UMPI, city receive grant to host ‘Music in the Park Series’

    PRESQUE ISLE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the city of Presque Isle are the recipients of a $7,500 Maine Arts Commission “Artists in Maine Communities” grant to host six consecutive concerts at Riverside Park this summer.     The “Summer Music in the Parks Series” will begin on Saturday, July 13, at 3 p.m., with a performance by Michael Wingfield and Friends, an Afro-Cuban drum and piano combo. An opening act by local musicians Andy Rebscher and Matt Meinert will begin at 2 p.m. The concerts are free to the public.
    Carol Ayoob, director of cultural affairs at UMPI, wrote the grant in March.
    “People signed pledges of support with tears in their eyes; Main Street is ready for this,” said Ayoob.
    Cash matches totaling $4,100 and advertising donations totaling $15,000 bolstered support for the grant.
    “This is a true village production,” said Ayoob. “The Downtown Revitalization Committee was thrilled that Riverside Park was chosen, as the music will draw people to the downtown area.”
    Other artists who have been invited to perform on consecutive Sunday afternoons are The Jerks of Grass, a bluegrass band from Portland; the Anatole Wieck String Trio Ensemble from the University of Maine (Orono); BOOMBAZI, a funk-ska band from the Portland area; Tree by Leaf, a dreamy alt-folk band from the Blue Hill area; and old-timey banjo player Steve Hartley, from Cherryfield.
    Opening performances by local artists are in place: Bab Cote, Acadian singer and interpreter of Acadian songs; singer-songwriter Sheldon (Jim) Wright; The Vegetarians – a fiddles, piano and vocal group; singer-songwriter Travis Cyr; and the Wabanaki Drum Group.
    The six Sunday concerts will be listed on the new arts events portal: www.artsaroostook.org. Posters are being designed for public distribution, and announcements will be made on the three Citadel radio stations: Q96.1, Big Country 97 and 102 FM-The Rock.