St. Lawrence receives $350,000 in grant money!!
Posted by D_Nice on Friday, June 9 2006
Friends of the St. Lawrence Church which operates the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center on Munjoy Hill inn Portland Maine received $350,000 in December for capital support to further its mission dedicated to the restoration and adapted reuse of the historic St. Lawrence Church in furtherance of Arts & Culture, Neighborhood & Community, and Historic Preservation.

The group received $100,000 from The National Trust for Historic Preservation through the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation and $250,000 from Jane's Trust.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation/LOWE'S grant in the amount of $100,000 will be used to fund the repair and restoration of the masonry wall facade of the St. Lawrence Parish Hall Theater(1897), a local Landmark and part of the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center -a cultural center for Portland's Munjoy Hill Neighborhood and greater Portland that provides an affordable and accessible venue for diverse offerings of theater, dance , music, film, meetings, workshops and community events. Since 1996, The Friends of St. Lawrence Church has raised nearly $2 million to bring back the historic building. The St. Lawrence re-opened to the public in 2001 with a full calendar of events in the Parish Hall Theater which currently serves 30,000 patrons annually.

The National Trust's Northeast Office identified several important historic preservation projects in a ten state region from Maine to Delaware and The St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center was one of ten recipients in the Northeast United States selected by Lowe's and the National Trust to receive grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000. Funding for these projects was provided by Lowe's through a $1 million contribution to the National Trust. The link to the the National Trust for Historic Preservation is www.nationaltrust.org

Jane's Trust awarded the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center $250,000 for Capital Support for the planning and design phase of the rehabilitation of the former sanctuary of the St. Lawrence Church into a community-based arts venue.

The planning and preliminary design phase of the restoration process will establish the design, cost and construction requirements for a 400 seat "Auditorium" in the former church building. The information generated from this work will provide the basis for a Capital Campaign as it will provide a
clear and consistent description and appropriate use of the building and an accurate scope of the restoration process. Surveys of the greater Portland area, including artistic performance organizations and performers who have used the restored Parish Hall Theater in the St. Lawrence indicate a shortage of mid-sized venues in the city. Our plans to create the 400-seat Sanctuary Auditorium as Phase II or our restoration campaign will promote affordable, accessible entertainment and culturally enriching artistic experiences for the community.

One of Jane's Trust areas of interest in grant making is to further the quality of artistic and cultural development with increased access to artistic expression and education in the arts for underserved populations and the impact of artistic and cultural exposure on communities as well as the preservation of and increased access to historically significant buildings and objects.
http://www.hembar.com/selectsrv/janes/

Learn more about the renovation and transformation of the former St. Lawrence Church into the
St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center at www.stlawrencearts.org

Lowe's and NTHP grant St. Lawrence $100,000
Posted by D_Nice on Friday, June 9 2006
TWO OF MAINE’S HISTORIC LANDMARKS RECEIVE GRANTS FROM LOWE’S FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS: FRIENDS OF THE ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH RECEIVES $100,000
AND CAMDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES $50,000

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Today, Lowe’s and the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that they are awarding $150,000 in grants to fund restoration projects at the Friends of the St. Lawrence Church Parish Hall, in Portland, and the Camden Public Library’s Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre, in Camden. The projects were among ten recipients in the Northeast United States selected by Lowe’s and the National Trust to receive grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000. Funding for these grants was provided by Lowe’s through a $1 million contribution to the National Trust.

“With the support and generosity of our vendors, Lowe’s is proud to support efforts aligned with our mission of improving the places where our customers, employees and families live, work and play,” said Larry D. Stone, chairman of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. “Focusing on priority projects of the National Trust for Historic Preservation enables us to make dramatic and long-lasting improvements to these communities.”

“The National Trust has benefited from its fruitful partnership with Lowe’s for more than six years through the sale of American Tradition paint in Lowe’s stores, and in various other capacities,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We are so pleased that our partnership has been extended to also benefit these very deserving preservation projects. Lowe’s has proven that it is a good steward of our nation’s history.”

The Friends of the St. Lawrence Church will use the $100,000 grant to fund the repair and restoration of the masonry wall façade of the St. Lawrence Parish Hall (1897), a local Landmark and part of the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center - a cultural center for Portland’s Munjoy Hill neighborhood that provides an affordable and accessable venue for diverse offerings of theater, dance, music, film, meetings, and workshops. Since 1996, the Friends of St. Lawrence Church have raised more than $1.5 million to bring back the historic church, which re-opened to the public in 2001 and currently serves 30,000 patrons annually.

The Camden Public Library will use the $50,000 grant to fund Phase II of a $800,000 preservation project to complete the restoration of the Camden Harbor Park Amphitheatre (c. 1928-1935). Phase II includes installing new plantings and sculptures and restoring old sculpture in Fauns Garden and making improvements to the gatehouse for use as a boxoffice and information kiosk. The Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre – designed by renowned landscape architects, Fredericl Law Olmsted, Jr. and Fletcher Steele, respectively – lie adjacent to the Camden Public Library and welcome thousands of visitors annually for concerts, arts and crafts shows, weddings and festivals.

Other grant recipients include: Louisa May Alcott Memorial Association, Concord, MA; The Gloucester Adventure, Inc., Gloucester, MA; Museum of Afro-American History, Boston, MA; Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant History, Brooklyn, NY; Pearl S. Buck International, Perkasie, PA; Newport Restoration Foundation, Middletown, RI; St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center, Woonsocket, RI; Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Richmond, VT. To read more about each grant recipient, visit www.nationaltrust.org.

The National Trust’s Northeast Office identified several important historic preservation projects in a ten-state region from Maine to Delaware, which met the established criteria: property is at least 50 years old; property must be open to the public; funds must be used to support a bricks-and-mortar project. Project proponents then presented strong proposals to a selection committee comprised of Lowe’s and National Trust representatives who made the final selections. The National Trust Northeast Office will work with each of the grant recipients to complete the projects over the next year.

Lowe’s is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation awards more than $3 million annually to diverse organizations across the United States. Lowe’s also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe’s Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe’s is a FORTUNE® 50 company with fiscal year 2004 sales of $36.5 billion and more than 1,175 stores in 49 states. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America's communities. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust was founded in 1949 and provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to protect the irreplaceable places that tell America’s story. Staff at the Washington, D.C. headquarters, six regional offices and 26 historic sites work with the Trust’s 270,000 members and thousands of preservation groups in all 50 states. For more information, visit the Trust’s web site at www.nationaltrust.org.

Summer Bulletin 23 Vol 8 Issue 3
Posted by D_Nice on Wednesday, May 25 2005
**St. Lawrence Bulletin**

Good Theater Ends Third Season with almost 100% Attendance to their shows!

Good Theater has just finished its final show of their third season here at the St. Lawrence and oh what a season it was! Filling nearly every seat for every show this year, we all look forward to season four and another sellout season. "To have had Good Theater, with it's simple and thoughtful mission of bringing good theater to greater Portland audiences, to be received so well again this year is testimony to the health of their particular brand of artistic endeavor", said Deirdre Nice, Executive & Artistic Director of the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center. "The St. Lawrence is so lucky to have Good Theater as our theater-in-residence. They help introduce the St. Lawrence to loads of new patrons and their contribution to the theater scene in Greater Portland is immeasurable. I can't wait to see season number four!"

Good Theater opened season three on September 23 with the Tony Award winning best play Master Class to rave reviews followed by Barrymore, starring Stephen Underwood, closing on November 30th to it's own great reviews. Then Good Theater presented yet another Maine Premiere with their winter musical A Man of No Importance playing this past February & March. A Man of No Importance was sold out for each and every one of it's 16 performances. Designer Janet Montgomery's beautiful set included newly restored lower level stained glass windows from the St. Lawrence for this play about a bus conductor who directs plays in the basement of church in Ireland. Everything about this play was magical: the songs, the music, the actors, the directing, the script, the set and of course the setting..a church within a church!

Good Theater ended their season with Neil Simon's California Suite with one of the most gorgeous & elaborate sets built on our stage. And not only did Brian Allen, Good Theater's Artistic Director direct the play, but he had one of the starring roles! Now we look forward to what this talented theater company has in store for us next season. For more detailed information, please visit both www.stlawrencearts.org and www.goodtheater.com, but here's a quick sneak preview:

Sept 15-Sept 18 A very special farewell of four shows starring Good Theater favorites Kelly Caufield and Lynn McGee in a Merman Martin Concert as they head off to start careers in New York City. You won't want to miss this show!

Then it's Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron Sept 22-Oct 16 2005. A play about two men, one elderly and one young, who over time discovers the other's well kept secret. Next Good Theater brings us The Dining Room, by A.R. Gurney from Nov 3-27th. A small cast of actors portray a wide array of diverse characters in a mosaic of interrelated scenes, some funny, some touching, some rueful, as they delineate the dying life-style of wealthy WASPdom from the point of view of the now neglected room which was once a vital centre of family life: the dining room of a well-to-do household, the place where the nuclear family once assembled daily for breakfast and dinner and for any and all special occasions.

This is followed up in December with two Good Theater productions: the 3rd Annual Broadway at the St. Lawrence with stars from Broadway and the sellout hit shows from The Maine Hysterical Society.

Good Theater closes out it's 4th season with the two plays The Mystery of Edwin Drood The Solve-It-Yourself Broadway Musical from Feb 16 to Mar 12, 2006 and finally Enchanted April from Apr 13-May 7, 2006 the story of four dissimilar women in post-World War One England going on a holiday to a secluded castle in Italy and the next best thing to taking a vacation! FYI about our theater-in-residence or to buy tickets, including season to their shows, please call 885-5883 or visit their website www.goodtheater.com

Wish-bone list:

--*Somebody to donate five million dollars so we can save the beautiful the sanctuary auditorium today! (a movie star?)
~*Anybody & five friends to donate $1 mil to save the sanctuary! (famous authors? T.V. hosts?)
~*10 people to donate $500,000 to fulfill our mission!
(arts & culture/community/historic preservation)
~*20 wonderful folks to donate $250,000 to make a dream come true! HURRAY!
~*2000 people to donate $2500! YES!
~*5000 people to donate $1,000! We can do it!
~*10,000 people to donate $500! Save it today!
~*20,000 people to donate $250! Imagine!
~*50,000 people to donate $100! Believe!
~*100,000 people to donate $50! Stone by stone!
~*200,000 people to donate $25! Help us!
~*500,000 people to donate $10! YOU!!
~*1,000,000 people to donate $5! YES YOU!

Events since Winter 04-05 Newsletter

December 2004
USM Theater November/December
Grace Church Candlelight service Sundays
Blissful Revolution Arts Holiday Show
Winter Solstice Concert with Rebecca Wing
Broadway at the St. Lawrence music
Yuletide Treasure Concert with Julia Lane
Nutcracker Burlesque theater/dance
The Maine Hysterical Society Comedy, Variety

January 2005
Grace Church Candlelight service Sundays
Dominique Lise/See Jane Run original music
Cody Michaels solo piano
All About Buford a cappella/pop/funk/vocal
Heroic Measures to Save Historic Buildings with Craig Whitaker, Architect and John Wathne, Engineer
Matt Newburg & the Hurricane folk/rock
John McDonald Maine storyteller
A Wrinkle In Time Theater/A Company of Girls

February 2005
Grace Church Candlelight service Sundays
Bard-A-Thon Theater/Acorn Productions
A Man of No Importance Good Theater
O'Naturals Community Night Fundraiser
Hurdy-Gurdy Puppet Show theater/children

March 2005
Grace Church Candlelight service Sundays
A Man of No Importance Good Theater
Spring Acting Workshops for kids with Caitlin Shetterly, The Winter Harbor Theatre Company
imonair with Kathleen Alfiero & Patsy Wiggins
Once Upon A Time Theater/Adam's School
Highland Soles Scottish dance & music
The Frotus Caper music/pop/rock
Hat Trick music/rock-n-roll
Letters to Ohio The Winter Harbor Theater Co.
Boreal Tordu franco-american music
Women On Fire world music
Maine Short Play Festival theater/Acorn Prod.

April 2005
Grace Church Candlelight service Sundays
Maine Short Play Festival theater/Acorn Prod.
Surf's Up: The Internet & Teen Sexuality
California Suite Good Theater
imonair with Kathleen Alfiero & Patsy Wiggins
A Evening of Song w/DC Anderson Good Theater

May 2005
Grace Church Candlelight service Sundays
California Suite Good Theater
Spring Acting Class with Caitlin Shetterly
Naked Boys Singing theater/Interactors, Inc
Edith Jones Project big band music
Dominique Lise & See Jane Run original music
The Odyssey of The Mind Lincoln Middle School
imonair with Kathleen Alfiero & Patsy Wiggins
Chicks with Guitars Acoustic Music
Kate Schrock original piano/vocal
3rd Annual WMPG Bluegrass Spectacular
Check our full schedule at
www.stlawrencearts.org

St. Lawrence Historic Archives & Caroline Gavin, M.A.

Caroline Gavin, Volunteer Director of the St. Lawrence Historic Archival Program has been sifting through the 106 year old material gathered by organization over the years and has begun the process of proper archival and storage of all of this very special St. Lawrence history. Caroline has been coming to the St. Lawrence for almost a year and assessing our archival needs and documenting our historic material as well as gathering information on ways for the St. Lawrence to properly store and preserve it's history.

About Caroline Gavin, Director St. Lawrence Archival Program

Caroline Gavin holds a Masters of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont. She has been involved in many archival and historic preservation projects. She organized and catalogued the NJ Historic Preservation Office’s reference library using the Library of Congress website to find call numbers for books; she assessed project reports at the NJ Historic Preservation Office, which involved noting on the office USGS maps, entering it into the Access database, and labeling the document.

She compiled, assembled and organized all Maine Preservation Heritage Education grants data and gathered newspaper articles pertinent to historic preservation to be included in an educational booklet for middle schools.

In addition to that, she compiled a report to be used in the restoration of Wetherburn’s Tavern at Colonial Williamsburg and education of the staff. Caroline maintained the Maine Preservation website and assisted with the production of a their newsletter and updated the booklet “Researching The Old House” for Greater Portland Landmarks She has drafted project manuals, written Historic Structures Reports and Preservation Plans, as well as researching and writing 7 successful National Register
nominations.

The St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center is seeking a grant or donor to help with our archival & preservation efforts. Caroline has prepared detailed documentation of our material and the necessary and important material that is needed to properly preserve it. In the meantime we feel very lucky to have Caroline volunteering with us.

St. Lawrence Personal Ad

Attractive, easy going older lady. Loves the theater, music, & dance. Seeking that special someone (or foundation) to help finance my curvaceous larger side.
Piqued your interest? Check out my photo on the website. Oh, la la..aren't I just what you're looking for?
We could make beautiful music together! Call today 207.347.7177 and check me out at www.stlawrencearts.org

St. Lawrence Membership Pass

Buy a St. Lawrence Membership Pass for $100 & get 10 entries to any event! You can buy your membership on line at www.stlawrencearts.org Visa/MC/Amex/Dis accepted!
Become a member of an outstanding group of folks who help support arts & culture, historic preservation, and neighborhood & community! Plus, your membership pass gives you a discount on many St. Lawrence events!

ON LINE BOX OFFICE!!

Now you can buy all your tickets to St. Lawrence events at all Bullmoose locations and at our brand new
ON LINE BOX OFFICE!! *(not including Good Theater or events with their own box office)

But for all the music, many of the plays & just about everything else, tickets are just clicks away!! Check it out! www.stlawrencearts.org

Development News:

Elena Brandt, of Brandt Associates, has been hired as a Development Consultant to help with coordinating our efforts as we gear up for our annual campaign and as we look to our future Capital Campaign for the Sanctuary Auditorium.

Brandt Associates provides counsel to nonprofit organizations seeking to advance philanthropy, providing clients with services that yield measurable returns and generate essential resources to support their charitable missions. In addition, Brandt Associates conducts benchmark studies, audits and feasibility studies, provides public relations, marketing communications counsel, and special events planning and management to corporate and nonprofit clients. Elena is working closely with Deirdre Nice, Executive Director and our Development Committee, Chaired by Tom Flynn, former Development Director at WMPG.

Elena has brought with her David Hilton, who is oordinating our Data Base and Talie Harris who is researching and writing grants for our organization.

Brandt Associates has recently worked with the YMCA of Greater Portland and Maine Audubon, The Maine Jewish Film Festival in addition to many other organizations. We are very happy to be working with Elena, David and Talie!


Board Spotlight: Alex Jaegerman, President of the Board
Longtime supporter of the St. Lawrence and of arts & culture
in Portland.

Alex Jaegerman has been President of the Friends of the St. Lawrence Board since 2001 when we opened as an arts & community center. Alex had been on the board for two years before that, but his involvement in restoring and finding an end use for the building dated back many years before joining the board.

As Planning Division Director for the City of Portland since 1981, Alex was involved in the Arts District Plan and The Community Cultural Plan and has always been keenly interested and appreciative of how the arts and cultural aspects of a city contribute to it's vitality and economy.

He has been determined to have the St. Lawrence be a part of that vitality. So in 1996, when Alex was
selected as a Fellow in the "Building Community Through Cultural Program" he organized a trip with the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance, Maine Arts, and The St. Lawrence to tour community culture projects throughout New England to help us figure out how to fulfill our mission of Arts & Culture, Neighborhood & Community and Historic Preservation. The tour took us to RI, MA, and VT.

We toured AS220 in Providence, RI., an old warehouse that was transformed into a work/live art space for artists and music venue for performers and has been in business for over 20 years.

The Blackstone River Theater in Pawtucket, RI. is housed in a beautifully restored old Mason’s lodge that was in the process of being fitted out as a wonderful performance space dedicated to supporting, promoting and developing the arts for its community and artists.

Housed in an old mill in North Bennington, The Vermont Arts Exchange provides high quality multi-disciplinary arts classes including music, dance, & the visual arts for people of all ages & incomes to the underserved population of rural Vermont.

And in a renovated old Fire House in East Boston, the mission of ZUMIX is one of empowered youth who use music to make strong positive change in their lives, their communities and the world. Each of these projects were examples of community cultural projects where folks had gotten together to find new uses for older buildings which has outlived their former lives.

St. Lawrence Events Check the website for updates!
www.stlawrencearts.org

May 26-29 7p & 9:30p $18 Naked Boys Singing The title says it all! Caution & costumes are thrown to the wind. All-new musical revue with original score & a handful of hunks displaying their special charms & celebrating the splendors of male nudity in comedy, song & dance.Tx 253-8068

Jun 2-12 $12 Thu/Fri/Sat 8p Sun 2p Cabernet A musical comedy revue from the Stone Pinhead Ensemble. The regular cast of characters you’ve come to love under the musical direction of Charlie Brown. Disclaimer: 7 dirty words & nudity not guaranteed but possible. Tx 775-5568x103 & Bullmoose

Jun 6, 7, 8 Mon/Tue/Wed 7:30p $5-$12 Letters to Ohio A Winter Harbor Theatre Company production of commissioned original political works by playwrights and performance artists from Maine and New York City. Tx 775-3174

Jun 15 &16 Wed & Thu 7:30p $12/$10/$5 Vivid Motion! Back to the 80’s w/Dance & Music! A night of dance and a look back to the eighties. A celebration of the music & fashion of 80's & some of the more serious events that shaped our lives. Tx Bullmoose www.vividmotion.com

Jun 17 Fri 7p $8 All ages Drum Night an evening of drums & percussion with drummers from your favorite portland area bands in various duos, trios, quartets, & solos: seekonk, 6gig, dreadnaught, tarpigh, eggbot, confusatron, slowing room, boston action figures, the enchantments..Tx Bullmoose

Jun 18 Sat 8p $12 Tuckermans at 9 Contemporary
A Cappella. Voices make all the music, even the drums. The best of Billy Joel, Boston, James Taylor, The Beatles, Steam, The Kingston Trio, the Temptations, Queen, George Michael, & more!! www.tuckermansat9.com Tx Bullmoose

June 19 Sun 7:30p $10 Lissa Schneckenburger New England fiddler & folk singer Lissa grew up in Maine but has traveled & played all over the world as a fiddler and vocalist, including Russia, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Canada www.lissafiddle.com Tx Bullmoose

Jun 23 Thu $12 7:30p zing! A 15 voice choral ensemble with a jazzy, eclectic, unique sound. Arrangements, piano, musical direction by Charles R Brown Jr. Funny, uplifting, exciting, & local. E Trice on bass & David Ellis on drums. An evening for lovers of the human voice Tx Bullmoose

Jun 24 Fri 8p $12 Laurie Jones Band Edgy, fully fueled approach to basic rock-n-roll.
www.lauriejones.org Tx Bullmoose

Jun 25 Sat 8p $12 Vote for Pedro A high-energy vocal band using only the human voice to create thumping grooves and soaring harmonies and melodies. Pop, jazz, funk and comedy. A BIG sound using only the human voice! www.pedroband.com Tx Bullmoose.

Jun 30 Thu 8p $15 Slaid Cleaves with special guest Rod Picott Slaid Cleaves has all the strengths that have drawn him a loyal following as one of America’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters. www.slaid.com www.rodpicott.com Tx Bullmoose

Jul 1 Fri 5p-9p The Blissful Revolution Arts and Crafts Bazaar *(not your mama’s craft fair) is part of the First Friday Art Walk! Supporting local artists & community space. paper, fiber, clay, leather, image, icon, metal, jewel, stone, wax, ink, mind &... www.blissfulrevolution.com

Jul 2 Sat 7p $10 Concert for the Community-Benefit for Preble St A special benefit concert for the Preble Street Resource Center with Rachel Griffin, Pete Kilpatrick, Cactus Highway, Graham Isaacson, Carll Wilkinson for an evening of acoustic music. Come on out for this very special evening. Wine, Beer, soft drinks, light snacks for sale Tx Bullmoose

Jul 7-24 Thu/Fri/Sat 7:30p Sun 1p $15/$12 Titus Shakespeare’s visceral masterpiece about the cycles & ramifications of revenge!! From Two Lights Ensemble & directed by Michael Toth.

Jul 11-Jul 22 Mon-Fri 9a-12:30p Theater Summer Camp for Teens 14-18y $325 Taught by Rick Solomon, M.A. in Theater Arts. Focus: instruction, participation, production work, basic acting methods, auditioning, exercises in use of movement & the imagination.
A short play will be produced & performed on Fri Jul 22nd. Info: 773-6922

Jul 26-Jul 31 7:30p Th/Fri/Sat/Sun You Can’t Take it With You Humorous encounter between a conservative family & the crazy household of Vanderhof’s family with their energetic physical antics & their wholehearted pursuit of happiness. Tx Bullmoose & 775-5568 x103

Raffle for a C. Michael Lewis Print

In 2003, C. Michael Lewis donated an original
watercolor painting of what he envisioned a completely restored St. Lawrence to look like. We offer for raffle an original, signed and numbered print of this painting.
It measures roughly 23 in x 13 in

$5 for one ticket $10 for three tickets $25 for 10 tickets

Yes, I'd like to buy my raffle tickets.
#____ tickets x ____ =______.
Name:__________________ Address_____________________ tele:________________
CC# ______-______-______-______exp. date ____-____email:____________________

Send your check or cc# with expiration date to:
St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center
76 Congress Street, Portland ME 04101

Thank you to our business sponsors
AMARYLLIS Clothing Company
41 Exchange Street Portland 772-4439
Open Daily 10a-8:30p Sun 11:30a-5:30p

Barber Foods
P.O. Box 4821 Portland 207-856-1430

Droneworks Media/Web Design www.droneworksmedia.com 207-893-2486

The Shipyard Brewing Co.
86 Newbury Street Portland www.shipyard.com

The Inn On Peaks Island
33 Island Ave Peaks Island
207.766. 5100 www.innonpeaks.com

100 Congress A Neighborhood Restaurant
Open seven days 5p-10p 207-775-7772 www.100congress.com

The Blue Spoon food from friends, family and travels
lunch and dinner tues-sat and sun brunch
89 Congress Street Portland 207-773-1116

Diversified Communications
A business to create, develop and support innovative, effective communications businesses. www.divcom.com

Hancock Lumber Est. 1848
A six generation family owned Maine Business www.hancocklumber.com 207-856-5555

Gorrill-Palmer Consulting Engineers, Inc
Traffic and Civil Engineering Services 207-657-6919
P.O. Box 1237 15 Shaker Road, Gray, 04039

Maine Beer and Beverage Company
Serving Premium Beers from Maine and away since 1998 In the Portland Public Market
25 Preble St Portland 207-228-2024

Paintings by scenic artist Janet Montgomery
Available in local galleries.
Call for appointment to discuss portraits, murals and other commissioned artwork. 207-647-5303
janet-montgomery@verizon.net

Gateway Mastering www.gatewaymastering.com Making Greetings from Area Code 207 Sound Great!

The St. Lawrence mission: *Arts & Culture**Neighborhood & Community***Historic Preservation

Made possible in part through support from the City of Portland HCD Block Grant Program, The State of Maine's New Century Grant Program, The Maine Arts Commission, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Davis Family Foundation, The Libra Foundation, The Maine Community Foundation, and so many more!

Parking Notice

When parking at the St. Lawrence, please respect the neighborhood and do not block any open businesses or
driveways. There is parking available at Adam's School
one block down Munjoy Street and at Theriault Landmann Architects, one block up Congress Street, except nights on which snow emergencies are called.

Friends of the St. Lawrence Church, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

Board of Directors: Alex Jaegerman, President; Glenn Morin, CPA, Treasurer; Brian Allen, Secretary; Guy Gaudette, CPA.; Mary Roy; Joe Delaney; Tom Flynn; Jennifer Hutchins

Staff: Deirdre Nice, Executive/Artistic Director; Karen Dunton, Theater Manager; Michael Lorello, Stained Glass Workshop Director; Pat Bittermann, Stained Glass Apprentice, Bobby Lipps, Custodian/Tour Guide.

Comments, correspondence, questions & donations can be sent to: Friends of the St. Lawrence 76 Congress St. Portland, ME 04101 (207) 775-5568 www.stlawrencearts.org
Thanks for the help!

The Portland Phoenix names the opening of The St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center as one of the five most significant Art Events in the past five years!
Posted by D_Nice on Friday, October 15 2004
By Sam Pfeifle, Editor The Portland Phoenix

The Birth of the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center:

Deirdre Nice may be the queen of Portland rebirths, as she resurrected what was a blight of an abandoned church on Munjoy Hill into one of the most diverse arts venues in Maine, opening in June of 2001.

When one place can play host to both painter Robert Shetterly and musician Eggbot, Good Theater and new-age pianist Rebecca Wing, you know it takes inclusiveness seriously. And Nice has almost (almost) made people forget about another loss I could mention, the closing of Oak Street theater in July of 2000.

The St. Lawrence can take some credit for the birth and maturation of Charlie Gaylord's Greetings From Area Code 207 series, which is a fundraiser for the St. Lawrence, and has already contributed some $60,000.

The St. Lawrence Celebrates it's 3rd Birthday with some
Posted by D_Nice on Wednesday, October 6 2004
On May 10, 2001 The St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center opened with the Acorn Productions show 'Much Ado About Nothing'
This past May, we began to celebrate our third birthday by giving The St. Lawrence a little TLC and continued finishing up work that always seems to be in progress. Three years of almost daily use has caused a bit of wear and tear. As many of you know, we operate on a shoestring and fixing the old St. Lawrence, while trying to operate the Parish Hall Theater with it's full schedule of events is a challenge.
We certainly could not do it without the help of volunteers and the donations we receive, like that of Maine and family owned Hancock Lumber who donated all the lumber to finish the baseboard and waincotting in the uppper and lower lobbies of the St. Lawrence.

Matt Meeds, USM Techical Director spent the summer installing the waincotting, with some help from Tom Vail, a St. Lawrence long time volunteer.

Craig Robinson, who was one of the carpenters who was part of the team that built in the theater three years ago, has been donating his carpentry and time here for the past 3 1/2 years and Steve Underwood, of Good Theater and a man of so many talents continues to do all he can to keep the St. Lawrence looking professional.

Tim Trott has donated painting in the lower lobby along and Louise Fox, Stephan Bloom, Deirdre Nice, Bobby Lipps, Suzanne Nason and her son, Joe Hallock, Steve Underwood and a few others painted the waincotting and baseboard that Hancock Lumber so generously donated.

Janet Montgomery, Set Designer for our theater in residence, donated two beautiful murals in the mens and womens rooms in our lower hall. If you are out for a walk, come on in just to check these beautiful works of art out.

A group called TENT traded work for use of the space this past summer and painted the theater, installed curtains, installed doorbells, updated some outlets for us, and so much more.

When you visit the St. Lawrence next, I hope you will enjoy all the improvements we made in celebration of our 3rd birthday and move into our fourth year of operation.

Stabilization Work Completed
Posted by D_Nice on Sunday, August 1 2004
Hardypond Construction, a leading general contractor for small to mid sized commercial construction, completed the stabilization of the former sanctuary of the St. Lawrence Church for future use of the space as a 400-500 seat performance auditorium with funds granted in March 2003 through the Housing and Community Block Grant Program and made available this past July.
In consultation with Structures North Consulting Engineers of Salem, MA., Hardypond Construction erected a massive shoring and bracing system to stabilize the exterior walls and roof of the future auditorium.
Bob Gaudreau, owner of Hardypond Construction, has been following the St. Lawrence Renovation Project for many years and was excited to be getting involved with the cause. Bob Gaudreau believes the loss of the St. Lawrence to the City of Portland would be equal to losing Union Station.
The stabilization and shoring done by Hardypond Construction will go a long way in insuring that this beautiful old church, long admired for it's beauty, having been built in 1897 in the Romanesque Queen Anne style with fanciful architectural features such as turrets, a belfry, the granite walls and a slate roof and listed as a National Landmark in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and as a local landmark by the City of Portland in 1990 will be around for a while longer!

Bullmoose Sells over 1000 Greetings From Area Code 207 Volume 4 raising over $10,000
Posted by D_Nice on Monday, January 5 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2004

CONTACT:
Gillian Britt 207-767-6488
gBritt P.R. & Marketing

Chris Brown 207-874-2123 x101
Bull Moose Music

BULL MOOSE MUSIC SELLS OVER 1,000 COPIES OF GREETINGS FROM AREA CODE 207 RAISING OVER $10,000

PORTLAND, ME – Bull Moose Music sold an unprecedented number of the locally produced CD Greetings from Area Code 207 volume 4 (GFAC 207) during this year’s holiday season, raising in excess of $10,000 to date. The CD is the result of collaboration between local musicians, Portland’s Cornmeal Records and WCLZ 98.9. All proceeds are donated to support the continuing rehabilitation of the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center on Munjoy Hill in Portland.

For the past four years Charlie Gaylord, head of Cornmeal Records and the host of Area Code 207 on WCLZ, has been working to compile songs by local artists in Maine for the Greetings from Area Code 207 series. “The only cost to us is the duplication of the CDs,” said Gaylord. “All of the artists donate their cuts, Gateway Mastering in Portland donates the mastering of the CD and US Optical in Sanford does the duplication for us basically at cost, so 100% of funds raised after that go to the St. Lawrence.”

“Part of the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center’s goal is to provide an outlet for local musicians, they are big fans of the local music scene,” explained Gaylord. “That’s what makes them such a great fit for GFAC 207.”

Bull Moose Music tracked the sales of GFAC 207 and noted that it was the top seller in their Portland Middle St. store for the three weeks prior to Christmas, surpassing local sales of the Beatles Let it Be … Naked and Britney Spears’ latest release, In the Zone. In Bull Moose stores statewide GFAC 207 ranked second in all sales for the weeks ending December 14 and December 21.

Chris Brown from Bull Moose Music, said, “Our customers have always been huge supporters of local music, and they always fire up for arts-based charities, but they are showing extra enthusiasm for Vol. 4. The intensity of the sales of this CD rivals the
biggest local records ever: Rustic Overtones Rooms by the Hour, Homegrown Vol. 4, and Jeremiah Freed's self-released CD. We're so lucky to be a part of this great arts scene. I'm glad we could help in our tiny way."

Bull Moose Music was started in 1989 by Brett Wickard when he was a junior at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. It is now the largest music retailer in Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire with stores in Bangor, Brunswick, Lewiston, North Windham, Portland, Sanford, Scarborough and Waterville, Maine and Portsmouth and Salem, New Hampshire.

Davis Family Foundation Grants $15,000 to STLACC
Posted by D_Nice on Thursday, December 11 2003
The Davis Family Foundation has been a supporter of the St. Lawrence since 1997 when it granted the organization it's first $25,000 grant to help rebuild part of the northwest wall of the Parish Hall Theater. Photographs of that project and others can viewed on our newly redesigned & updated website~www.stlawrencearts.org~ Since then The Davis Family Foundation has donated $90,000 in total grants helping from everything to equipping the parish hall with state of the art theater lights and air-conditioning (two elements that make the St. Lawrence so popular and successful); stabilization and improvements in the sanctuary; help with the development of the Sanctuary Capital Campaign and with other improvements throughout the building. The St. Lawrence could not have been successful without the continued support of The Davis Family Foundation and all the other foundations, organizations, businesses and individuals that believe in this project.
Thank you one and all!