Calendar of Events

Masterclass with Gideon Forbes
2025-10-09 17:30 - 20:15 (America/New_York) | 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.

University of Southern Maine Men's Golf vs Little East Conference Championship - Hosted by Western Connecticut State University
2025-10-10 09:00 - 12:00 | Redding, CT / Redding Country Club, Lonetown Road 109, Redding, Connecticut, 06896, United States
University of Southern Maine Men’s Golf vs Little East Conference Championship – Hosted by Western Connecticut State University

Mice and the Moon
2025-10-10 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-10 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-10-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Southworth Planetarium — Science Building, 70 Falmouth St, Portland, ME, 04103, United States
Mice and the Moon
A tale about two little mice who wonder if anybody bites the big Moon Cheese shining in the sky? Luckily, Pip and Chip meet two astronomy- savvy robots who explain what the Moon is. They tell of the Moon Mares without water or fish and show Moon craters through a telescope. Pip and Chip are so impressed they want to fly to the Moon one day!

University of Southern Maine Women's Cross Country at NEICAAA Championships
2025-10-10 14:00 - 17:00 | Hopkinton, N.H. / Hopkinton State Fairgrounds, Kearsarge Avenue 392, Hopkinton, New Hampshire, 03229, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Cross Country at NEICAAA Championships
21st out of 25

University of Southern Maine Men's Cross Country at NEICAAA Championships
2025-10-10 14:45 - 17:45 | Hopkinton, N.H. / Hopkinton State Fairgrounds, Kearsarge Avenue 392, Hopkinton, New Hampshire, 03229, United States
University of Southern Maine Men’s Cross Country at NEICAAA Championships
19th out of 24

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.

Making Miniature Books Workshop with Peter and Donna Thomas
2025-10-11 09:00 - 15:00 | Book Arts Studio — Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts (KCCCBA) is proud to present a public workshop titled Making Miniature Books Workshop with Peter and Donna Thomas.
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025Time: 9 AM – 3 PM (with an hour lunch break; please bring your own lunch)Location: Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts, Studio 160, Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St. Portland, ME 04103.Student Capacity: 15Price: $100

Workshop Description:This class will introduce participants to new and innovative book structures from simple and complex accordion books that have been developed or explored in depth by the instructors, while at the same time teaching the basic bookbinding skills required to create them. Participants will make two of the artist book structures described in Thomas’ book More Making Books by Hand published in 2004 by Quarry/Rockport Publishers.

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: http://wanderingbookartists.blogspot.com/

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.

Lewiston Labor History Walking Tour
2025-10-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Lewiston, ME, Lewiston, Maine, 04240, United States
Interested in learning more about the labor history of Lewiston? We have teamed up with the Scontras Center for Labor and Community Education to bring you a fun and history-filled walking tour. We will explore the city’s rich labor history, from the textile mills that drew thousands of French-Canadian immigrants, to the union halls and churches that anchored community life. We explore the streets of “Petit Canada” where workers built a home away from home. We’ll discuss stories of strikes, struggles, and resilience that shaped Lewiston’s identity. The 2 mile walk begins at Kennedy Park, a longtime gathering place for rallies, protests, and community celebrations.

We will end the tour back at Kennedy Park, and then head to an optional free lunch at Davinci’s.

This event is in-person only and capped at 30 people. Register here!

After the event, the walking tour information and images will be posted in an online walking tour that you can view from anywhere!

University of Southern Maine Women's Soccer vs Western Connecticut State
2025-10-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Massachusetts
University of Southern Maine Women’s Soccer vs Western Connecticut State
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Men's Soccer at Western Connecticut State
2025-10-11 12:00 - 14:00 | Danbury, CT, Danbury, Connecticut, United States
University of Southern Maine Men’s Soccer at Western Connecticut State
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Women's Volleyball vs Rhode Island College
2025-10-11 12:00 - 14:00 | Massachusetts
University of Southern Maine Women’s Volleyball vs Rhode Island College
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Field Hockey at UMass Dartmouth
2025-10-11 12:00 - 15:00 | North Dartmouth, MA, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 02747, United States
University of Southern Maine Field Hockey at UMass Dartmouth
W 4-1
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Women's Tennis vs Vermont State University Castleton - Senior Day
2025-10-11 13:00 - 16:00 | Gorham High School, Morrill Avenue 41, Gorham, Maine, 04038, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Tennis vs Vermont State University Castleton – Senior Day

University of Southern Maine Women's Volleyball vs Thomas College
2025-10-11 16:00 - 18:00 | Massachusetts
University of Southern Maine Women’s Volleyball vs Thomas College
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Women's Soccer vs Middlebury College
2025-10-12 12:30 - 14:30 | Massachusetts
University of Southern Maine Women’s Soccer vs Middlebury College
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Field Hockey at Colby College
2025-10-12 15:00 - 18:00 | Waterville, ME, Waterville, Maine, United States
University of Southern Maine Field Hockey at Colby College
L 2-5
Streaming Video: https://www.nsnsports.net/colleges/colby

The Little Star That Could
2025-10-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Massachusetts
The Little Star That Could
A little yellow star travels through the galaxy in search of planets that will give it its special name. During his journey, this star learns about the many types of stars that live in the galaxy

Dinosaurs At Dusk
2025-10-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Massachusetts
Dinosaurs at Dusk
A whirlwind time travel adventure back to the epoch of the dinosaurs! A larger than life extravaganza rife with roaring monsters from the ancient age: bounding, stomping, flying, hunting, and foraging frenetically above us.

University of Southern Maine Women's Tennis vs UMass Boston - Match moved to USM's Costello Sports Complex
2025-10-14 16:00 - 19:00 | Costello Sports Complex Field House, Campus Avenue, Gorham, Maine, 04038, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Tennis vs UMass Boston – Match moved to USM’s Costello Sports Complex

University of Southern Maine Women's Volleyball at Husson University
2025-10-14 18:30 - 20:30 | Bangor, ME, Bangor, Maine, 04401, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Volleyball at Husson University
Streaming Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI3YGmcYtl4

University of Southern Maine Men's Soccer vs Bates College
2025-10-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Massachusetts
University of Southern Maine Men’s Soccer vs Bates College
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

Green Zone Training (Gorham)
2025-10-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Bailey Hall, 16 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
The Green Zone Military Cultural Awareness Training Program familiarizes staff and faculty with military life and how it can translate to a student’s post-service (or mid-service) education experience. This program was developed by student veterans and M.A.S.H. staff to share information about the unique experiences and challenges of student veterans and service members, as well as the resources available for their support.

The 2-hour session is led by student veterans with support from M.A.S.H. staff. Facilitators present an informational slideshow and lead interactive scenarios and discussion. Upon completing the training, participants can display the Green Zone symbol physically or digitally, identifying them as military-friendly (similar to the LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Project decal).

Book Talk: Here to Stay: Lives in 17th Century Canada
2025-10-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Massachusetts
Denis Ledoux
Denis Ledoux is known for writing his family stories (his mother’s, We Were Not Spoiled/A Franco-American Memoir; his spouse’s, A Sugary Frosting/Life in a New
England Parsonage; and his own, French Boy/A 1950s Franco-American Childhood). He has now taken his family writing into the far past with Here to Stay/Lives in 17th
Century Canada. In this latest book, he writes of four early family members from the 1660s, and by placing them in a carefully delineated historical context, has
created a glimpse into the first century of French Canada as our ancestors struggled against odds to maintain a foothold on the continent. Here to Stay is a
book filled with heroic effort, profound tragedy and perilous survival. “They were not like us,” he concludes. “They were epic heroes!”

University of Southern Maine Women's Soccer at Bates College
2025-10-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Lewiston, ME, Lewiston, Maine, 04240, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Soccer at Bates College
Streaming Video: https://www.nsnsports.net/colleges/bates

University of Southern Maine Field Hockey vs Thomas College
2025-10-15 19:00 - 22:00 | Massachusetts
University of Southern Maine Field Hockey vs Thomas College
L 0-1
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration
2025-10-16 12:00 - 15:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join the Office of Student Engagement & Belonging and Sodexo for a vibrant community celebration honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
On Thursday, October 16th traditional Indigenous meals will be served during lunch at the Brooks Dining Hall in Gorham and at the McGoldrick Dining Center in Portland. From 12PM-3PM on the McGoldrick Patio we’ll be hosting Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Wabanaki performers and artists. Stop on by to enjoy the shared warmth of music, storytelling, community, and complimentary coffee and tea provided by Sodexo.
In addition to the performances, USM alum Marissa Joly will be selling her artwork and the University Store will be hosting a pop-up bookstore featuring over 50 titles written by Indigenous authors including fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books.
All are welcome. Come celebrate, learn, and support Indigenous voices.

Dark Matter Mystery
2025-10-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Massachusetts
Dark Matter Mystery
What keeps galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe look the way it looks today? Researchers all around the world try to answer these questions. We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is made out of.

Walking Meditation: Walk with Lin Lisberger and Patty Dodd
2025-10-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Art Gallery, 5 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Walking Meditation brings together artist Lin Lisberger (featured in the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibition, 20 Walks) and meditation teacher Patty Dodd for a calming stroll on the University of Southern Maine Gorham campus pathways. Departing from the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery (5 University Way, Gorham), Dodd will lead the pre and post walk discussions. Lisberger will lead the walk and discuss themes of walking as a practice.

The walk will take place over the course of one hour on light terrain. Participants 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. So that we may have an accurate headcount for the event, we kindly ask that you please register at the Eventbrite link below. Lin Lisberger will be available for questions at the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery following the Walking Meditation. Please join us for an intimate exhibition viewing.

Capacity is limited to 30 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.
In a local high school gym, in 1970, Patty Dodd took a Transcendental Meditation class. Sitting amongst many other students, she felt the magic of meditation and meditating with others. Patty has sought out this experience ever since. She has been a serious student of Tibetan Buddhism since 2010. Lama Willa Baker of Natural Dharma Fellowship, is her main teacher. Patty is primarily interested in body based meditations and meditating in nature. She finds that nature can meditate you.In 2017 Patty started teaching meditation to high school students. She also has held meditations for staff and teachers at Portland Adult Ed and hosts a Thursday night meditation group on Zoom and hybrid.You will find Patty meditating on the Eastern Prom many mornings. You’re always welcome to join her.
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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