Shows coming up through 7/23 - 7/27

Friday night, July 23, Arborea will be playing at the Mayo Street Arts Center in Portland, Maine. 8pm. $8-$10.

Saturday and Sunday, July 24 - 25, CozInk Printed Goods / Grace Kendall will be selling work at an Art & Vintage Market in Whitefield, Maine. 9am-3pm on Saturday, and 10am-3pm on Sunday. Goods at the CozInk table are priced from $2 to $40.

Tuesday, July 27, Old Man Forest will be playing at the SPACE Gallery in Portland, Maine. Show starts at 7pm (they go on second, following Charles Burst). $5 suggested donation.

More information about all of these shows can be found by clicking the appropriate link in the events list to the right of the page.

Updates on a couple shows next weekend will follow in a few days. Hope to see you at one of these events!

New Old Man Forest show scheduled for Augusta!

Details have just been hammered out for an intimate Old Man Forest show at a lovely local bakery in Augusta, Maine.

Chase Farm Bakery is run by some of my husband's very talented family and is located at 295 Water Street in Augusta. It is a real, honest-to-goodness bakery, where everything is homemade from scratch with no mixes, no buckets of filling, no preservatives, and no additives. Bakery specialties include homemade whoopie pies, doughnuts, breads and rolls, cookies, and the very popular pot pies. They also stock raw organic milk from their dairy farm in Whitefield, Maine, and Maine maple syrup from Hilton Head Farm (also in Whitefield, and also family). This is another perfect opportunity to support your local music scene, as well as local business and local agriculture!

The show is scheduled for Saturday, May 1st at 10:00AM. Please join us and enjoy live music and some locally baked goodies! This is a FREE show, but it's worth noting if you plan on grabbing some treats that Chase Farm Bakery only accepts cash or check for the time being, and no debit/credit cards. Go to the ATM- it's worth it! :-)

drumming/dancing

A couple weeks ago several local cooperatives organized and held a Solidarity Supper to raise money for Outright L/A and the Treatment Action Campaign. At the event, Jessy Kendall did some drumming for an interpretive dancer. Here they are:

Video recorded by Craig Saddlemire, and you can see more of Craig's stuff on his youtube channel.

Old Man Forest at Guthrie's, Nov. 14th

There is more video to upload, so there will probably be another post tomorrow sometime. In the meantime, check out the brand spanking new CozInk Collective YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/CozInkCollective







(pictures & video by grace)

Alive in Lewiston! A celebration of local food, music, and art

CozInk peeps Old Man Forest will be playing at the Alive in Lewiston event, and CozInk Paper Goods will be present as well, with note cards out for sale, and some Lewiston-inspired photography on display!

About Lots to Gardens: Lots to Gardens is a youth and community driven organization that uses sustainable urban agriculture to create access to fresh food, and to nurture healthy youth and a healthy community. We teach people how to grow their own food, provide affordable access to fresh food, and involve youth as leaders. We help families and youth develop skills and build power for lifelong and community-wide change.

Come out and enjoy some local flavor while supporting a great organization!

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Join neighbors and friends for a night of delicious food, colorful art, and toe-tapping tunes at
Alive in Lewiston: A Celebration of
Local Food, Music, and Art.
Friday, November 20th 6:30 pm
Each season Lots to Gardens invites community members, friends, and partners, for an evening of live and local music, locally made art, and a delicious homegrown meal prepared with food grown in community gardens and farms found throughout Lewiston and Maine. This years featured meal will be prepared by our Chef in Residence, Scott Johnson, from the Blair Hill Inn in Greenville ME, and will be made with
hearty autumn fruits and veggies.
Come celebrate la vida local at this fun, family event!

Tickets will be available at the door. They will be sold on a sliding scale from $5-$50 with a suggested minimum donation of $10 for individuals and $25 for families. Please pay what you can.

Proceeds from the event will go to support Lots to Gardens' Programs.

If you think you'd like to attend or would like more information about the event and the work of Lots to Gardens' and the Nutrition Center please contact us at
lotstogardens@gmail.com or 207 513 3844.

Joint CozInk Show at Guthrie's- Nov. 14th

Arborea is staying busy close to home! Buck and Shanti are playing a show tonight (Nov. 6) at 7:00, at the North Star Cafe in Portland, ME. Portland is a busy town tonight, too, so if you want to head down early, this is the monthly First Friday Art Walk in P-town! Art walk starts at 5ish, and then finish off the night with some live music and good eats at the cafe. Find the cafe online here, and at 225 Congress Street, Portland, Maine.

Also this month, Arborea and Old Man Forest (the latest incarnation of Jessy, Denise, and Jordan's band- formerly known as Tight Light Flight and Sunwell... yes, they are very indecisive) are playing a joint show in their hometown! She Doesn't Like Guthrie's, at 115 Middle Street in Lewiston is hosting both bands live at 9pm on Saturday, Nov. 14th.

Come on out and support local music!

Upcoming shows!

Jan & Jerry will be playing some kick ass live music this Saturday the 10th at Holly's Own Deli in Auburn. Stop by 84 Court Street, Auburn, Maine for music and good eats from 6:30 to 9:30! They also have another upcoming show on Oct. 24th at the Smilin' Moose in South Paris, Maine from about 6:30-9:30.

Jessy, Denise, and Jordan (previously Sunwell, and currently performing as Old Man Forest) are playing on Saturday the 17th at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's- 115 Middle Street, Lewiston, Maine.

Pass on the info!
-Grace

Roots & Tendrils show (Part 2)

Part 2 (which actually came first... I just uploaded files backwards) of the Roots & Tendrils show on Saturday night was Sunwell. This was their first show outside their native Lewiston. Sunwell is made up (from left to right) of Denise, Jordan, and Jessy:


Watch Sunwell's performance of Denise's original song, "Fiction"

an old traditional folk song, "Lazarus"

another traditional, "Cripple Creek" (Buffy St. Marie also recorded versions of both Lazarus and Cripple creek- check them out!)

a song that Jessy wrote, "Dallas"



So there it is. I have more video, but I'm gearing up for the printmaking workshop tomorrow. I have 5 gelatin plates to make, paper to cut, supplies to gather, nerves to calm...

CozInk at Valhalla Fields Festival this Saturday!

This Saturday (June 20), there's a great little FREE festival in western Maine. In Poland, to be exact.

Valhalla Fields Farm is a second generation homestead, started in the 70s with the vision that one day the land would serve as a sanctuary of sorts; a place for artists and musicians to share their crafts in a relaxed, low key way. On the longest day of the year, the farm opens its land to the public for the Valhalla Fields Festival. The festival is free, full of great music and art, and a great way to spend a family-friendly afternoon. No one gets paid, and no one has to pay.

CozInk has some stuff going on in the art show part of the festival as well as the music part. I will have one photograph and one printmaking piece in the art show, and Jessy & Denise will be playing music around 2:30 that afternoon.

Speaking of Jessy and Denise, the name "Tight Like Flight" is out, and they are now going by "Sunwell". "Like a well. With a sun at the bottom." as Jessy explained.

I'll be at the festival with my daughter and my aunt, Jessy and Denise will be there for awhile around their set, and some of the other CozInk people may make the trek out to Poland, I'm not sure. Hope to see you there, though!

-Grace

Upcoming Art Shows

Tomorrow night is the grand opening of Roots & Tendrils, a new multipurpose art gallery in Belfast, Maine. For their first exhibit, they are hosting a great show called "Visions from Voices" which showcases the CD artwork from local (Maine, New England) music. This is a perfect first show for them, since the space is about drawing together art, music, and retail.

I'm psyched to announce that art from Arborea (CD above is their latest, House of Sticks- artwork by Buck and Shanti Curran) and L/A COMP (at right, artwork by Victoria Koldewyn) are both being included in this first exhibit, and also that Roots & Tendrils is carrying some of my paper goods in their retail side of things. Visit them at 2 Cross Street, Belfast, Maine to pick up Cozink cards, copies of L/A COMP, and copies of Arborea's Wayfaring Summer.

Show: Friday, June 5th from 5PM-8PM with live music following from 8PM-10PM.


And the next night...


Captive Elements Art House is having their opening reception for their June art exhibit on Saturday, June 6th, from 7PM-10PM. The exhibit includes three featured artists: acrylic painter Sarah Vorisek, photographer Abi Wellman, and me, photographer/printmaker Grace Kendall. They will also be displaying works from their house artists during the show, which runs June 6-26.
They will have up eight photographs of mine, along with eight or nine prints, and cards/bookmarks/postcards like what is in the Etsy shop. The show is free, and refreshments will be available as well. The show will be right at the gallery, Captive Elements Art House, 25 Landry Road, Lewiston, Maine.

-Grace

Jessy & Denise opening for Spoke Ensemble 5/29

denise dill and i are opening for Spoke Ensemble this fri. at guthrie's
'round 9pm.... they have a myspace- it's americana, dutch 2-step music, i
think. they're good. you can check out and and dill's latest on rough ride
of crafts myspace.


see you then and there?

loven,
jessy

Guthrie's 04/17/09 photos & video

On Friday night, She Doesn't Like Guthries hosted a showing of the Neighbor By Neighbor documentary and performances afterward from soundtrack artists Big Blood (out of Portland) and Jessy Kendall & Denise Dill (out of Lewiston).

Jessy & Denise
















Denise Dill & Sherie Blumenthal


Big Blood

New tracks from Jessy & Denise

Here are a couple new tracks that Jessy & Denise have been working on.

Yesterday:
http://www.box.net/shared/fxrjoccv0k

The bread makin' song (there is an actual title that I can't remember right now, and my disorganized self has already lost the track list Jessy gave me...):
http://www.box.net/shared/udxkgeczdz

The afore-mentioned name of Tight Like Flight is a work in progress at this point. It may change, so I'll be sure to update with a new name whenever it comes. A couple people have already asked about buying CDs; they don't have a CD out just yet, but they will, and I'll update when that's available.


Posting tomorrow: Pictures and video from the Neighbor By Neighbor showing & music at Guthrie's on Friday night.

Letter Founder #57

The latest issue of Letter Founder is #57, and is available for freeeeee at a few select stores across Lewiston/Auburn. For more information about the 'zine, or any of the artists, please comment here or email Jessy at shirk@riseup.net

(Click this one for a larger, readable size)

Coming up this weekend!

The Neighbor By Neighbor/live music from the soundtrack showing is Friday night at 7:00 at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's (115 Middle St., Lewiston). Arborea, Big Blood, Tight Like Flight (the newly partnered duo of Jessy Kendall & Denise Dill...), will all be performing. Perhaps others that I haven't heard about, too, I'm not positive.

Arborea is also playing a show in Mass. this weekend, if you are down there or can get down there for Saturday night. Shanti & Buck will be playing at the Montague Bookmill on Saturday at 8:00pm, along with Nuda Veritas.

Coming soon (!) to the blog: one or two new tracks from Tight Like Flight, and bits n pieces from the newest Letter Founder.

-Grace

Letter Founder #56

And finally...

events

Buck & Shanti's new CD, House of Sticks came out in late February, and is available from Darla. They also uploaded some new songs to their MySpace page, if you want to take a listen. I'm kind of in love with their song, Alligator, from that record.

Also, Neighbor By Neighbor is being shown again in Lewiston. This time it'll be at Guthrie's, on April 17 from 7PM-9PM. BUT, this time there is the huge added bonus of artists from the soundtrack performing after the show. Right now, I know Jessy & Denise Dill will be there, I think Arborea will be as well, and if I remember correctly, Big Blood from Portland were trying to come up. All that is subject to change, of course, but that's the info I've got right now.

-Grace

p.s. excerpts and whatnot from Letter Founder #56 coming soon!

Letter Founder #55

Letter Founder #55, from Answer Shirker Press:
(Click pictures for larger versions)

Poem from the front cover:

Pay Stub
I found the discolored
rectangle of paper
while scavenging through
my mother's jewelry box

my father's pay stub
from the second week
of September
1980
some shit job, flopping a mop
for $5.05 an hour
1980
ten years later
he'd be dead of stomach cancer

I took the pay stub
and stuck it in my wallet

over the years
I'd lost everything
given to me
meant to keep him
close in heart and mind

rings pawned
trinkets misplaced
photographs trashed

this I would keep

I wonder
if years from now
when I'm gone
my children might find
one of my pay stubs
and realize
I, too, gave my life away
for almost nothing

-Karl Kowes



poem from page 5:

Thank you, Gay and Lesbian America!
We are finally winning
And you have been so cooperative

All those years
We hated you, we beat you

And you fought back
You stood up
You stood up for yourselves
For oppressed people everywhere

You fought us at Stonewall
You fought us in the streets
and worked to undo what we have done

You fought classism
You fought racism
You fought sexism

And you scared us
You were too loud, too strong
And you were getting stronger

But then, then you tackled marriage
And then we began to win
Because now the ball's in our court
You've been tamed

You concentrate on gay marriage as if nothing else exists
You have forgotten your strong roots
You have forgotten your anger
your open eyes, your compassion

Now you want to be just like us
Just like hte people who hate you so much
You are casting off the trannies,
the scared and bullied 8th grade queers,
the thousands dying of AIDS

You don't see them anymore
Your organizations don't support them anymore
There is no solidarity, only priorities:
Don't worry!!
They are not like us!
We are the new face of homosexuals:
Wedding bands!
Picket fences!
Throw pillows!

Please let us assimilate,
you say
Let us aspire to SUVs and soccer games
Let us decorate the interiors of your mansions

This will go on for years
We are winning
And you are whining
And all the while your fire, your defiance, your sharpness
It's withered to nothing

You don't scare us anymore
You want to be us
And we won't let you
But we will strong you along
and keep you occupied

You used to be everywhere
Fighting everywhere
Changing things, challenging things
But now, this isn't one issue
It's your only issue

And you've played right into our hands

Thank you

-Erin Reed



More in the hardcopy issue, which you can get (for freeeeeeee!) at various retailers around Lewiston/Auburn. Comment or email for more info...

a taste of Letter Founder #55

More coming later, but for now I'll leave you with this beautiful expression of humanity...

Glass Kidney
the desk & the pull-out
leave very little space
& Manhattan surrounds me
yet often I prefer
to stay in here

sometimes on late trips
to the bathroom down the hall

I notice a jar beside the door
of an old man I once saw
trying to make it
to the plumbing himself

impossibly frail
he managed a step
every 12 seconds

his aluminum walker
creaking against the tile

his tie and fedora
declaring his aim
to go it alone

now his jar always contains
24 ounces of gold

& I never sleep well

until I've seen to
its emptiness

-Mark Wisniewski


From the last page of Letter Founder issue #55, which is available free at local (Lewiston/Auburn) stores. For more info or to submit work/play contact Jessy at shirk@riseup.net

Feb 14th Dance Party @ The Bangarang!

the idea: hop til ya drop.

the goal- to screen print shirts with the logo 'lewiston is for lovers' and hand 'em out at the door as you come in. party favors!!

it's winter, we need some community, some body heat, some tunes!! come to the bang on valentine's day, alone or with your lovAH, we don't care- just dance-- (comment if you need the address)

when-ish? i dunno -- 6?

should there be food? i dunno.

but let's getogether and shake it like a polaroid picture..



loven,
-jessy k.