The Great Maine Scavenger Hunt
Admire Luminous Arbor
The gordian five-way intersection known as Woodfords Corner is at last out from under the $5 million redevelopment project that saw rejiggered traffic lanes, widened sidewalks, and a new little plaza beneath the landmark clock tower, repaired and relit in 2016 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. At the heart of the plaza is Luminous Arbor, a tangled, tree-like light fixture designed by Portland artist Aaron T. Stephan. The public sculpture caused a bit of a stir last year when some balked at the $25,000 price tag, but the surrealist streetlamp is a neat anchor to an increasingly vibrant neighborhood that includes one of our favorite cocktail stops, just kitty-corner at Woodford Food & Beverage. ► Corner of Forest Ave. and Woodford St., Portland.
SELFIE
Pose with Luminous Arbor after dark, when the sculpture is all lit up.
See Shy Artists at Table Rock Arts Center
Bethel’s Table Rock Arts Center opened its doors last winter, showing everything from sculptural steampunk light fixtures to landscape paintings to high-design quilts. In June, the gallery hosts a month-long preview exhibition for the Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show, a celebration of a 15-year Bethel tradition of non-professional artists coming out of the shadows to hang their work during the annual Bethel Art Fair. Expect an array of (surprisingly good!) paintings, jewelry, photography, charcoal drawings, woodcarvings, and more. Past Shy, Novice & Closeted artists have ranged from age 3 to 96. ► June 8–July 5. 162 Main St., Bethel. 207-432-7239. tablerockartscenter.com. The one-day Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show is July 6 at the Art Barn, 18 High St. bethelartfair.com
SELFIE
Stop by Table Rock Arts Center during the preview exhibition (or the Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show itself), find a piece by your favorite demure Da Vinci, and get it in your shot.
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Come See Us at the Down East Shop
The first floor of Down East’s Rockport headquarters — a 1903 shingled “cottage” known as Roxmont — is a showroom for Maine-made goods by dozens of the state’s best artists, makers, and artisans. From handmade jewelry to Maine-tapped syrup, carved wooden fish platters to nautical-chart wall art, you’ll find something made with Yankee pride to commemorate your love for the Pine Tree State. And of course, you can tell us about your hunt so far, maybe even salute past scavenger hunters in our Hall of Champions. ► 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Mon.–Fri. 680 Commercial St., Rockport. 207-594-9544. shop.downeast.com
SELFIE
Grab any Down East staffer you see passing by — or ask at the desk to have one summoned — and take your selfie together in the Down East Shop.
Give a Public Performance at the Norway Music & Arts Festival
As small-town fests go, the Norway Music & Arts Festival, which takes over Main Street on July 13, must be Maine’s most eclectic. Musical offerings run the gamut from Cuban dance to Turkish folk to American swing. Plus dance performances, a short-film series, arts vendors, and Poetry on the Porch, when a gaggle of Maine poets posts up on the porch of the Weary Club. There, poet Lisa Moore composes verse on demand, the members of the Mountain Poets Society read from their work, and a group of festival-goers tries to beat the Guinness World Record for the most people reciting a poem simultaneously. ► Weary Club of Norway, 385 Main St., Norway. nmaaf.org
SELFIE
Join the festivities via the (tongue-in-cheek) record-setting poetry attempt, reciting Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” with dozens of poets and strangers. The record to beat is 46,660. Last attempt, the Mountain Poets Society had 50, but they’re aiming for more. Show up by 2 p.m. and shoot your selfie mid-recital.
Take an Art Safari in Lewiston
Last year, the Build Maine Conference brought world-renowned Brazilian muralist Arlin Graff to Lewiston to install one of his giant, colorful geometric animals on the side of a drab parking garage. Graff spray-painted a zebra, he said, because the herd species represents the power of community and nods to Lewiston-Auburn’s East African immigrant population. Graff got a taste of the towns’ sense of community as he worked, when locals kept showing up with coffee or lunch, culminating in a full-on block party when the piece was complete. ► Centerville Parking Garage, corner of Canal St. and Pine St.
SELFIE
Stand in front of the mural and smile. While you’re in the neighborhood, check out Museum L-A, just across the canal, for more on “the story of work and community in Lewiston-Auburn,” as the museum’s tagline reads.
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