Each year in June and July, the Island Institute schedules a series of lectures, usually on topics covered in the annual Island Journal. Speakers are often the authors of stories in the magazine.
On Wednesday, June 25, Nancy Griffin of Thomaston will speak about Bell Island, Newfoundland, which she described in a story about that former iron-mining community’s effort to survive following the closure of its mine. Her talk will be illustrated with dozens of photographs she took while she was on the island last year. In an effort to attract tourists, Bell islanders commissioned a series of murals depicting their community in its heyday, and transformed one former mineshaft into a tourist attraction. A Newfoundland native, Nancy Griffin writes and speaks passionately about her home province and its ongoing economic troubles.
On July 2, Edgar Allen Beem of Yarmouth will discuss the work of contemporary artists on several Maine islands. Beem, a former staff member of Maine Times who is well known for his art criticism, will speak on the connections between artists and the places where they work.
On July 9, Ben Neal of Rockland, Program Officer for Marine Resources at the Island Institute, will introduce a new exhibit at the Island Institute: Island Boat Builders. The exhibit will include historic photographs and other material on boat builders in the past, as well as islanders who are building boats today.
On July 16, Phil Crossman of Vinalhaven, well known for his humorous writing on island life, will speak on topics known only to him. Crossman described a fictional meeting of the Vinalhaven Planning Board in the 2003 Island Journal.
On July 23, Nathan Michaud, Program Officer for Community Planning at the Institute, will discuss what happens, exactly, when Hollywood makes use of a “quaint” coastal or island town as a movie backdrop. Sometimes, he observes, the “real” Maine isn’t “real” enough for the movie industry’s purposes.
The final lecture in the series is planned for Wednesday, July 30, on a topic to be announced.
Introducing all speakers in the lecture series will be David Platt, Director of Publications at the Island Institute and editor of Island Journal and Working Waterfront.