Calendar of Events

Student Ensemble Series: University Chorale and Chamber Singers
2025-04-21 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Join us for the University Chorale and Chamber Singers spring performance. Program to be announced.
Directed by Dr. Kyle Nielsen

Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Our Favorite Things: Gallery Exhibition
2025-04-22 10:00 - 16:00 | Osher Map Library — Glickman Family Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Our Favorite Things: A Special Selection of Items from the Collection Chosen by Staff and Friends
This gallery exhibition highlights a special selection of items from the collection chosen by the OML staff and friends. It will be on view to the public from February 28, 2025 through April 22, 2025.

Walk-ins are welcome or set up a Gallery Appointment for a guided tour! Please note, on Saturdays we close at 2 PM.

Bar Stories, Film About Queer Spaces
2025-04-24 16:30 - 17:30 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us for a screening of Bar Stories, the 15-minute film produced by Prof. Wendy Chapkis about queer bar culture in Maine, followed by a discussion with Roland Labbe and Randall Scott, former bar owners/operators.
Refreshments, free and open to the public
Sponsored by the USM’s LGBTQ+ Collection and Gender Studies Student Organization, Queer Straight Alliance, Women & Gender Studies.

Student Ensemble Series: Jazz Ensemble
2025-04-24 19:30 - 21:00 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Osher School of Music Jazz Ensemble will be performing an eclectic concert of big band literature.
Directed by Dr. Chris Oberholtzer.

Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

USM Spring Dance Concert
2025-04-25 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-26 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-27 14:00 - 15:00 | Russell Hall, 24 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
USM Spring Dance Concert
Choreography by USM Dance Faculty & Guest Artists
April 25-27, 2025
Russell Hall, USM Gorham Campus
Welcome spring with a fantastic compilation of original dance works from USM Dance faculty & guest choreographers performed by USM dance students.

Student Ensemble Series: Vocal Jazz
2025-04-25 19:30 - 21:00 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Join the USM Vocal Jazz Ensembles for a night of swingin’ music! From classic jazz standards to The Beatles to modern compositions, arrangements old and new, you’re sure to get up on your feet and groove with us!
Directed by Amanda Roswick.

Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Student Recital Series: Abigail Neilson
2025-04-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Osher School of Music is pleased to present Abigail Neilson in her Master’s Recital for piano pedagogy. Abigail is a student of Laura Kargul.
Student recitals are free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Student Ensemble Series: Composers Ensemble
2025-04-26 19:30 - 21:00 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Composers Ensemble begins each semester with a different mix of instruments and no music. Throughout the semester, the student composers in the group write and the players rehearse, and the composers edit, and again and again throughout the semester a full concert of original works is developed and finally performed in this concert.
Directed by Dr. Daniel Sonenberg.

Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Student Graduate Recital Series: Rachel Scala
2025-04-27 14:00 - 15:00 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Osher School of Music is pleased to present Rachel Scala in her graduate voice recital. Rachel is a student of Dr. Malinda Haslett.
Student recitals are free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Student Recital Series: Ry Johnson & Jorge Allen
2025-04-27 17:00 - 18:00 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Osher School of Music is pleased to present Ry Johnson and Jorge Allen in their senior recital.
Student recitals are free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Visiting Artist Series: The Art of Cabaret with Mary Callanan & Brian Patton
2025-04-28 13:00 - 17:15 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
We’re happy to have Mary Callanan and Brian Patton at Corthell to present the Art of Cabaret, including a workshop from 1–4:15 and then a performance plus Q&A session from 4:30–5:15.

Sponsored by Stephen Poulos.

Event Details
Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Student Recital Series: Cassie Thomas
2025-04-28 19:30 - 20:30 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Osher School of Music is pleased to present Cassie Thomas in her senior trombone performance recital. Cassie is a student of Brian Diehl.
Student recitals are free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Word Count Poetry Night
2025-04-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Gorham Library — Bailey Hall, 16 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Seminar Room, USM Gorham Library, Bailey Hall
Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to Word Count: Poetry Night at the Gorham Library with English Professor Michele Cheung. Bring a poem to share, workshop new poetry, read your own or someone else’s! There will be coffee, tea and snacks provided, and participation in the event may count as extra credit for students.

Haydn, Beethoven, and Boulogne
2025-04-30 19:30 - 21:00 | South Portland High School, 637 Highland Ave, South Portland, ME, 04106, United States
Jeffrey Mosher will conduct the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra as his final Master of Music capstone requirement. Robert Lehmann will be the soloist in Joseph de Boulogne’s Violin concerto in G Major.
PROGRAM
Ludwig van Beethoven | Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus
Joseph de Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Geroges | Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major
Joseph Haydn | Symphony No. 104 “London”

Presented by the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra
Robert Lehmann, conductor & violin
Jeffrey Mosher, assistant conductor

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Studio Recital: Taking Flight
2025-05-05 19:30 - 20:30 | Corthell Hall, 13 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
A Studio Recital featuring the students in Alexandra Dietrich’s voice studio.
Student recitals are free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Reserve Your Parking
Alternatively, payment kiosks are available both in the parking lot outside Bailey Hall and within the Corthell Hall lobby.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

CLASSIC ROCK
2025-09-13 19:00 - 21:00 | South Portland High School, 637 Highland Ave, South Portland, ME, 04106, United States
The Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra and Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra feature in the upcoming performance Classic Rock!
Conceived by the creative team of orchestrator Chris Eastburn and singer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Boucher who brought “Piano Men – The Music of Elton and Billy” to the stage. Featuring a six piece rock band including two dynamic lead singers Susie Pepper and Johnny Martinez, Classic Rock brings you unforgettable hits by Journey, Pat Benatar, Boston, Heart, Kansas, Stevie Nicks, The Electric Light Orchestra and many more.
Classic Rock takes you back to the concert arena by plucking some of the greatest songs from your album collection and presenting them an all their anthemic glory!

Summer Book Arts Student Exhibition Reception + Lecture
2025-09-17 17:00 - 19:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts (KCCCBA) and community for an exhibition reception and lecture at the Glickman Family Library on the University of Southern Maine Portland campus.

Celebrating the KCCCBA Summer Book Program, join us on Wednesday, September 17th, 2025, from 5 – 7 PM at the University Events Room on the 7th Floor of the Glickman Library (314 Forest Ave.).

A lecture will be presented by one of the Summer Book Arts instructors, Lucky Platt starting at 5pm.
Visit the link to learn more about Lucky Platt’s work: https://www.luckyplatt.com/solucky

This event is free and open to the public, refreshments will be served.

The Summer Book Arts Students Exhibition runs from September 2, 2025 – October 25, 2025 at the USM Special Collections on the 6th Floor of the Glickman Library. Visit today!

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.

"20 Walks" Exhibition Opening Reception
2025-09-18 17:30 - 19:30 | Art Gallery, 5 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The University of Southern Maine Art Gallery is pleased to announce the opening reception for 20 Walks, a solo exhibition by Maine-based artist Lin Lisberger.

20 Walks is a meditation on the somatic journeys that keep us grounded. Featuring sculptural contemplations in Lisberger’s primary medium, wood, this exhibition considers how our memory of place is tied to the physical, and what details our minds rely on to recall embodied experiences.

20 Walks is open from September 18th through December 20th. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Learn more about programming in tandem with the exhibition! Visit the Eventbrite page for the Why We Walk series featuring Lisberger and author Miles Howard on September 20th!

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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Why We Walk: A Conversational Hike on the Frazier Preserve Trail
2025-09-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Frazier Preserve Trailhead, 41-99 Access Rd, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Why We Walk brings together artist Lin Lisberger (featured in the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibition, 20 Walks) and author Miles Howard for a conversational hike. Howard and Lisberger will discuss the place of urban trails in our lives as they traverse the Frazier Preserve Trail. Stopping at natural discussion points, Howard and Lisberger will reflect on the trail’s infrastructure, its role in the Gorham community, and on the creativity and divergent thinking that walking engenders.

The walk will take place over the course of one hour on light terrain. Participants should plan to depart from the trail entrance located behind the Gorham High School baseball field and are encouraged to wear close-toed walking shoes, bring water, and a small trail snack if they like. Leave no trace principles will be observed. Please, no pets. In the event of light showers, the walk will still take place; if rain is heavy, it will be postponed to September 21st.

Capacity is limited to 20 participants! Please register via the Eventbrite link to reserve your place.
About the speakers:
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 work 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.
Miles Howard is an author, journalist, and urban trail builder based in Boston. In the summer of 2022, he founded the Walking City Trails; a network of walking trails visiting over 70 Boston parks and green spaces across 23 city neighborhoods. When he’s not in the field scouting new trail routes, he writes about public access to the outdoors. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Mountain Gazette, The New Republic, and The Boston Globe. He’s also the publisher of Mind The Moss, a weekly newsletter about the modern renaissance of walking and how traveling on foot can brighten our lives.
For more about 20 Walks, click here.

PARKING DETAILS
Parking on-site is free on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited parking is available directly outside of the Frazier Preserve Trail entrance located behind the Gorham High School Baseball Field. Once full, parking is available about a five-minute walk away in the Gorham High School Parking lot.

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Artist Talk with Janna Ahrndt and Christine Bruening
2025-10-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Arts Lab — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join exhibition artist Janna Ahrndt in conversation with fellow artist and collaborator Christine Bruening on memory’s digital trail. Ahrndt and Bruening together consider how technology fosters recollections and encounters obstacles of its own design. Their discussion will consider the limitations faced by digital replicas in any attempt to recreate the embodied recollections of an heirloom, and how corporate influence overshadows contemporary personal archiving. The conversation will at once expose the silliness of digital life and offer hopeful opportunities for the amelioration of technologically-induced malaise.

The artist talk will last approximately one hour in the Crewe Center Arts Lab. This event is part of the University of Southern Maine ArtsFest programming. Join us for a full day of art, music, and creative public activities.

What: Artist Talk with Janna Ahrndt and Christine Bruening
When: Friday October 3rd, 1pm-2pm
Where: Crewe Center for the Arts | Arts Lab
111 Bedford St. Portland 04103
Cost: Free

Event parking
Park for free in the University of Southern Maine Parking Garage (88 Bedford St., Portland, ME 04101) by selecting “Crewe Center Ribbon Cutting Day” when you start a parking session.
Get full parking details for October 3

Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off are about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website, and bus fare is $2 each way.

SUBSCRIBE to the University of Southern Maine Art Galleries newsletter!
Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page today!

ArtsFest
2025-10-03 13:00 - 17:00 | Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us on October 3, 2025, for a day of family-friendly celebrations utilizing our exciting new spaces! Including performances, workshops, and interactive activities across the arts. No RSVP necessary — check out the schedule of activities below and mark your calendar!

All-day activities: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Pick up a commemorative copy of the book Bob Crewe: Sight and Sound (while supplies last)
Get swag from the University of Southern Maine, Osher School of Music, Maine Public Classical, and WMPG (while supplies last)
Snag a picture with our mascot, Champ
Enjoy the exhibit Janna Ahrndt Does Not Dream of Labor

Get parking details for October 3

Special activities scheduled throughout the afternoon

In the ArtsLab
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Join exhibition artist Janna Ahrndt in conversation with fellow artist and collaborator Christine Bruening on memory’s digital trail, moderated by Gallery Director Kat Zagaria Buckley. Ahrndt and Bruening together consider how technology fosters recollections and encounters obstacles of its own design.
2:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Our dance program participants showcase upcoming work-in-progress selections for the Fall Dance Concert under the direction of Vanessa Beyland and Maria Tzianabos.
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Ed Reichert leads a rehearsal of the upcoming Curtain Up!, a cabaret-style performance of American Musical Theatre from the golden age to today.
3:45 – 4:15 p.m.
Our Opera Theatre rehearses for the upcoming production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, directed by Malinda Haslett and accompanied by Scott Wheatley.
4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Composer Dan Sonenberg showcases his use of digital looping technology, digital audio workstations, and acoustic instruments in advance of his faculty recital.

In the Book Arts Studio
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Observe open studio time as Book Arts students work on their pieces.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Experience a hands-on workshop of bookbinding and printmaking activities led by the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts Critique Group.

In the Rehearsal Hall
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Department of Theatre students perform excerpts from:

The New England premiere of A Monster Calls, directed by Rachel Price Cooper
Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, directed by Sara Valentine

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
A storybook comes to life as Michele Kaschub reads Linda Williams’ The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. Participants will collaborate to create a live-performance soundscape to accompany the reading.
4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Live your full diva fantasy and play dress up with costumes from our Opera Theatre collection. Don’t forget to snap lots of selfies!

In the Performance Hall
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Get an up-close, on-stage look at the Steinway Spirio technology as M. Steinert and Sons’ Vice President Patrick Elisha demonstrates the instrument. Demos will be repeated multiple times throughout this timeslot.
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Osher School of Music students in Aaron Henry’s Jazz Combo perform.
3:45 – 4:15 p.m.
Enjoy a video of the Crewe Center construction from the groundbreaking to now, with interviews from the USM community. The video plays on a loop throughout this timeslot.
4:15 – 5:00 p.m.
Observe an open rehearsal of our Chamber Choir led by Osher School of Music Director and Head of Choral Activities Kyle Nielsen.

In studio room 153
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Maine Public Classical broadcasts live from the Crewe Center with roaming reporters capturing the day’s events. (Tune in for the pre-show from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.!)

In studio room 155
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
WMPG will be broadcasting on-site; stop by to see DJs and hosts in action!

In classroom 168
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Native American Waiver and Educational Program Coordinator, John Bear Mitchell, from the University of Maine System office, leads a discussion and demonstration about Wabanaki music.
2:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Music educator Casey Schmidt leads attendees in a free group improvisation. No musical experience is necessary to participate!
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Alan Kaschub demonstrates 21st-century practice techniques that utilize technology, including flex beat metronomes and multitracking.

Outside on the Tony Shalhoub '77 Performance Plaza
1:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Casey Schmidt leads our Wind Ensemble on selections from the wind band repertoire.
2:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Our Jazz Ensemble, led by Chris Oberholtzer, performs standards and new pieces from a variety of jazz composers.
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Osher School of Music students in RJ Miller’s Jazz Combo perform.

Event parking
Park for free in the University of Southern Maine Parking Garage (88 Bedford St., Portland, ME 04101) by selecting “Crewe Center Ribbon Cutting Day” when you start a parking session.
Get full parking details for October 3

Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off are about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website, and bus fare is $2 each way.

Book Binding + Printmaking at the KCCCBA
2025-10-03 15:00 - 17:00 | Book Arts Studio — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We’re celebrating the new Crewe Center for the Arts on the University of Southern Maine Portland campus, and we’re inviting the public to join us in celebration! As part of the festivities, the Kate Cheney Chappell Center for Book Arts is hosting free book binding + printmaking activities in our brand new Book Arts Studio. Bring friends and family to explore the new space during the building-wide ArtsFest involving music, theatre, dance, book arts and more!

What: Book Binding + Printmaking activities as part of University of Southern Maine ArtsFest programmingWhere: Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St. Studio 160, Portland, MaineWhen: Friday October 3rd from 3pm-5pmCost: Free!
This event is part of ArtsFest, which celebrates the grand opening of the Crewe Center for the Arts. ArtsFest activities are free and open to the public.

Event parking
Park for free in the University of Southern Maine Parking Garage (88 Bedford St., Portland, ME 04101) by selecting “Crewe Center Ribbon Cutting Day” when you start a parking session.
Get full parking details for October 3

Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off are about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website, and bus fare is $2 each way.

Inaugural President's Concert
2025-10-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Hall — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
A New Tradition Begins: Celebrate the start of a new chapter with the Inaugural President’s Concert, the season-opening event at our new home at the Crewe Center for the Arts. This special evening showcases the vibrant Osher School of Music community, featuring performances by faculty, alumni, students, and special guest artists.
As the University of Southern Maine becomes the 250th All-Steinway School, the concert will shine a spotlight on our brand-new fleet of Steinway pianos.
Extend the celebration by adding the Spirios & Spirits Reception to your ticket. Enjoy local libations while exploring the remarkable Steinway Spirio technology, an innovative player piano that brings performances to life with breathtaking precision.

Tickets go on sale August 22nd.
Tickets available through PortTIX, the official box office for the Osher School of Music.
PHONE 207-842-0800
ONLINE www.porttix.com
IN-PERSON 400 Congress St Suite A, Portland, ME 04101

Event Details
Event parking
Park for free in the University of Southern Maine Parking Garage (88 Bedford St., Portland, ME 04101) by selecting “Crewe Center Ribbon Cutting Day” when you start a parking session.
Get full parking details for October 3

Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off are about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website, and bus fare is $2 each way.
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Subscribe to our patron newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Osher School of Music events.
Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.

Open Rehearsal with the Alumni Brass Quintet
2025-10-04 10:00 - 11:30 | Arts Lab — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Alumni Brass Quintet invites you to an open and interactive rehearsal of Robert Greenlee‘s “Flat Seven” including discussions on how to approach challenging works as a group, and individual/group preparation for reading sessions.

Performers include:Alan Kaschub ’91, trumpetTrevor Lavenbein ’08, trumpetDr. Andrew Pelletier ’95, hornSGM Samuel Woodhead ’96, tromboneScott Vaillancourt, tuba

This is a free event, open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Subscribe to our patron newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Osher School of Music events.
Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.

Wandering Book Artists: Making Books By Hand in the Digital Age Lecture
2025-10-08 17:00 - 18:00 | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts (KCCCBA) community in welcoming Peter and Donna Thomas for a public lecture titled Wandering Book Artists: Making Books By Hand in the Digital Age. This lecture is co-sponsored by the Baxter Society and is free and open to the public.

The lecture takes place on Wednesday October 8th, 2025 from 5pm – 6pm at the University Event Room (7th Floor) in the Glickman Family Library (314 Bedford St.). Refreshments will be served.

About the Artists:Peter and Donna Thomas are book artists from Santa Cruz, California. They work collaboratively, making both edition and one-of-a-kind books. They make the paper, print, illustrate, and bind their books, combining the precision of the fine press aesthetic with the structural creativity found in contemporary artists’ books. Between 2009 and 2019, they made four cross-country road trips, traveling in their artistic tiny home on wheels as the “Wandering Book Artists,” teaching classes and giving talks about the book arts as they visited universities and community-based book arts centers around the country. They are authors of More Making Books by Hand, and editors of 1000 Artists’ Books, and in 2021, The Legacy Press published a descriptive bibliography of their work: Peter and Donna Thomas: Bibliography, 1974–2020. Learn more here: http://wanderingbookartists.blogspot.com/
This event is free and open to the public, refreshments will be served.

Peter and Donna Thomas will be giving a public workshop on October 11th following the lecture. To learn more about their workshop, Making Miniature Books, please visit: https://usm.maine.edu/book-arts/workshop-series/

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.

OPENING RECEPTION: Janna Ahrndt Does Not Dream of Labor
2025-10-09 17:30 - 19:30 | Great Hall Gallery — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Crewe Center for the Arts Great Hall Gallery’s inaugural exhibition will feature the work of the Art Department’s newest faculty member, artist Janna Ahrndt. Tying together themes of technology and what makes us human, Ahrndt’s work offers a whimsical and at times humorous interrogation of the “efficiency” promised through automation across various domains, including memories, cleaning appliances, Furbys, and more. Read the exhibition essay HERE.

Join us for the Exhibition Opening on Thursday October 9th from 5:30pm – 7:30pm in the *new* Crewe Center for the Arts. This event is free and open to the public.
About the Artist:
Janna Ahrndt received their MFA in Electronic and Time-Based Art from Purdue University and is currently the Visiting Assistant Professor of Digital Art at Indiana University. They are part of a wave of new media artists rejecting the notion that craft and technology are directly opposed. Their work explores how deconstructing everyday technologies, or even making them for yourself, can be used to question larger oppressive systems and create a space for participatory political action. Her activist and social art practices blur the lines between the materiality of craft and the digital realm of new media technologies to create socio-political interventions.

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.
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Masterclass with Gideon Forbes
2025-10-09 17:30 - 20:15 | Arts Lab — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Osher School of Music alumni, Gideon Forbes, presents a masterclass and performance with his band, the Gideon Forbes Quartet. This masterclass is free, and limited to the University of Southern Maine community only.

Event Schedule:
Masterclass from 5:30–6:30 P.M.
Performance at 7:30 P.M.

Gideon Forbes is a saxophonist, nay player, composer, and improviser in Brooklyn, New York. He has shared the stage with notable musicians such as Angelica Sanchez, Joe Lovano, Abeer Nehme, and Nibal Malshi. Gideon performs with the New York Arabic Orchestra, Big Beat Big Band, Takht al-Nagham, The Brooklyn Nomads, Habibi Gün, Firas Zreik, Sami Abu Shumays, and Karim Nagi.
Gideon co-leads Nortonk, which released its eponymous debut album on Biophilia Records in May 2021. In 2023 he started Orchestra Farha, an acoustic-electric ensemble that focuses on 1970’s Arabic music from Egypt and around the Arab world.
As a writer, Gideon’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by Joe Lovano, The University of Arizona Jazz Studio Ensemble , The William Paterson Jazz Orchestra, OURBIGBAND, the Fogcutters, the University of Southern Maine Jazz Orchestra, and Big Beat Big Band. Other highlights include multiple performances on Maine Public Radio’s Friday Night Jazz with Rich Tozier.
Gideon holds a master’s degree from William Paterson University in Jazz Arranging & Composition, where he studied with Jim McNeely, Pete McGuinness, Cecil Bridgewater, and Rich Perry. As a student of Arabic music, he has studied with Bassam Saba, Layth Sidiq, Sami Abu Shumays, and Johnny Farraj. He was also an artist at the 2018 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music.
Gideon is available for lessons & workshops in saxophone, improvisation, and composition. He has taught workshops around the United States and abroad. In July 2018 Gideon taught at the Edward Said National Conservatory in Ramallah, Palestine, sponsored by the Muna & Basem Hishmeh Foundation.

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

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Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.

Ocean Breezes
2025-10-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Embark on a vibrant musical journey that transcends borders, blending classical mastery with global rhythms. From Paganini to Piazzolla, this program brings together composers from Argentina, Cuba, Turkey, and Italy, each contributing a distinct voice shaped by place and history.
Works by José Manuel Lezcano—performed by the composer himself—bring fresh, contemporary energy with Cuban, Argentine, and Caribbean inflections.
Join violinist Robert Lehmann, cellist Rebecca Hartka, and guitarist José Lezcano for an unforgettable exploration of sound, spirit, and connection.
Program
La Bella Cubana (Habanera) | Jose White
Alfonsina y el Mar (Zamba Argentina) | Ariel Ramirez
Histoire du Tango | Astor Piazzolla
Dicle ve Firat | Kaya Celil Refik
Cuban Sketches | José Manuel Lezcano
Adios Nonino (Tango) | Astor Piazzolla
Terzetto Op. 69 | Niccolo Paganini
Performers
José Lezcano, guitar
Robert Lehmann, violin
Rebecca Hartka, cello

Tickets go on-sale September 5th.
Tickets available through PortTIX, the official box office for the Osher School of Music.
PHONE 207-842-0800
ONLINE www.porttix.com
IN-PERSON 400 Congress St Suite A, Portland, ME 04101

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Subscribe to our patron newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Osher School of Music events.
Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.
