TheaterThe Red Shoes November 17 to 27 and December 2 to 4. A magic pair of red shoes that cause anyone who puts them on to dance incessantly, a gypsy mountebank, a mute clown-mime, a picturesque Danish village, a pretty young orphan girl, a brave cobbler's apprentice, and a sweet grandmother make a tale of happily ever after. Belfast Maskers. 207-338-9668.
www.belfastmaskerstheater.com Miracle on 34th StreetNovember 25 through December 4. The classic Christmas story that won Kriss Kringle an Oscar (well, Edmund Gwenn, anyway.) Waterville Opera House. 207-873-7000.
www.operahouse.com How I Learned to DriveDecember 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and December 4 and December 10 at 5 p.m. A wildly funny, surprising, and devastating story of sexual survival as seen through the lens of a troubling relationship between a young girl and an older man. For mature audiences only. Saint Lawrence Arts Community Center, Portland. 207-775-5568.
www.stlawrencearts.org A Christmas CarolDecember 2 to December 24. This holiday special is full of music, spirits, special effects, and all your favorite Dickens characters. God bless them, every one. Portland Stage Company. 207-774-0465.
www.portlandstage.com The EscapistsDecember 5 at 8 p.m. The Escapists are a group of performers, writers, and comedians who make smart, rambunctious entertainment that ranges from guerrilla theater on the streets of Portland to performing at ImprovBoston Theater. Saint Lawrence Arts Community Center, Portland. 207-775-5568.
www.stlawrencearts.org A Christmas CarolDecember 9 & 10 at 7 p.m. and December 11 at 1 and 4 p.m. The Public Theatre's unique adaptation of Charles Dickens' seasonal favorite. Uncluttered by garish spectacle, six actors and a fiddler grab a handful of props and bring Dickens' language and characters to life in a way you've never imagined. The performance also includes a Homespun Holiday featuring holiday songs and stories by fiddler Jennifer Armstrong. Lewiston-Auburn. 207-782-3200.
www.thepublictheatre.org A Christmas CarolDecember 17 to 21. Charles Blaisdell returns with his one-man rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Relive all the famous characters through one man. Waterville Opera House. 207-873-7000.
www.operahouse.com Nutcracker BurlesqueDecember 19 to 22 at 7:30 p.m. and December 23 at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Nutcracker Burlesque is an innovative re-imagining of The Nutcracker that takes place at a corporate holiday party, where a grown-up Clara observes the antics of her not-so-faithful boyfriend. Then "Uncle" Drosselmeyer takes Clara for a walk downtown to the realm of the Sugar-Plum Fairy, where belly dancers undulate in smoky opium dens and Spanish dancers sizzle on the street. This show is not for children. Saint Lawrence Arts Community Center, Portland. 207-775-5568.
www.stlawrencearts.org The Maine Hysterical SocietyDecember 26 to 28. Back by popular demand, Sunny Day, Russell Spurwink, and Emmitt Pickitt return to the Saint Lawrence Arts Community Center for five shows. A fast-paced evening of hilarious comic sketches, Down East song parodies, and wicked good jugglin', starring Steve Underwood, Barney Martin, and Randy Judkins. Saint Lawrence Arts Community Center, Portland. 207-775-5568.
www.stlawrencearts.org PhyzgigDecember 26 to 31. This festival of physical comedy showcases the work of new vaudeville artists with juggling, magic, and outrageous feats of dexterity. Phyzgig began as a celebration of the work of the many talented performers who trained with Tony Montanaro at the Celebration Barn Theatre in South Paris, Maine, and now includes vaudeville-style variety shows with live music at the Portland Performing Arts Center. Also from December 27 to 30 a Phyzkidz series of children's shows will be held at SPACE Gallery in downtown Portland. 207-766-3386.
www.acorn-productions.org Music and DanceKate RiggNovember 25 through December 1. Quickly gaining a large following within the spoken word and urban music communities, this trip-hop exploration of contemporary Asian-American identity features lyrics and fierce rapping by Kate Rigg and includes samples, beats, and musical enigmas created by Lyris Hung, ex-Juilliard virtuoso turned supersonic electronic violonic diva. Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland. 207-761-1545.
www.centerforculturalexchange.org Christmas from Dublin — Three Irish TenorsNovember 26 at 7:30 p.m. This talented trio has performed to packed houses throughout Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. — and made many a lass and lad cry. The Chocolate Church, Bath. 207-442-8455.
www.chocolatechurch.com The NutcrackerNovember 26 through December 4. What would Christmas be like without Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker? We shudder to imagine. Portland's Merrill Auditorium. Maine State Ballet. 207-842-0800.
www.mainestateballet.org The Beach Boys Christmas ShowNovember 27 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. For a band associated with the halcyon days of summer, the Beach Boys had plenty of Christmas hits, "Little Saint Nick" and "Merry Christmas, Baby" among them. The famous harmonists will be performing these along with Christmas standards and all the surf songs that still make them a sensation. Maine Center for the Arts, Orono. 207-581-1755.
www.ume.maine . edu/~mca/
Joyous Sounds for a Festive SeasonNovember 29 at 7:30 p.m. The University of Southern Maine Chamber Singers, conducted by Robert Russell, will sing classical motets, a birthday tribute to Mozart, and songs of the season at the Immanuel Baptist Church, Port-land. 207-780-5555.
www.usm.maine . edu/music
Gov't MuleNovember 29 at 7 p.m. If this psychedelic, bluesy band reminds you a little of the Allman Brothers, well, that's because two members, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, had a stint with southern rock's most famous native sons. The State Theatre, Portland. 207-780-8265.
www.liveatthestate.com Barenaked LadiesDecember 1 at 7:30 p.m. It's been more than one week since Canada's quirky popsters performed at the Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. 207-775-3331.
www.theciviccenter.com Cerberus ShoalDecember 3. For the past decade this Maine band has been traveling and playing from New England to real England and beyond, bringing its unique blend of percussion and vocals to packed alternative rock venues. They're coming home to finish off their 2005 fall tour at the SPACE Gallery in Portland. 207-828-5600.
www.space538.org /
Radio IIDecember 3 at 7:30 p.m. and December 4 at 2 p.m. Freeport Community Players' second annual revue of music and vignettes from the Golden Age of Radio — the thirties, forties, and fifties. In addition to "The Chattanooga Choo-Choo," "Over the Rainbow," and "Wake Up Little Susie," there will be a detective drama, cowboy variety show, and a melodrama. Freeport Performing Arts Center, Freeport High School. 207-865-2220.
www.fcponline.org Christmas at the CathedralDecember 3 at 8 p.m. and December 4 at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Many Portlanders believe the holiday season begins with these concerts. Joined once again by the Portland Brass Quintet, the Choral Art Society will sing familiar seasonal music, a cappella motets, and music for chorus, organ, and brass. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland. 207-828-0043.
www.choralart.org Gospel Holiday ConcertDecember 3. The Silver Leaf Gospel Singers and The Bluegrass Gospel Project will put the spirit into your season with this annual holiday gospel event. Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland. 207-761-1545.
www.centerforculturalexchange.org The NutcrackerDecember 3 & 4. Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The Bangor Symphony Orchestra and Robinson Ballet, along with the Bangor Area Children's Choir, have made Tchaikovsky's Christmas classic a cracking success for nineteen years. Maine Center for the Arts, Hutchins Concert Hall, Bangor. 207-942-5555.
www.bangorsymphony.com Scottish Christmas December 6 at 7 p.m. Imagine a crisp, Scottish winter day — air spiced with single malt scotch, a dusting of snow, and the weird drone of bagpipes over the Highlands. A Scottish Christmas presents a lively collection of Scottish carols, wassail tunes, and traditional Highland music and dances featuring Bonnie Rideout, one of Scotland's finest fiddlers. Maine Center for the Arts, Orono. 207-581-1755.
www.ume.maine . edu/~mca/
Lissa SchneckenburgerDecember 8. Hometown girl plays traditional New England fiddle tunes and folk songs, with some original and contemporary music thrown in for good measure. Ramada Inn, Lewiston. L-A Arts. 800-639-2919 or 207-782-7228.
www.laarts.org Sesame Street LiveDecember 8 to 11. It doesn't matter if your favorite character is Cookie Monster or Oscar the Grouch, you'll find them all in this children's show featuring all of the famous Sesame Street characters. This year's production is titled Elmo's Coloring Book. And who doesn't love this furry red monster? Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. 207-775-3331.
www.theciviccenter.com The Magic of ChristmasDecember 9 to 18. Celebrate the spirit of the season with Toshi Shimada of the Portland Symphony Orchestra for his farewell performances of this festive favorite, along with soloists and sing-alongs at Portland's Merrill Auditorium. Highlights include an organ prelude concert, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," sacred hymn sing-along, "White Christmas," and the Hallelujah Chorus. Portland Symphony Orchestra. 207-842-0800.
www.portlandsymphony.com Casco Bay TummlersDecember 10. Portland's own Casco Bay Tummlers are back to celebrate their third CD of klezmer music, Journey. The Tummlers are noted for their fine musicianship, eclectic repertoire, and charming stage presence. They have entertained audiences from Eastport to eastern Italy. Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland. 207-761-1545.
www.centerforculturalexchange.org Christmas from Around The WorldDecember 10 at 7:30 p.m. With vocal artistry and poise, Russia's most prestigious boys choir, the Moscow Boys Choir, will perform an enchanting concert of holiday carols from around the world. The same program was performed at the White House before President Bill Clinton. Camden Opera House. Bay Chamber Concerts. 207-236-2823 or 888-707-2770.
www.baychamberconcerts.org A Holiday GiftDecember 10 at 7:30 p.m. The Androscoggin Chorale and Blue Hill Brass Quintet chime in the holiday season with Auburn Methodist Ringers. First Congregational Church, South Paris. Also on December 11 at 3 p.m. at the Franco-American Heritage Center, Lewiston. Maine Music Society. 207-782-1403.
www.mainemusicsociety.org Southern Maine Children's ChorusDecember 11 at 3 p.m. The boys and girls come out to sing at this free event. Sacred Heart Church, Yarmouth. 207-780-5555.
www.usm.maine.edu/music Messiah Sing-Along December 16 at 7:30 p.m. The Androscoggin Chorale and the Androscoggin Valley Community Orchestra invite the public to sing along with the chorus of this well-beloved holiday favorite at St. Joseph's Church, Lewiston. It'll make for a joyful noise indeed. Maine Music Society. 207-782-1403.
www.mainemusicsociety.org The NutcrackerDecember 16 to 17. Andrei Bossov's adaptation of The Nutcracker is sweet, sparkly, and altogether charming. Bossov Ballet Theatre. Waterville Opera House. 207-873-7000.
www.operahouse.com The Victorian NutcrackerDecember 17 & 18 at Schaffer Theatre, Lewiston and December 23 at Merrill Auditorium, Portland. This holiday extravaganza, set in Portland's Victorian era, features costumes and sets based on the Victoria Mansion and performances by the Portland Ballet Company with the Portland Ballet Orchestra and the Victorian Festival Singers. 207-772-9671.
www.portlandballet.org The Full MontyDecember 18 at 7 p.m. Broadway's smash hit musical about six buddies whose desperate plan to get their lives back together requires them to triumph over their fears, their nerves, and their clothes. Nominated for ten 2001 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Maine Center for the Arts, Orono. 207-581-1755.
www.ume.maine.edu/~mca/ CODA Chorus: International Holiday ConcertDecember 18 at 2 p.m. An exciting, uplifting 100-voice chorus celebrating the season. St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Augusta. 207-621-3551.
www.codachorus.org Christmas with CornilsDecember 19 at 7:30 p.m. Portland's Municipal Organist Ray Cornils presents a varied program of holiday classics, including special guest artists the Kotzschmar Festival Brass, the Choral Art Society's Camerata, and the ever-popular Parish Ringers handbell choir and their bells. Portland's Merrill Auditorium. 207-842-0800.
www.foko.org Sing! It's ChristmasDecember 19 at 7:30 p.m. It's all about spirit. The Chocolate Church invites the community to a sing-along of all the holiday favorites. Bath. 207-442-8455.
www.chocolatechurch.com Andy HappelDecember 30 at 8 p.m. Accomplished composer. Producer. Electrifying performer. Instrumentalist. There are many labels and many titles to bestow upon Andy Happel, but most know him simply as the guy who plays a mean violin. Saint Lawrence Arts Community Center, Portland. 207-775-5568.
www.stlawrencearts.org Special EventsHistory Exhibit at Harrington House 2005Through December. Begun in 1799, Pettengill Farm is one of the oldest of Maine's saltwater farms. This exhibition complements the publication of A Window Through Time — Pettengill Farm & the Soul of New England and launches the thirtieth anniversary of Pettengill Farm Stewardship. The book takes viewers back 200 years to explore what it was like to live and work on the Maine coast before automobiles, rusticators, and L.L. Bean. Harrington House, Freeport. 207-865-3170.
www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org Thanksgiving Craft ShowNovember 25 & 26, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get your Christmas shopping done early at this United Maine Craftsmen's weekend bonanza. Brewer Auditorium. Admission is $1. 207-621-2818.
www.unitedmainecraftsmen.com Thanksgiving Weekend Open House November 25 to 27. Hedgehog Hill Farm has been chosen by the editors of another magazine — which we shall not name — as one of six destinations to visit in New England, but don't let that discourage you. It has all the wreaths, jams and jellies, bouquets of dried flowers, and swags you need for the holidays. Sumner. 207-388-2341.
www.HedgehogHillFarm.com Christmas at Victoria MansionNovember 25 to 31, Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Now in its twenty-first year, Christmas at Victoria Mansion has become a time-honored tradition of the Portland holiday season, and the beginning of the city's Victorian Christmas celebration. Each year area designers, decorators, and florists volunteer their time and talent to transform the Victoria Mansion from a palace by the bay to a Christmas wonderland with beautiful holiday decorations and arrangements. The theme this year is "A Dickens Christmas." 109 Danforth Street, Portland. 207-772-4841.
www.victoriamansion.org Christmas at the BoathouseNovember 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A sale of fine arts and fine crafts, with light lunches provided by Brookside Cottage Catering. Boathouse on the Waterfront in Belfast. 207-338-5697.
Holiday Craft MarketNovember 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Apparently Santa values Made in Maine items. He'll be at this juried craft show, featuring more than seventy talented exhibitors from across the state. Samoset Resort in Rockport. 207-596-0376 or 800-562-2529.
www.therealmaine.com Maine Antique Paper ShowNovember 26. From throughout the Northeast, dealers of old maps, antiquarian books, trading cards, letters, and photographs bring their collectibles and treasures to Maine. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Governor's Restaurant, 700 Main Street, Route 1, South Portland. 207-828-8065.
Winterlude Gallery Talks November 26 and December 3, 10, and 17 at 2 p.m. The Portland Museum of Art's docents share their knowledge of and insights into the art and artists featured in this season's exhibitions. On December 26, Virginia Delano presents Murray Hantman: The Path to Abstraction; December 3, John Fatula presents Christo and Jeanne-Claude: It's a Wrap!; December 10, Claudia Bantz presents Murray Hantman's Monhegan; and December 17, Judy Cutler presents As Murray Hantman Sees It. Gallery Talks begin in the Great Hall and usually last about forty-five minutes. Free with museum admission. 7 Congress Square, Portland. 207-775-6148.
www.portlandmuseum.org Maine Historical SocietyNovember 29 from noon to 1 p.m. The Maine Charitable Mechanics. Charles Scontras, of the Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine, looks back at the Maine Charitable Mechanics Association. Free. On December 6 from noon to 1 p.m. Picturing Place: Portland and the Visual Arts. Hear Donna M. Cassidy, associate professor of American and New England Studies and Art History, explain how the visual arts reveal a particular Portland, a city outside the modern and a place that never changes. Free. 489 Congress Street, Portland. 207-774-1822.
www.mainehistory.org Christmas Prelude at the Nott HouseDecember 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. Champagne reception and tour of the Nott House. Other tours of the house are scheduled December 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. and December 3 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kennebunkport. 207-967-2751.
www.kporthistory.org PROP's Gala and Silent AuctionDecember 1. The People's Regional Opportunity Program, which helps families and individuals build better lives for themselves through affordable housing, substance abuse support, heating assistance, and affordable child care, celebrates forty years of service with a gala and silent auction at the West Mansion in Portland. 207-874-1140, ext. 299.
Festival of TreesDecember 1 to 12. Each night Christmas trees that are sponsored and decorated by local businesses are lit up in the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church. Nightly entertainment includes a cabaret, a Christian rock concert, bell ringers, and choirs. The event is free but donations are cheerfully accepted, and all proceeds are donated to local charities. 207-854-4147.
www.westbrookwarren . com/festivaloftrees/index.htm
Fifteenth Annual Holiday Scholarship GalaDecember 2 at 6 p.m. This year's USM School of Music's gala includes hors d'oeuvres, a formal dinner with wine, dessert, coffee, and entertainment, plus a fabulous live auction and raffle. Brooks Student Center, Gorham campus. A reservation is required by November 23. 207-780-5003.
www.usm.maine.edu/music/ A New Tradition: The Origins of the Christmas TreeDecember 2 to 31. Christmas trees were largely unknown in this country until a mid-nineteenth century engraving of Queen Victoria and her family celebrating the holidays around a tree sparked a craze for the festive centerpiece that continues today. This year, the newly restored Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, will feature its own tree and the house will be decorated to reflect an 1850s Christmas. Following the tour, guests are invited to enjoy children's activities and the annual Holiday Book and Gift Fair next door at the Maine Historical Society. Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Portland. 207-774-1822.
www.mainehistory.org Holiday Bazaar at MerryspringDecember 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and December 4 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The frost may already be in the ground, but Camden's Merryspring Nature Park still manages to offer a variety of plants, greens, wreaths, live arrangements, and lots of exciting gifts for holiday giving and decorating. 207-236-2239.
www.merryspring.org Holiday Craft ShowDecember 3 & 4, Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's a little like Santa's workshop, except there are no elves. Instead there are ninety-seven craftspeople selling their handcrafted products at this twenty-eighth annual holiday show. USM Gym on Falmouth Street, Portland. 207-621-2818.
www.unitedmainecraftsmen.com Remembering the HolidaysDecember 3 & 4, December 10 & 11, and December 17 & 18. Capture the holiday spirit over the past three centuries in one of Portland's most historic eighteenth-century houses. The festivities include a special exhibit at the Tate House Museum to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Tate House. 207-774-6177. ww.tatehouse.org
Brown Bag LectureDecember 7. Join Christopher Castellani, author of The Saint of Lost Things. Castellani lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he is the artistic director of grub street, a Boston-based non-profit creative writing center. Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library. 207-871-1710.
www.portlandlibrary.com Arts and Lecture SeriesDecember 11 at 2:30 p.m. Join two-time Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winner David McCullough, who has been called a master of the art of narrative history. His historical novels are highly praised for their literary scholarship and narrative insight into American life. Camden Public Library. 207-236-2823.
www.camden.lib.me.us MuseumsPortland Harbor MuseumThe location of the Portland Harbor Museum alone would be reason enough to visit: the small museum sits right on Casco Bay at Spring Point, with easy access to the Spring Point Ledge Light and the Spring Point Shoreline Walkway. But the museum's collection is worthy in its own right, and it frequently hosts interesting exhibits like those up through November 27: Old Salts and New Directions: Portland Harbor and the People who Make it Work; and Snow Squall: The Journey of an American Clipper Ship. The museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. South Portland. 207-799-6337.
www.portlandharbormuseum.org Portland Museum Of ArtMurray Hantman's life spanned almost the whole of the twentieth century — 1904-1999 — and for half that time the New Yorker spent his summers on Monhegan and in New Harbor, compelled by the unique lighting and expansive vistas of the Maine coast. This retrospective exhibition charts Hantman's evolution from his early training at New York's progressive Art Students League to his assistance on major public mural projects during the Depression to his arrival at an abstract painting style in the years after World War II. Through January 29, 2006. ? Christo's Gates were quite the phenomenon in New York's Central Park in the past year, and now the famed fabric artist is coming to Maine. Sort of. Wrapping trees in the North Woods? No, he'll be here in the form of the exhibit Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The W?rth Museum Collection, which is drawn from one of the most comprehensive collections of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work in the world, that owned by the W?rth Museum in K?nzelsau, Germany. This exhibit is composed of drawings, scale models, collages, and photographs that provide an overview of each of the monumental Christo and Jeanne-Claude projects to date. November 3 through December 31. 7 Congress Square, Portland. 207-775-6148.
www.portlandmuseum.org Farnsworth Art Museum & Wyeth CenterA highly respected artist and a revered teacher, Frederick Lynch [Down East, August 2003], has lived and worked in Maine for more than thirty years, building a reputation as one of the leading abstract painters in the region. Not everyone can paint in a style that incorporates elements of Cubism, hard-edge Abstraction, Pop Art, and Minimalism, but Lynch manages to blend all these into a unique style that's his own, as this retrospective shows. Through February 15, 2006. ? Selected Works by James Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth. Oh, those Wyeths. They're back at the Farnsworth (okay, so they really never leave the Farnsworth). The show pits the work of grandson Jamie against the work of grandpa N.C. through March 1, 2006. ? Stew Henderson: Recent Work. Henderson's sculptural collages have done the Maine gallery circuit. Now the artist, who teaches at the Arts Center at Kingdom Falls in Montville, is hitting it big with a solo show at the Farnsworth. His colorful, geometric collages will be on display from November 30 through February 22, 2006. Rockland. 207-596-6457.
www.farnsworthmuseum.org Bates Museum of ArtRobert Indiana is a great admirer of Marsden Hartley, the Lewiston native and famed American modernist, and in the early 1990s he created an homage to him: the Hartley Elegies. The imagery in these ten large-scale prints is drawn from Hartley's 1914-15 German Officer paintings, created after the death of the young soldier Karl von Freyburg, a devastating event in Hartley's life. In his distinctive style, Indiana unites military insignia and geometric forms with references to Maine, America, war, and historical events to create a series of symbolic portraits. Through December 17. ? Off the Coast: A Landscape Chronology explores innovations in contemporary landscape art and shows how recent Maine painters are changing the way people from away perceive the Pine Tree State. Through May 30, 2006. 75 Russell Street, Lewiston. 207-786-6158.
www.bates.edu/museum.xml Colby College Museum of ArtCurrents2: Sam van Aken. In Colby's second annual emerging artist exhibition, Currrents2, installation artist and University of Maine Professor of Art Sam van Aken creates a multimedia installation exploring his personal and artistic engagement with the 1976 Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Van Aken takes on the identity of Richard Dreyfuss' character, Roy Neary: he grows sideburns, gains weight, drives a Buick station wagon, and retraces Neary's pilgrimage to Devil's Tower. As part of a two-year project, van Aken recreates scenes and builds sculptural sets from the movie. November 17 through February 12, 2006. ? Bringing together the work of Colby College art faculty and instructors, the Fall Faculty Exhibition presents an opportunity to view recent work by Bonnie Bishop, Bevin Engman, Margaret E. Libby, Harriett Matthews, Abbott Meader, Nancy Meader, Garry Mitchell, Dee Peppe, and Scott Reed. November 18 through January 2, 2006. 5600 Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville. 207-872-3228.
www.colby.edu/museum University of Maine Museum of ArtNo Two Alike: African-American Improvisations on a Traditional Patchwork Pattern. The African-American quilts in this exhibition honor a tradition that values improvisation. Many quilts in this impressive grouping, collected by Californian Eli Leon, were made in the 1960s and 1970s by southern quiltmakers who moved to the West Coast. Over the last twenty-five years, Leon has interviewed the quiltmakers and, when possible, captured in their own words the value each of them places on improvisation and spontaneity. ? Melonie Bennett. This Maine-born photographer [and Down East contributor] has watched her family and friends through the lens of her camera for more than fifteen years. Both shows run October 21 through January 14, 2006. Norumbega Hall 40 Harlow Street, Bangor. 207-561-3350.
www.umma.umaine.edu Center for Maine Contemporary ArtGideon Bok: Guardrailing features new paintings by the winner of CMCA's 2004 Biennial Juried Exhibition. Through December 17. ? Nancy Romines Walters: Some Families and the Ties that Bind includes drawings and sculptural installations in various media that examine filial connections. Through December 17. ? Outside In. An invitational show of up-and-coming photographers whose work deserves more visibility. Through December 17. 162 Russell Avenue, Rockport. 207-236-2875.
www.artsmaine.org USM Lewiston-Auburn CollegeThe Uncounted: Portraits by Rebecca McCall. The portraits of children that Bangor photojournalist Jim Harney took during his 2003 trip to Baghdad were sensitively rendered into paintings by Rebecca McCall. Hall Gallery ? Robert Shetterly's Americans Who Tell the Truth. Thirty portraits of individuals who possess qualities of courage, honesty, tolerance, generosity, wisdom, and compassion, and whose contributions have had a lasting effect on American life. Atrium Gallery. Both shows run November 10 through December 16. Lewiston-Auburn. 207-753-6500.
www.usm.maine.edu/lac/art Abbe MuseumMocotaugan: The Story and Art of the Crooked Knife
An essential tool of Native Americans of the Woodlands, the crooked knife has been developed into a work of art. The exhibition includes historic examples from the Jalbert Collection as well as a selection of contemporary crooked knives and objects created with crooked knives. Through December 31. Bar Harbor. 207-288-3519.
www.abbemuseum.org Children's Museum of MaineThe holiday season was made for kids. Lights, toys, and enough sweets to keep the little ones wound up well past their bedtime. If you're looking to tire out the tykes, the Children's Museum of Maine in Portland offers three floors of exhibits, and on December 3 you can even decorate a gingerbread house for the holidays. The museum provides all the cake, candy, and frosting. 207-828-1234.
www.childrensmuseumofme.org Maine Maritime MuseumLinda Greenlaw may have lived through a perfect storm and Zoe Zanidakis proved that surviving on Monhegan is hardly primetime in the South Pacific, but women were working in Maine's fishing industry well before these two starlets came on the scene. Women in Fisheries — A Contemporary View looks at women's role in hauling a livelihood from the sea through the photographs of Britta-Lena Lasko, who photographed urchin divers, groundfisherwomen, and others working on and around the high seas for her master's thesis with the Brooks Institute of Photography. Through June 2006. 207-443-1316.
www.mainemaritimemuseum.org
