Monday, November 10, 2014

Leaf Peeping in October

Coos Canyon near Rumford, Maine
On weekends in October, we experience some of the best days of the year in the hills around Western Maine.  The fall foliage hits its peak usually on the first two weeks of October.   Optimal views depend on temperature, rainfall, and winds.  What is truly remarkable is that there aren't crowds of tourists around like we have all summer long.  Some smart travelers are well aware of the value and make reservations a whole year in advance.  We picked a perfect day to visit the Rangeley Lakes Region and Coos Canyon near Rumford.  Lots of requests for reservations on weekends from folks coming down from Canada and up from Massachusetts...

There are also a couple very well known fairs in Maine at this time of year as well.  The Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg runs the first week of October and there is also the Common Ground Fair in late September in Unity, Maine.

Hunting season arrives in November along with  shorter days, colder rains, and occasional snow.  The mood shifts to getting indoors and playing in the studio!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Breaking From The Pack

Bronwyn Sims working on her aerial apparatus for her one woman show "Moment of Impact".

Sometimes, as artists, we need a time to focus without distractions getting in the way of our work.  Although we need input and encouragement, there comes a time when we need to put the social aspects of being artists aside and just concentrate on the work itself.  Sometimes we need to break from the pack, find our unique voice, and reframe from deriving ideas from others.  This is one of the main reasons why artists of so many disciplines enjoy escaping to Maine each year.

For those who want to cut to the chase, we still have space this summer for affordable artist residencies in July and August. Here is the link for more information and an application that can be downloaded.

http://www.eurekaretreat.com/-retreats.html.

Rejuvenation Awaits in the Backwoods of Maine!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Improvisation with Brad Terry

A few of us got together on May 4th in the studio with Brad Terry to experiment with theater improvisation to live music.  Brad is an amazing musician who has played with quite a number of jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie.  Despite his notoriety, Brad is extremely humble and generous and a real charm to experiment with.  It was an interesting and inspiring afternoon!  We are looking forward to having him back along with his virtuoso jazz guitarist.  I think the high point of the day for me personally was when Brad started playing, then he abruptly stopped and said, "The acoustics in here are wonderful!"




Brad improvising with Karen Montanaro.
Brad improvising with Leland Faulkner.
"Admiration"
Brad shares a story.




Monday, March 31, 2014

AFFORDABLE 7 DAY ARTIST RESIDENCIES

Our SUMMER BROCHURE is finished!

To promote our first official summer season, we are offering 7 DAY ARTIST RESIDENCIES for only $350 per week (plus 8% State of Maine Lodging Tax). It's a deal that simply cannot be beat for a quality place to live and work during Maine's high season. Space is limited. Apply early!

Click here to read more about the summer at EUREKA.


Michael Menes, Owner



Wednesday, March 26, 2014

What Is Your Passion?

We had fun making a little commercial in the studio recently.  There is also a full edit of this large ball juggling number on Vimeo here.




Saturday, March 15, 2014

Video Work

This spring we're getting into shooting and editing videos of performance pieces for artists' marketing and publicity.  Below are moments from Leland Faulkner's project involving capturing his hand shadows.  Click here to see the finished edit.  

A frame from Leland Faulkner's Hand Shadow Act.
Editing promotional video.
Setting up a jib arm for a smooth shot.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Improv Sessions

A good laugh during a recent improv.
The solitude of the Maine woods is such a perfect place to explore all sorts of strange and wonderful impulses!  Some of us veteran stage performers from around New England have been meeting at Eureka every now and then just to clear the cobwebs from our synapses.  We employ theater games and improv work.  Improv is a wonderful way to reconnect, dissolve blocks, discover new characters, invent graphics, inspire new material, and discover what works.  It's very good for the heart and is a sure way to get to know one another (and ourselves) with amazing speed and depth.  Each session is unique depending on the makeup of the group.  We try to get between six and eight players each session bringing in at least one or two new faces from out of state.  We experiment with many different improv exercises from various teachers.  It's not only laughs that we are after, but a full range of expression.  It's a real work out!  But quite a lot of fun!  I'm hoping that improvisation will be somewhat of a cornerstone of the work going on here at Eureka.

Photo:  Randy Judkins (left) sharing a moment with Jack Golden (right) during a recent Sunday Improv.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Upholstering The Main Studio

We've been spending this intense winter indoors getting things ready for spring and summer at Eureka. We are doing a big push to finish upholstering the main studio.  It looks wonderful!  By using fabric there is no drywall dust, mud or mess... The walls have been covered with batting and fitted with over 75 yards of beautiful material. We used custom snap buttons to hold the fabric to the walls along with wood trim. The acoustics are wonderful and even with sub-zero weather outside, the studio is really cozy.

We are now taking reservations for residencies and short stays this summer.  7 Day Residencies begin the week of July 6, 2014.  Residencies are for individuals, couples, or small groups interested in focused studio time.  Develop a creative project, rehearse, train, video work, or spend time with a director.  Residencies are very flexible.

We will also offer Bread-and-Breakfast style accommodations when our guest rooms are not booked for creative residencies.  Visit our website for more info:  (www.eurekaretreat.com/-retreats.html)