PechaKucha Night Rockland Casts Open Call for Entries

As part of the Juice Conference entertainment package, PechaKucha Night Rockland is now casting an open call for entries to its upcoming event on Friday, November 13 at Camden Opera House. PechaKucha Night is an internationally recognized event based on a unique presentation style in which artists, designers and other creative individuals share twenty images, with twenty seconds for each image. This particular event is part of the programming being planned for the Midcoast Magnet’s Juice 2 Conference being held that same weekend.

In the past six months three such events have drawn record crowds in the midcoast—most recently on August 14th outdoors at the Waterfall Art Center in Belfast, where over 300 guests gathered on the back lawn to enjoy a summer’s evening. The response continues to be inspiring, as a diverse group of presenters from the local area share images and stories of their work, their process and what inspires them to live and work as creative individuals amongst us.

For the upcoming November 13th event in Camden the selection committee is looking for a broad range of work from diverse creative professionals such as designers, inventors, visual artists, architects, chefs, farmers, boatbuilders, etc. While the committee can only accept eight presenters for the November event, keep in mind that there will be other PechaKucha Night events in the midcoast area in the future and once you submit, you could still be chosen for future dates.

If you are interested in becoming a presenter at the November 13th event, please email rockland@pechakuchamaine.org no later than Friday, October 16th with the following information: your name and contact information, the medium you work in, a brief description of your work along with the story you would like to tell, including a explanation of your creative process (250 word maximum) and a link to your website or five low–resolution images of the work you would like to present. Submissions received after October 16th will be considered for future PechaKucha Night events.

Save the date for Friday, November 13th at Camden Opera House in Camden. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7:00 pm. For directions, visit www.camdenoperahouse.com. If the turnout is anything like the last four, it should make for quite an evening. The PechaKucha Rockland partners look forward to seeing you all and are excited to hear from the next group of upcoming presenters!

For general information or questions about PechaKucha Night Rockland, please email rockland@pechakuchamaine.org or call Mary Bumiller at 207-949-9155.

Announcing the 2009 Juice 2.0 Conference

The 2009 Juice Conference takes place on November 13 and 14 in Downtown Camden. It will bring together over 500 of Maine’s most creative entrepreneurs, artists, innovators and statewide leaders at the intersection of technology, tradition and design for the purpose of charting the future of Maine’s economy.

This conference, “Building Maine’s Innovation Networks,” asks participants from across the state to come together to explore the power of creativity and innovation in protecting Maine’s quality of place while transforming Maine’s economy. The themes of connecting our history with the future, investing in technology and design, introducing young and established leaders, fostering art and culture, and protecting and promoting our natural resources, reflect the elements of the creative economy that will be central throughout the conference.

“Juice 2.0 - Building Maine’s Innovation Networks” will connect leaders of the creative economy which will help foster growth and prosperity,” said Skip Bates, President of the Midcoast Magnet Board and VP of Business Banking for Bangor Savings, which is the conference’s lead sponsor. “Our programs committee has woven together the arts, technology, and entrepreneurship to present the interrelated tapestry that is Maine’s economy. Juice inspires innovation by bringing talented people together from widely different backgrounds to build on Maine’s traditions. The conference is a forum for the exchange of ideas, the sharing of success stories, and the development of strategies for Maine’s future.”

To allow attendees the chance to give their critically important insight on the themes of the conference, over forty breakout sessions have been created that will take place throughout downtown Camden over the two days. The sessions were developed by a strong creative partnership that includes Midcoast Magnet, The Maine Arts Commission, Realize! Maine, Build Green Maine and the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board, as well as collaboration by Waterfall Arts Conflux and MEBSR. There will also be ample opportunity to socialize during various functions and entertainment breaks.

Entertainment at the conference will include performances by world class performers, such as The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange who will perform on Saturday evening (tickets available through Bay Chamber Concerts) and Aniruddha Knight who will be performing during the conference. Other entertainment includes the ever popular Pecha Kucha on Friday night, which will be followed by a party in downtown Camden.
Conference tickets cost $175 if purchased before October 15, and $225 thereafter. Special rates are available for volunteers, speakers and for groups with 4 or more attendees. To find out more about what the conference offers, and to register, set up a group rate, or for more information on volunteering or the event in general go to the Website or email info@juiceconference.org.

Juice 2007, a Quick Look Back

Building upon the success of the 2007 Juice Conference, the second bi-annual conference, presented by Midcoast Magnet, is expected to create a statewide buzz throughout the cultural and innovative sectors.

But before we look towards what will undoubtedly be another amazing conference, this is a great time to reflect upon what happened in 2007.

With over 400 creative people gathering in Camden and Rockland in November of 2007, it was sure to catch the attention of the press. Reports about the conference appeared in many places; (the following links show the actual press stories of the time) the Bangor Daily News, Village Soup and Free Press were just some of the outlets that provide historical context.

But, perhaps the best source for the outcomes of the last conference has to be the online summary produced by the organizers of Juice.