Maine Senior College Network news & updates |
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Happy October 2021
Welcome to autumn, time to warm up your apple cider and sit down with this month's newsletter. Please take a look at how Acadia Senior college celebrated its 20th anniversary. And, don't miss the following invitations from the University of Southern Maine: Hear from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to Be An Antiracist." And, the Franco-American Collection will be presenting Lewiston native Phil Nadeau. He will be talking about his work with Lewiston's new immigrant residents in the early 2000s.
Talking about Lewiston, the Lewiston-Auburn SC is launching a new "Food for Thought" lecture series! Meanwhile, Coastal SC has two more lectures coming up in their Brown Bag lecture series.
Pat Reiff has sent in a review of the fascinating new book by Bob Keyes titled ” The Isolation Artist” about the last years of Robert Indiana.
I have also posted information from Debra bare Rogers and the Maine Relay Services. These services are available for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech difficulty. Would you please pass on this information to others who would benefit from captions during phone calls (at no cost) to the consumer?
Program Director
Wikimedia Image:
(Cover illustration for Harper's Magazine- 1903)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
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20th Anniversary Celebration
at Acadia Senior College
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Photo: Six Acadia Senior College presidents – Jim Clunan, Moorhead “Mike” Kennedy, Bill Dohmen, Dan Poteet, Nat Fenton, and Linda Dunn! |
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On a beautiful late summer afternoon, Acadia Senior College finally celebrated its 20th anniversary (and its 21st) at Camp Beech Cliff. More than 100 members and guests enjoyed live music from Big Moose band, appetizers and drinks arranged and catered by the Membership & Volunteers committee, and a champagne toast and cake. It was a joy to see so many of us in person again.
A highlight of the event was the gathering of all six Acadia Senior College presidents – Jim Clunan, Moorhead “Mike” Kennedy, Bill Dohmen, Dan Poteet, Nat Fenton, and Linda Dunn!
Each president was presented with a special medal:
- Jim Clunan – Founder and Cajoler Award
- Bill Dohmen – Jack of all Offices and Living Archivist Award
- Mike Kennedy – Official Diplomat Award
- Dan Poteet – Wise Academician Award
- Nat Fenton – Teacher of Stature Award
- Linda Dunn – Zoomer Woman Grit Award
In turn, each president spoke eloquently and wisely about the college and its past and current achievements. Thank you to Sydney Rockefeller and Susan Lerner for creating beautiful custom medals with fabulous ribbons!
Another highlight was the presentation of an official expression of sentiment from the 130th Maine State Legislature. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows joined us in person and read the sentiment aloud. You can read the text here.
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The University of Southern Maine Invites You! |
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To Join the Conversation
with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
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You are invited to a very special evening on Wednesday, October 20, with acclaimed author, historian, and cultural critic, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Dr. Kendi will be interviewed by USM’s Associate Vice President for Equity, Inclusion, and Community Impact, Dr. Idella Glenn, during a virtual, live-streamed event.
The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is required. The live stream link will be sent out following registration.
USM was privileged to have Dr. Kendi as our Commencement Speaker in May, and many of you will know his influential book, How to Be An Antiracist, which was chosen as USM’s Common Read. It came as no surprise when, just days ago, Dr. Kendi was named one of twenty-five 2021 MacArthur Fellows, a program that celebrates and inspires the creative potential of people through unrestricted fellowships.
During the interview, Dr. Kendi will address questions submitted by USM students and community members. It will be an inspiring evening with one of our country’s leading thinkers around racism and what an antiracist society might look like.
Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive V.P. for Academic and Student Affairs
Chief Academic Officer
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The USM Franco American Collection presents:
The Unlikeliness of it All
Author Phil Nadeau Book Talk
October 18, 2021
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
USM Lewiston Auburn Campus
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The Unlikeliness of it All author Phil Nadeau is a native of Lewiston, Maine, and had several careers including the U.S. Air Force, family business, and public administration. His first opportunity to work in the public administration field began with his appointment as a town manager in the small Maine town of Richmond, in 1994. He was appointed five years later as Lewiston’s Deputy City Administrator. During 2001, Nadeau took on the responsibility of acting as the city’s primary information official for matters associated with new Somali refugees who began to arrive in February of that year. As the number of Somali arrivals increased, so did Nadeau’s role as the city’s information official. The need and demand for information regarding the new immigrant arrivals also necessitated that Nadeau begin to research refugee information and data that was not available; generally known to the public; or applicable to Lewiston.
Much of Nadeau’s research on matters associated with Lewiston’s new immigrant residents found its way into his graduate work that was published in the Southern Maine Review in 2005. Additional research involving immigrant workforce development and employment between 2006 and 2008 was presented at the Race, Ethnicity and Place Conference at the University of Miami in November 2008. That led to Nadeau’s essay published in the 2011 book “Somalis in Maine: Crossing Cultural Currents.” He was also published by the National Civic Review in 2007. Nadeau’s work has also been cited nationally and internationally.
No Fee
There is no fee for our programs which are made possible by a generous grant from the Québec Delegation in Boston. The Delegation has shown itself enthusiastic in supporting Franco-American initiatives.
Hybrid event
As of right now, we plan to hold this event in-person in room 170 of USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College, located at 51 Westminster St. in Lewiston.
Mask requirement
Currently the university is requiring masks for all students, faculty, staff, and members of the public on campus. We will keep you up to date in case our plans change and the event will take place online.
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Lewiston Auburn Senior College
Food for Thought Presentation
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Scott Moreau IS Johnny Cash!
October 17, 2021
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
L/A Senior College is excited to welcome a local Mainer whose fame has spread throughout the country and beyond. Scott Moreau was born at the old Bath Memorial Hospital, raised in Litchfield on Sand Pond, and graduated from Winthrop High School in 1997. He made his professional stage debut at Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick in 1999 and received a Bachelor Of Fine Arts degree in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2001. In a career spanning 22 years, Scott has performed in over 300 American cities in 47 states, as well as in Tokyo, Osaka, Quebec City, Toronto, and Montreal. He is most known for his role as Johnny Cash on the 1st National Broadway tour of Million Dollar Quartet, a role that he has performed over 1,000 times including at Maine State, Merrill Auditorium, The Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, and the Regional Premiere at the Ogunquit Playhouse in 2015.
Scott’s original tributes to Johnny Cash have been performed to sold-out audiences from Las Vegas to New York City. He is proud to have recorded his tribute album, Home Of The Blues, at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN, standing in the very same spot that Johnny, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, and Howlin’ Wolf once stood. He lives in The Bronx with his new wife Sonia and their two cats Mo and Timmy. Each and every performance is dedicated to his parents Leonard and Donna. More information can be found on his website.
A perfect presentation for a Sunday evening cocktail hour - Scott will tell us about his career and treat us to some of his favorite musical numbers.
Food for Thought is free and open to the public.
How to sign up
Email Lewiston-Auburn Senior College to sign up by noon on Oct. 16. Don’t forget to mention which FFT program you wish to see and you will receive a link the morning of the 17th.
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Coastal Senior College
Presents:
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Fall 2021 Brown Bag Series
facilitated by Jayne Gordon
Two presentations remain in the Fall series!
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October 25, 12:00 - 1:00 pm on Zoom
Presenter: Arne Aho
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November 1, 12:00 - 1:00 pm on Zoom
Presenter: Caroline Janover
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How to Register
- CSC Registration is open to active members of Maine's Senior College Network.
- Click on the titles above to access more information and CSC registration.
When registering:
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Select "Click here to become a member.
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Your first choice will be "Membership Type"; select "Maine SC Network."
Wikimedia Image:
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The Isolation Artist
by Bob Keyes
Pub.by Godine 2021
Pages 245 Price $21.95
Reviewed by Pat Davidson Reef
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A new book by Bob Keyes titled ” The Isolation Artist” about the last years of Robert Indiana is like “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. It contains endless characters, an enormous amount of accurate details, and a study of the two worlds in which Robert Indiana traveled.
Indiana lived in two worlds; reality and a dream world of neurotic expectations. He was a creative genius but could not get along with people. He wanted to be recognized publicly but he wanted privacy. He wanted people to visit him on Vinalhaven Island but when they came (after an invitation), he would not open the door.
While Charles Dickens described the French Revolution, Bob Keyes describes the psychological revolution inside Robert Indiana as he navigated his way through life. He was a gifted artist but torn emotionally and self-destructed. Indiana caused legal wars and left the wounded stranded, both friends and foes, before and after his death in 2018. However, he could be charming and was very generous.
Indiana is known for his printed images of words and numbers, especially of the word LOVE, created in various forms. He is also known as a leader in the Pop Art Movement of the 1960s but never saw himself in that world.
In a Portland Press Herald webinar on September 9, 2021, Bob Keyes said,
”Indiana did not like being associated with the Pop Art movement because he felt that was a temporary movement, and his work was above Pop Art. Indiana called himself a “Hard Edge” artist.” Certainly, his style of creating the image of LOVE in its many forms has outlasted the 1960’s movement and has transcended time.
Robert Indiana was born in 1928 and had a tragic childhood. He was adopted by a family named Clark (who eventually divorced), and he was shuffled from one home to another. At that time, he was known as Robert Clark and lived in many foster homes. As he became an artist, he changed his name to Robert Indiana, the state where he was born.
In 1945, he graduated as Valedictorian from Arsenal Technical High School, Indianapolis. He received a scholarship in art and writing to attend the John Heron Art Institute but decided to join the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1949, he entered the Chicago Art Institute on the G.I. Bill. In 1953, he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and discovered Maine, and he loved the quality of life he found here.
In 1956 he moved to New York, the heart of the art community in America. In less than ten years, he had three exhibits in major museums; the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, both in New York, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
By 1963 Indiana was beginning to be recognized as an important artist in America and considered a leader in the Pop Art movement. In 1965 he made a LOVE card for the Museum of Modern Art at Christmas and did not copyright the image because he thought it was commercial to copyright it. That was a decision that led to many controversies. Later in his life, the Morgan Art Foundation (after many struggles) arranged for him under their contract to copyright it, specifying into perpetuity.
Throughout all his controversies, Indiana achieved fame, and that is what he wanted. In 1973 the U.S. Postal services issued 330 million eight-cent stamps with the LOVE image on them. At that time, he was paid $1000 by the government.
Bob Keyes said in his interview, “Indiana was a person who believed in coincidences. He lived in New York winters, but had visited a photographer friend, Eliot Elisofon, in Vinalhaven many summers and noticed that the buttresses at the Brooklyn Bridge were made of granite from Vinalhaven. He saw that as a symbol to move to Vinalhaven.” In 1978, Indiana bought the old Odd Fellows Building, a man’s club created in the Victorian age, called the Star of Hope on Vinalhaven from his photographer friend, Eliot Elisofon, for 10,000 dollars. It is now worth millions of dollars, but it is in very bad shape. In fact, his art is now worth more than 90 million dollars. (He had 5 million dollars in the bank when he died. (Many people wonder why he could not have had better home health care in his last years.)
No one knows for sure what happened to Indiana in his old age. He never told his right hand what his left hand was doing. A corporation in New York titled the Morgan Art Foundation thought they had exclusive rights to his work. Another corporation, titled “American Image,” owned by Michael McKenzie, an art publisher who befriended him in his later years on Vinalhaven and was accused of forging some later works (focused on the subject of Bob Dylan). Both companies thought they had legal rights to his work. They sued each other, and frankly, all the lawyers got the money. It took two years to settle the legal end of his estate, and the settlement was private. It is planned that the Star of Hope Foundation will create a museum with Indiana’s work inside the Victorian building in which he lived during the last 40 years of his life. Indiana’s torn soul finally found a home in Maine.
Bob Keyes' book is a masterful investigation of enormous detail in research about an artist who deserves understanding and compassion because his art made a significant impact on our nation and in the world, no matter what his personal life reflected. The book covers so many people who influenced Indiana during the end of his life, including lawyers and caretakers, that there is a five-page list of characters defined in an appendix called "Cast." The book also has a timeline in its appendix, which pulls together the artist's life with significant dates. The book's design by Godine Publishing of Boston is artistic with creative endpapers in red, including the map of Vinalhaven and surrounding islands.
In conclusion, the sad part of the book is that Indiana led a tragic life because he was self-destructive. People did try to help him, but he rejected them. Who knows if he was bipolar and could have been helped by medication? Who knows if he was a victim of elder abuse? Who knows if he had Alzheimer's disease? In any event, he was a mystery in life as well as a mystery in death.
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NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS |
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Calling to make a doctor appointment. Virtual meeting with classmates. What if you couldn’t hear or understand what people were saying? Does your co-worker trail off when you are talking to each other on the phone? Try Maine Relay, which provides captions during phone calls at no cost to the consumer.
Join us for monthly community presentations via Zoom*. Debra Bare-Rogers, TRS Advocate at Disability Rights Maine (DRM) will be presenting. Learn about Maine Relay Services available for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech difficulty. Debra will also share about the Telecommunications Equipment Program (TEP).
Join Zoom Meetings online:
Meeting ID: 883 5420 8083
Please email
Please email Debra Bare-Rogers, Disability Rights Maine for passcode.
Monthly presentations:
Thu, Oct. 14 1-2 p.m. What are IP Relay and Web CapTel?
Thu, Nov. 18 1-2 p.m. What is Speech-to-Speech Relay?
Thu, Dec. 9 1-2 p.m. What is Relay Conference Captioning?
Debra Bare-Rogers, Advocate for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS)
Disability Rights Maine (DRM)
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The Maine Senior College Network is a program of the |
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