CONVERSATION: Artists and Intentional Walking
2025-11-05 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Burnham Lounge — Robie-Andrews Hall, 39 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Conversation: Artists and Intentional Walking with Lin Lisberger and Professor Kim Theriault
Artists and Intentional Walking brings together artist Lin Lisberger (featured in the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery’s current exhibition, 20 Walks) and University of Southern Maine art history professor Kim Theriault for a public artist talk. Artists and Intentional Walking is a thought-provoking conversation that explores walking as a creative practice, highlighting examples of artists who have used walking to inform their work throughout history.
The discussion takes place indoors at Robie Andrews Hall, located on the University of Southern Maine Gorham campus. The talk will be held in Burnham Lounge (1st Floor) and is free and open to the general public. So that we may have an accurate headcount for the event, we kindly ask that you please register at the Eventbrite link. Lin Lisberger will be available at the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery following the artist conversation.

About the hosts:
Lin Lisberger has been a sculptor and woodcarver since the 1970s. She taught sculpture, drawing, and design at the University of Southern Maine from 1981 until her retirement in 2017. Lisberger has an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Pennsylvania (1980) and a BA in Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz (1973), and she lives and has a studio in Portland. Her exhibition experience is widespread, and she has worked in several private and corporate collections. Her attention to form has been consistent, creating a foundation upon which an abstract narrative can be built, using narrative to emphasize her interest in humans and their journeys.
Kim S. Theriault holds a Ph.D. in Modernist and Contemporary Art History from the University of Virginia and is Professor Emerita of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. She is the author of the book Rethinking Arshile Gorky and contributor to the 2009 exhibition and catalog for Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Theriault has been a featured speaker at such institutions as the Library of Congress, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and Oxford University among others, and, having published articles exploring the seminal significance of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, this is the subject of her next book. Presently a part-time professor of art history in the Art Department at the University of Southern Maine, she is also curating Arshile Gorky: Connections and Community, an exhibition set to open at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts on December 11. Having spent a lifetime amongst visual artists, poets, writers, and performers, Theriault is acutely interested in what instigates creative practice, how process translates into product, and how cross-disciplinary approaches manifest new and exciting reinterpretations of art and history.
For more about 20 Walks, click here.

EVENT DETAILS
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Gorham campus lots G4, G4, and G6 at a rate of $1.05 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus picks up/drops off about a three-minute walk from the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery (Gorhamp campus). An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

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Imaginary Books Exhibition Opening Reception + Lecture
2026-01-27 17:00 - 19:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join the Kate Cheney Chappell Center for Book Arts for the opening reception of Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished, and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books – from the collection of Reid Byers.

A cross between a book exhibition and a conceptual art installation, Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished, and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books consists of a collection of books that do not really exist. Curated by bibliophile Reid Byers, the exhibition includes approximately 100 books and associated objects from his collection—all simulacra, created with a team of printers, bookbinders, artists, and calligraphers—of lost books that have no surviving example, unwritten books that were planned but left unfinished, and fictive works that exist only in fiction.

Highlights of the exhibition include William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Won, the lost sequel to Love’s Labour’s Lost; Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, stolen in his wife’s valise at the Gare de Lyon in 1922 and never recovered; and the Necronomicon, John Dee’s copy of the most notorious of the Middle Eastern grimoires, a book that has been kept sealed in a Wells Fargo strongbox, as a precaution, since the Krickle accident of 1967. A color catalog of some 330 pages accompanies the exhibition, published by Oak Knoll Press in cooperation with the Club Fortsas, the great French book collectors’ society (itself imaginary as well).

Join us for the opening reception on Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 5pm – 7pm at the University of Southern Maine Glickman Family Library (7th Floor). Reid Byers will present an Artist Lecture starting at 5pm with a reception to follow. Refreshments will be available, this event is free and open to the public. Please note: An alternative date (for snow day) is Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

What: Imaginary Books Opening Reception + LectureWhere: Glickman Family Library Events Room (314 Forest Ave. Portland, ME – 7th Floor)When: Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 5pm-7pmCost: Free

Event Details:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

Unfolding the Myth: KCCCBA Critique Group Member Exhibition Reception
2026-02-12 17:00 - 18:30 | Book Arts Studio — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join the Kate Cheney Chappell Center for Book Arts for a public reception in celebration of Unfolding the Myth: KCCCBA Critique Group Member Exhibition!
What: Unfolding the Myth: KCCCBA Critique Group Member Exhibition exhibition receptionWhen: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, 5-6:30 PM | *Alternative date (for snow day): Thursday, March 12, 2026, 5-6:30 PMWhere: Crewe Center for the Arts, KCCCBA Book Arts Studio111 Bedford St. (Studio 160) Portland, ME 04103Cost: FREE
Artist books from the collection of the KCCCBA Critique Group Members will be on display in the Crewe Center for the Arts Book Arts Studio display cases from January 20, 2026 – April 24, 2026. Join us for refreshments and socializing as the KCCCBA Critique Group Members honor their hard work. This event is free and open to the public. Join us!

Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2, or in Parking Lot P6, at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a three-minute walk from the Crewe Center for the Arts. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

ARTIST LECTURE: with Artist-in-Residence Peter Bruun
2026-02-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Performance Hall — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join the University of Southern Maine Art Galleries and the University of Southern Maine Art Department as we welcome Spring 2026 Artist-in-Residence, Peter Bruun for a campus lecture. Working under the aegis of Bruun Studios, Peter Bruun is an artist, writer, curator and cultural organizer. For over 30 years, he has pursued a practice making paintings and drawings that have inspired him to create community-engaged art exhibitions, arts-based social justice projects, humanistic online publications, and innovative organizations using art to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
What: Artist Lecture with Peter Bruun
When: Thursday February 12th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Where: Crewe Center for the Arts Performance Hall
111 Bedford St. Portland, Maine
Cost: Free
This event is free and open to the public.

Event Details:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2, or in Parking Lot P6, at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a three-minute walk from the Crewe Center for the Arts. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

WORKSHOP: Pop-Up Puppet Theater with Sarah Frechette
2026-03-28 09:00 - 16:00 | Book Arts Studio — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Pop-Up Puppet Theater—Fold, Pull, Pop & Perform with Sarah Frechette
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 9 AM – 4 PM (with an hour lunch break; please bring your own lunch or available to purchase at the USM Cafeteria)
Location: KCC’83CBA Book Arts Studio, Studio160, Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St. Portland, ME 04103
Workshop Fee: $80 (price includes materials and one ticket to Sarah Frechette’s performance at Mayo Street Arts on Friday, 3/27)
Maximum Enrollment: 15 (middle school ages and Above)

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
In this full-day workshop, participants will learn how to incorporate various mechanisms and rigging points into paper pop-ups to turn them into animatable or puppeteer-able, hand-held (also known as: direct contact), and/or table-top puppets.
Instructor, Sarah Frechette, will also demonstrate how to direct intention, concentration, and energy from within oneself, down the arms, into the hands, and through a paper puppet to give it its own independent focus and breath – the two elements that give any object life.
Participants will experiment with one of the following: immersive experience, forced perspective, or symbolism—to recreate a moment in the form of a short story, knowing that each of these provides different information that shapes and directly influences how their story or memory unfolds.
Finally, participants will present their projects to each other. For some, this will be a new challenge and like stepping outside their comfort zone; however, everyone should feel supported during this brave step so it feels both personally and creatively fulfilling, as well as productive. Each artist needs to gather information individually to continue developing their puppet pieces and to feel empowered outside the classroom.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Sarah Frechette is an award winning puppetry artist, teaching artist and stop-motion animation fabricator. As art director for PuppetKabob, she produces original programs, tours internationally and received the prestigious UNIMA-USA citation of excellence for her Vermont based solo show “The Snowflake Man”. Sarah is also a Vermont Arts Council Teaching Artist creating unique theater experiences for all ages.
Studied from 2002 to 2009 with Legendary German Puppeteer Albrecht Roser absorbing his theories on zen and the art of puppetry. Sarah has exhibited at the Shelburne Museum and is currently on exhibit at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. Co-producer and host of Vermont’s first and phinest Creemee Dreemee Puppet Slam which swirls forth the underground to the avant-garde. In addition to her personal puppet practice Sarah has worked in stop-motion animation building miniature costumes and large-scale puppets for such films as LAIKA’s “ParaNorman”, and Netflix’s “Wendell & Wild”.
Sarah has been Guest Artist at the University of Connecticut, MECCA+D, Willamette University; and has led the Marionette Performance strand at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center National Puppetry Conference.

PARKING DETAILS:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2, or in Parking Lot P6, at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a three-minute walk from the Crewe Center for the Arts. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

2026 Annual Book Arts Bazaar
2026-04-11 10:00 - 16:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us for the 2026 Annual Book Arts Bazaar, a vibrant community celebration dedicated to the fine craft of book arts. This unique gathering showcases the talents of regional book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers, all coming together to share their passion for contemporary book arts.

Visitors have the opportunity to explore a diverse array of handmade books, artisan paper products, and unique prints, making it the perfect place to find thoughtful gifts, spark creativity, and engage in meaningful conversations about the rich traditions and innovations within the field. Whether you are a seasoned artist, an aspiring creator, there’s something for everyone at the Bazaar.

Proudly presented by the Kate Cheney Chappell ‘83 Center for Book Arts at the University of Southern Maine, this event invites the public to connect with artists and learn about the techniques that keep these cherished traditions alive. Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the artistry of books and meet the people who make it happen!

What: 2026 Book Arts BazaarWhen: Saturday April 11, 2026 | 10am – 4pmWhere: McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success35 Bedford St. (2nd Floor) Portland, ME 04101Cost: FREE

Event Details
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off directly in front of the Crewe Center Deering Avenue entrance. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.
