Bass Harbor Memorial Library

Celebrate Our Community with Books!

Bass Harbor Memorial Library
89 Bernard Road, PO Box 99
Bernard, Maine 04612

Voice & Fax (207) 244-3798

What Did You Do This Summer

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An exhibit of works made this summer by local artists, ranging from intricate cyanotypes to found object sculptures, felted vases, and a mural created during the library’s summer art camp, will be on display this month at the library. 

A community Opening Reception for WHAT DID YOU DO THIS SUMMER will be held on Thursday, September 14th at 5:30 PM at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library. The exhibit will be on view throughout the month of September.

**This reception was rescheduled from the original date of Thursday, September 7th.

Lecture

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On Friday, August 25 at 5 PM the Bass Harbor Memorial Library will host a lecture, Janet Sobel: The 20th century’s Most Influential Artist You Have Never Heard Of, presented by local artist Ed Davis.

The painting above was not painted by Jackson Pollock. It was painted by an artist who dripped paint on a canvas before Pollock began his series. Why have you not heard of this artist? Mostly because this artist was a woman. Davis will talk about this artist and how the history of art might look very different today if women artists had been taken seriously in the not so distant past.

He will also discuss a then secret government program by the CIA that propelled Pollock and others into fame despite their communist leanings at a time when Senator McCarthy was destroying the careers of many other great artists. He will explore the inner workings of the art world today that propel some artists to fame and others remain obscure and why he believes that if Leonardo daVinci were alive today he might not have become famous as an artist.

Ed Davis is a graduate of Maine Collage of Art and has a Master’s Degree from Cambridge College. He has been creating paintings and sculpture for the past sixty years and has been a guest lecturer at Boston’s Constitution Museum, the US Naval Academy in Annapolis and for a variety of private organizations.

This lecture will be presented in-person at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library, located at 89 Bernard Road, Bernard, Maine.
 
You may also watch online via Zoom: https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/85370687673
 
For more information contact Bob Delsandro at bob.delsandro@bassharborlibrary.com or call 244-3798.

Book Fair

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Saturday, August 12th, 9 AM – 4 PM
Sunday, August 13th, 9 AM – 4 PM

Books of All Kinds
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Marine, Children’s,
Cookbooks, Gardening, Crafts, and More

Pay by Donation

Coffee and Baked Goods
Raffle with many Great Prizes
Raffle Drawing Sunday at noon

Community Conversations

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Community members are invited to share insights, voice concerns, and discuss potential solutions to substance use and mental health issues on MDI. Acadia Family Center will facilitate small group discussions for community members to connect, learn from one another, and inform the development of innovative new programs and services designed to meet local needs. A light supper will be served.
 
Facilitators:
Rota Knott, Executive Director, Acadia Family Center
Ken Hill, PhD, Provost, College of the Atlantic; AFC Board Member
John Hall, Police Chief, Southwest Harbor; AFC Board Member
Register Here.

 

ED DAVIS : PAINTINGS THAT SING

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An exhibit of paintings and sculpture by MDI native Ed Davis opens August 1 at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library. Davis is a graduate of Maine College of Art and has worked over the last 60 years in a variety of mediums including: watercolor, oil, acrylics, wood, clay, cast bronze, welded steel and copper, some of which are included in the exhibit.
The exhibit includes paintings the artist created during the Covid years during which he explored the relationship between music and painting. Some of the paintings in the exhibit are visual representations of actual pieces of music. The viewer is encouraged to try to hum or sing the actual tune the painting. The artist did tests on musicians during the creation process and was encouraged when they were able to translate the visual images into music. One piece by Bach however still remains elusive to viewers. The music paintings also challenge the viewer using the principles of color perception and chromatic relationships pioneered by the artist Josef Albers and whose theories the artist studied during art school during the 1960s.
Color relationships and space are also evident in one of the sculptures “Pemetic 1 and Pemetic 2” which are two free standing sculptures that actually form a single sculpture when viewed from a single geographic point. This painted wood sculpture is an example of what the artist calls a “range sculpture” and was inspired by the navigational ranges the artist encountered when delivering boats (his day job at that time) for clients along the US coast. A navigational range is a devise that allows the viewer to locate a single geographic location when two separate fixtures come into alignment. In this case the sculpture is designed to be viewed from a single geographic location at which point the two sculptures align and combine into a single image. The artist states that in some works the “second sculpture” could also also be be something man made or naturally occurring in the nearby environment that the art work may interact with visually.
Recent work also shown includes portraits of local people as well as a painting that is part of a series the artist is currently working on about how we as humans view nature. This work titled “Interstellar” was inspired by the creation of the James Webb telescope.
 
A community Opening Reception for ED DAVIS : PAINTINGS THAT SING will be held on Thursday, August 3 at 5:30 PM at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library. The exhibit will be on view throughout the month of August.
 
Library hours are:
Sunday & Monday : CLOSED
Tuesday 10 AM – 5 PM
Wednesday 10 AM – 5 PM
Thursday 10 AM – 8 PM
Friday 10 AM – 5 PM
Saturday 10 AM – 2 PM

Come Write with Us!

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Harbor Writing Circle
Monthly every 3rd Wednesday
5:30pm

Gather with other island writers to build community and make time to put pen to paper. The new writing circle at Bass Harbor Memorial Library will provide a mixture of free and structured writing time, an opportunity to share work and receive feedback, and feature occasional workshops and guest speakers. Open to all genres, ages, and experience levels– come write with us!

Contact librarian@bassharborlibrary.com with inquiries or to sign up. Of course, walk-ins are welcome, too.

This Month!

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𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 : 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗬 𝟮𝟬-𝟮𝟮
A 120th Birthday Celebration of Ruth Moore,
One of Maine’s most beloved 20th Century Writers & Poet
Join us for 3 days of Readings, Lectures, Poetry, and Presentations Celebrating the Life & Influence of Ruth Moore on Maine and the people she loved to live with and write about.
 
𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗬 𝟮𝟬 • 𝟱:𝟯𝟬 – 𝟳:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗠
Open call to all interested to read poetry or passages by Ruth Moore, or write poems or stories inspired by—or in the style of—Ruth. Readings start at 5:30 and run until done. For more information, or to sign up to present your work, please contact bob.delsandro@bassharborlibrary.com
 
𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗬 𝟮𝟭 • 𝟱:𝟯𝟬 – 𝟳:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗝𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗡𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗬 : 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗦: 𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗘 & 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗬
Ruth Moore was one of Maine’s most beloved 20th century writers. Jefferson’s presentation includes highlights from the Ruth Moore collection at the Maine Women Writers Collection. This talk touches on some of her most well-known books as well as her often-neglected poetry. Jefferson will share a variety of Moore’s poems and invite audience participation.
Jefferson Navicky is the archivist for the Maine Women Writers Collection. He is the author of Antique Densities: Modern Parables & Other Experiments in Short Prose, as well as the story collection, The Paper Coast, and the poetic novel, The Book of Transparencies. He lives in Freeport with his wife, dog, cats, and chickens.
 
𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗬 𝟮𝟮 • 𝟱:𝟯𝟬 – 𝟳:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
‘𝗜 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗭𝗢𝗡𝗦: 𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗘’ with musical accompaniment by Gus LaCasse & Mathias Kamin
A Play in Two Acts by Meg Taintor & Natalya Baldyga presented by Tremont Historical Society / 175th
Afterwards we’ll sing Happy Birthday to Ruth Moore and eat cake.
𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗯𝘆 𝗚𝗨𝗦 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘 & 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗦 𝗞𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡 • 𝟳:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠

Upcoming Lecture

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July 13th
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

While the MDI Biological Laboratory is certainly known by residents and visitors  alike, it’s history, the exact nature of the research, current investigations and future direction are probably less well known. To help celebrate the MDI Biological Laboratory’s 125 th anniversary, Jeri Bowers,nthe MDI Biological Laboratory’s Director of Development and Public Affairs andnDavid Evans, PhD, MDI Biological Laboratory Director Emeritus will share the history of the lab, it’s current status and its plans for the future. The connection between the MDI Biological Laboratory and the father of Acadia National Park, George Dorr, will also be examined.

If you’ve ever wondered about the Lab and its impact on important research this is your chance to learn. Please visit the Library’s web site to learn more.

On Our Walls

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MARY HAYS : VISIONS OF ACADIA

The Bass Harbor Memorial Library will be featuring an exhibit of award-winning hooked rugs throughout the month of July. Bass Harbor resident, Mary Hays, was honored in 2022 as the ‘International Hooked Rug Artist of the Year’ by the North American Hooked Rug Museum. The Bass Harbor Memorial Library will exhibit many of her pieces that were on display at the museum in Nova Scotia.

Inspired by her love of the Acadia Region and the work of her friend, the late Patty Wharton, Mary began hooking in 2013. “I have always loved working with fabric, especially wool, and this is the perfect way for me to express myself and the beauty of the region.” While many of the themes are representations of real places in the Acadia Region, some are fictional.

Beginning with a local hooked rug group, the ‘Hook and Eye’, Mary began exhibiting her work in area shows. A high point for her was the selection of her rug ‘Cobble Bridge’ for Hooked Rug magazines annual ‘Best Of’ edition in 2016. Mary designs each piece and it takes about six months to a year to complete.

“Often, it is the simple combination of sea, waves, clouds and trees that motivate my work. I never tire of this beautiful area.”— Mary Hays

A community Opening Reception for Mary Hays : Visions Of Acadia will be held on Thursday, July 6 from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library.

 

On Our Walls

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On the walls of the library—throughout the month of June—we will be displaying the naturally organic botanical artwork of local artisan, Becky Keefe.
The ability to use natural elements to color textiles has been known since ancient times, and Becky uses that knowledge of dyes from leaves, seeds, and flowers to create beautiful designs on a variety of fabrics. All are welcome to come in and admire these lovely works by of one of our community’s talented artists.
A Community Reception for this exhibit will be held on Thursday, June 8, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. We hope to see you there.