Attention theater fans! Stage East has been hard at work with planning the ongoing season and we have some exciting news to share. Following the current production of "Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt 2B" - which we can't wait to share with you at the end of this month! - Stage East will be opening auditions to actors on July 20 for locally-written 10-minute plays with performances to be held the following weekend. These carefully selected, well-developed plays will showcase th

The inaugural We Are the Watershed celebration at Eastport Arts Center was a fantastic success with great effort from the organizers and community members who came to learn and participate in the two-day proceedings. On Friday, the opening reception of the community exhibition was held, along with the launch of a booklet of collected community works (written and visual). (photos by Alison Ross) On Saturday, activities were held throughout the day celebrating our connection to

Stage East is delighted to announce the cast list for the upcoming theatrical performance of "Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B" by Kate Hamill. The players are: Amber Fuchs as Ms. Holmes Marcelina Messin as Ms. Watson Olivia Fiore as Irene Adler Arielle Richardson as Mrs. Drebber Katie Jumper as Mrs. Hudson Damon Weston as Inspector Lestrade Colin Shank as Elliot Monk Iris Shank as Pizza Girl, Reporter, Boy's Voice Rehearsals and set building have been underway for a few we

Eastport Arts Center (EAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new director and education and outreach coordinator. Lura Jackson will serve as the arts center’s director and Danielle Metta will provide education and outreach services to the greater community, with both already acting in their new respective capacities. Jackson grew up in Eastport and is a graduate of Shead High School; she completed additional studies at Washington County Community College (WCCC), St.

The Washington Street Gallery at the Eastport Arts Center (EAC) is calling on area visual artists to submit an original work for a community show that will be held for the month of July. The theme is Downeast Summer. “We hope artists will see this open call and start thinking about summers Downeast that will result in an artwork to place in the show. Perhaps it will be the relief of warmth after the long winter, or the sounds of birds, the colors and scents of flowers, the dr

How can art influence the restoration of our environment? Watch this panel discussion led by Shaun Haskins of the Cobscook Institute as he and others involved in the conservation of Passamaquoddy Bay and the Skutik (St. Croix) River speak on art's vital role in connecting communities with their surroundings. The first annual We Are the Watershed event will be held at Eastport Arts Center on May 1 and 2, 2026.

Yellow spotted salamander (photo by Greg LeClair for Natural Resources Council of Maine) Few people are as passionate about Maine’s vernal pools and the amphibians who breed in them as Stephanie Allard, science professor at Washington County Community College – making her the perfect presenter to learn about the wonderful animals who set out on Big Night. Stephanie shared her enthusiasm and her findings with the audience on Sunday, March 22 at EAC. “Being able to teach scienc

The Light of Acadia When you get your first look at Jessica’s work, you might think you are looking at a technicolor dream. Her bright paintings are full of energy and emotion. She says, “I think the world is beautiful. I love to capture things in exaggerated and vibrant color to really emphasize how much that landscape or concept or emotion felt like as it was vibrating in me.” But her work is not all about color. She also works in three-dimensional mediums such as clay, woo

How does place influence art? If you missed Leslie Bowman's presentation on March 1 about the past 50 years she's lived in Washington County and her associated artistic journey, we invite you to watch the full slideshow with her voiceover on our YouTube channel. Leslie was crucially involved in the formation of Eastport Arts Center and has been a teacher of the arts in the county for several decades. As a visual artist skilled with paints, scultping, stop motion and digital

Eastport Arts Center is seeking a part-time education outreach coordinator with immediate availability to organize and conduct an ongoing arts program in area schools as well as creating and running EAC’s workshops. Position overview The Education Outreach and Workshop Coordinator is responsible for developing, coordinating, and delivering a variety of arts education programs for both youth and adults. This role combines program planning, community outreach, teaching, and a

The role of individual gardeners in creating and sustaining a healthy community was discussed during a presentation by Paula Kovecses at EAC on February 15. Kovecses is the owner of The Way It Grows [TWIG], a landscaping company that specializes in organic and sustainable designs. Kovecses started her career as a conventional landscaper but pivoted to organic methods after a five-day intensive course. “Compost is what I’ve come back to,” she says, emphasizing the role of mind

The 6th Annual "Hearts for the Arts" auction is open online now ! View the dazzling collection of heart or love themed original works by artists with a connection to our region. All mediums - painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber arts, mixed media and more. Proceeds benefit both the contributing artists and arts-focused festivals and music events around the Eastport area, including the Mermaid Festival on July 31/Aug 1 and the Witches of Eastport on Oct 31, now pres

We were delighted to celebrate Marged Higginson on January 25 with a recognition party for the many years she has served with Eastport Arts Center in fundamental ways. Marged has been involved in the creative arts for much of her life, including a 30-year tenure with a chorus that performed with the New Jersey Symphony and the opportunity to sing at Stephansdom in Vienna. After her travels domestic and abroad, she and her husband arrived in Eastport when the EAC was getting

Due to outside circumstances, the originally planned opening production for this season of Stage East - "Noises Off" - has been indefinitely rescheduled. In its place, we will be putting together a production of "Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt 2B" by Kate Hamill, which will be performed at the end of May. An irreverent, darkly comic modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth and sidekick, "Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt 2B" is a fast-paced romp that re-examines the

The Steinway Parlor Grand piano at Eastport Arts Center (EAC) – a rare model C built in 1888 that hasn’t been produced domestically in the past century – has received a much-needed refurbishment by piano technician Robert Cloutier. Cloutier, who recently retired from a four-decade career that saw him traveling the world to work on concert-level instruments, donated his expertise to repair the piano provided new hammers for the instrument could be obtained. “For EAC, this work

Calling all artists! The 6th Annual Hearts for the Arts online auction will soon be underway. This increasingly-popular event serves as a key fundraiser for the Eastport ArtFests (including the Mermaid Festival and the Witches Festival, both of which are under EAC's umbrella this year) - along with providing artists with a great opportunity to earn money for their work! Participating artists can choose from a 70/30 split (keeping 70% of the proceeds), a 50/50 split, or a 30/

Submissions will open on February 1 for the 2026 Charles Moore Poetry Prize Competition sponsored by Eastport Arts Center (EAC). Now in its fourth year, the competition has seen a steady increase in the number of submissions from Maine and beyond. Submitted poems are collected into an annual anthology available for sale from the EAC, online, and from A Boatload of Books, with previous volumes being Of Woods and Waters , Connecting Nature and Worklife, Lifework . Contributors

Rage Judy may be tiny in stature, but her paintings are big, bold and powerful. The colors are rich and dense. Her work sometimes leans heavily towards emotional abstractions and sometimes sways into realism. In some you see anger or pain. Others make you smile with delight … especially when you find one of the surprises she might tuck onto a panel. From the Heart Judy describes her work as intuitive. She says, “I never know what the end product will be, but it comes from my

The Literary Arts Program of the Eastport Arts Center is excited to announce the Jay Skriletz Playwriting Initiative. This state-wide competition offers early-career Maine playwrights under 30 years of age a chance to receive production experience. The winning writer will receive a $1,000 prize and a week-long workshop at the Eastport Arts Center, culminating in a staged reading. Lodging will be provided and a meals and travel stipend are also included. To be eligible, writer

The 16th annual Festival of Trees at EAC was a spectacular success with guests from around the extended community coming to place their bids on 25 fully festooned young evergreens. The event, one of EAC's biggest fundraisers of the year, raised approximately $3,000 to support the center's ongoing efforts to promote the arts in the area. We would like to give special thanks to Georgie Kendall for donating the trees; Chris Farr for providing musical accompaniment; Cynthia Morse