MyCamdenMaine

Aldermere Farm Visitor’s Center Open for Season; Farm Tours Offered Fridays

Summer is here, and the black-and-white Belted Galloways are grazing the pastures at Aldermere Farm in Rockport.  For those passersby who would like to learn about the Farm, the Aldermere visitor’s center at 20 Russell Avenue will be open during the summer months.

The visitor’s center is staffed by knowledgeable and friendly volunteers who can answer questions about the Farm, and orient visitors to its trails and cattle viewing sites.  There are also “Beltie” retail items for sale.  Sales of these items support Aldermere Farm and its mission to protect a working landscape in Rockport and conduct farm-based educational programming.

Because it is volunteer-staffed, open hours may vary at the visitor’s center.  Currently, it is open Mondays from 2-4, Tuesdays from 2-4 starting July 12^th, Wednesdays from 10-4, Thursdays from 10-5, Fridays from 10-2, and Saturdays from 10-2.  If you are traveling a long distance, please call the Aldermere office at 236-2739 to confirm the center will be open.

For those that would like an even more in-depth experience at Aldermere Farm, there will be guided farm tours happening every Friday starting at 10 AM.  These tours will meet at the visitor’s center.

Aldermere Farm is a program of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land trust.

Carver Hill is a wonderful art gallery. This beautiful restored home and  barn is a great venue to walk around and enjoy the talented artists of the mid coast. I thought I was in a private residence the first time I was there, but was delighted to realize that everything was for sale! This is a very comfortable way to enjoy art and shop. The Gallery is about a mile outside Camden.

The Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland Maine, offers a nationally recognized collection of works from many of America’s greatest artists.

Tour the workshop and watch craft men and women make beautful chairs. The gallery is a beautiful restored home and barn. The property is delightful with cows in the pasture. The gallery has unique furniture for sale or order. This is a great place. The Gallery even has a huge stuffed moose. Guests always ask where they can see a moose, this is where we send them. In th past, this gallery had a list of their clients hung up on the wall, you could see if someone in your town owned a chair from Windsor Chair Makers. The Gallery is in Lincolnville, approximately 15 miles from Camden.

New Work by Faculty at the Messler Gallery

 ROCKPORT, ME ­­– “New Work by Faculty,” an exhibition of fine furniture and sculpture is currently on view at the Messler Gallery at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport. The exhibition runs through September 4.   

 “New Work by Faculty” showcases 23 of the Center’s 45 instructors for 2009. The work on display exemplifies the uncompromising standards of craftsmanship and design which they strive to impart to approximately 300 students who attend each year. The diversity of work reflects the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s teaching philosophy, which is to encourage each student to find his or her own creative voice.

 The Center’s instructors come from all over the United States, as well as Canada, Australia, and England. The work on exhibit speaks of the diverse backgrounds and visions of the faculty. Kevin Rodel’s Prairie-Style Light Box is a striking example of the Arts and Crafts tradition. Alternatively, Pete Schlebecker’s Sunrise Lamp  incorporates contemporary technology with colorful LED bulbs and an illumination-by-touch feature. Drawings by artist John Whalley, a “plyscape” by Stephen Gleasner, and a wooden torso by Chris Pye complement the more functional furniture on exhibit.

International instructors in this show include Adrian Ferrazzutti from Canada, Chris Pye and Tom Kealy from England, and David Upfill-Brown from Australia. Exhibiting woodworkers from the across the United States are Jennifer Anderson (California), Ted Blachly and Jere Osgood (New Hampshire), Mark Gardner (North Carolina), Garrett Hack (Vermont), Matthew Hill (Oklahoma), Beth Ireland (Massachusetts), Alan Lacer (Wisconsin), and Peter Galbert (New York).  Participants from Maine are Stephen Gleasner, Jerry Curry, John McAlevey, Mason McBrien, Jim Macdonald, Austin Matheson, Brian Reid, Kevin Rodel, Tim Rousseau, Peter Schlebecker, Peter Turner and John Whalley.

Messler Gallery summer hours (starting June 29) are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The Messler Gallery is located on the campus of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, at the corner of Route 90 and Mill Street in Rockport, Maine. The exhibition can also be viewed on the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s website, www.woodschool.org.

The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship is a nonprofit, year-round school that offers courses in furniture making and related arts such as carving and woodturning.  For more information, please call 207-594-5611 or e-mail cfc@woodschool.org.