month will feature a different theme, and will include films from Hollywood as well as alternative titles.

The movies will be shown at One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland.

The February theme is "Music in Films." After tonight's debut with "Five Easy Pieces," the schedule will include "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" at 8 p.m. Feb. 13 and "Topsy Turvey" at 8 p.m. Feb. 20.

The March theme is "Talkies," with "My Dinner with Andre," "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "Mindwalk."

Admission is $6. Call 761-1757.

University of Southern Maine artist-in-residence Gideon Bok begins an on-site painting 2 to 4 p.m. today at the USM Art Gallery in Gorham.
The USM gallery will function as Bok's painting gallery during this process. During his residency, he will work on a piece that will be left to USM as part of his residency.
An exhibition of his work, "Analog," runs Feb. 26 to April 6. He will work on his on-site painting 2 to 4 p.m. today, Feb. 13 and Feb. 27, and again March 5, March 12 and April 2.

Welcome to the Artful Blogger, and thank you for taking the time to visit. We hope this blog provides enough timely, useful and provocative information that you will check back often. I plan to update regularly – several times a week, or more when appropriate.

My goal is for this blog to become a place for the fast dissemination of information about the arts in Maine. I view this blog as a complementary piece to my regular arts stories, columns and dispatches that appear in Go, our entertainment guide that comes out each Thursday in the Portland Press Herald, and the Audience section in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

I run into stories all the time that I never get to tell -- not enough time or space for all of them. The blog provides an outlet for those stories.

The information that appears here will be grounded in fact and will meet the same journalistic criteria of any arts stories that appears in the printed paper.

With that in mind, here we go …

I caught up with Daniel Minter on Monday morning at the new Museum of African Culture at 13 Brown St. in Portland, just off Monument Square and a few doors up from Margarita’s.

The museum, which used to beon Spring Street, celebrates its new home with a ribbon-cutting at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Minter also will open his exhibition “Maine’s Malaga Island,” a series of paintings and woodcuts he created to honor those who lost their homes when the state removed them from the midcoast island in 1912.

The work focuses on the notion of home and the struggles of people have to keep their homes. It’s powerful work, full of impact and passion. Look for my column about Minter and the museum in Audience this Sunday.

Cecil MacKinnon, director of “Much Ado About Nothing” at Portland Stage Company, arrived in Portland on Monday afternoon. She meets with cast and crew for the first time Tuesday morning. She’ll give her vision of the show, then turn the cast loose for its first read through. The play opens Feb. 29.

February is an exceedingly busy month for local theater. Mad Horse opens the much-anticipated stunner “The Pillowman” on Thursday in the studio theater at Portland Performing Arts Center, and Good Theater is in the midst of its run of “Marvelous! The Judy Garland Song Book” at the St. Lawrence on Munjoy Hill. Meanwhile, Portland Stage continues with “Fully Committed” through Feb. 17, and USM is readying “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday” for a Feb. 14 opening. Acorn Productions teams with USM for a free performance of a 90-minute, three-person verion of “Hamlet” at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Gerald E. Talbot Lecture Hall of the Portland campus, and Good Theater returns with “Prelude to a Kiss,” opening a four-week run on Feb. 14 at the St. Lawrence. See you in the aisles.