“The City That Carries Us: Pain, Streets, and Heartbeats”
MIO Co-Executive Directors Joseph Jackson, Chiara Liberatore, and Noah Bragg
The Maine Inside Out Board is very excited to announce that we have selected Joseph Jackson, Chiara Liberatore and Noah Bragg to be the next Co-Executive Directors of Maine Inside Out. When Margot Fine and Bruce King transitioned as Co-EDs at the end of 2023, we chose Joseph, Chiara, and Noah to be Interim Co-EDs. They jumped into the role, working effectively as a team, building on their years of experience with and dedication to the organization. They have brought wisdom, creativity, and passion to the role and have helped to stabilize the organization in this time of transition. We honor Joseph, Chiara, and Noah’s commitment, leadership, and creativity by selecting them as MIO’s new Co-EDs. We trust they will capably lead MIO into the future, working towards our vision of creating a world where everyone matters and belongs.
Jonah Fertig-Burd (Chair), John Nidiry, Mark Galvez (Treasurer), and Mary Lou Michael
Closing circle during a transition retreat for board and interim Co-EDs in February, 2024.
“Pieces of Hope” Open Mic Night
It was all love at Lewiston/Auburn Arts on March 27 for “Pieces of Hope”. Thanks for coming out to our open mic! Thank you Kenya Hall and Kyle Friday for featuring and Maine Humanities Council and National Endowment for the Arts for co-sponsoring the event. Shout out to Serafim Yssolo for the incredible visual artwork, all the Maine Inside Out and community artists who performed, and our hosts Bashir Matan and Isha Abdullahi. See more photos and videos from the event here. Our next Lewiston community open mic is May 22. We'll see you there!
MIO community with Kenya Hall and Kyle Friday in an opening circle before the open mic night!
“The City That Carries Us: Pain, Streets, and Heartbeats”
This spring, Maine Inside Out (MIO) and our partners are presenting a public art festival called The City That Carries Us: Pain, Streets, and Heartbeats in partnership with the City of Lewiston and with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The purpose of the festival is to bring everyone together and show the beauty of the Lewiston community. The festival will be an expression of the joys, struggles, and strength of Lewiston. If you’d like to be involved in planning or participating in the festival please contact us.
Open Mic
Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 5:30-7:30pm
Location TBA, Lewiston
Our free Open Mic will feature original performances by MIO artists, with an open call for all community members to share their art.
Theater Performance by Incarcerated Artists
Friday, June 7, 2024, 3:00-5:00pm
Mountain View Correctional Facility, Charleston
An original performance created by MIO artists incarcerated at Mountain View, followed by dialogue led by the artists about the content of their play. RSVP required.
Juneteenth Parade, Block Party, and Performances
Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 2:00-8:00pm
Kennedy Park, Lewiston
This free public event will feature:
Community parade
Live performances by MIO leaders and community artists
Sharing from Lewiston artists incarcerated at Mountain View Correctional Facility
Unveiling of a community mural
MIO’s creative ensemble is creating a new performance to premiere at the festival block party on Juneteenth.
For more upcoming events, see MIO’s events calendar.
On the Parable Path
Toshi Reagon, Joseph Jackson, Liza Jessie Peterson, and Ali Ali at Bowdoin College
Toshi Reagon, Stacy Perez, and Liza Jessie Peterson at Mechanics’ Hall
The Parable Path is an ongoing series of performances and gatherings organized by Toshi Reagon around the theories of change from Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower - that we need one another for survival and success as a planet, that art can be an opening for truth telling and healing, and that right relationships with humans and with the natural world around us are one and the same.
This version of Parable Path Maine featured powerful performances and discussions last week with MIO leaders Joseph Jackson and Stacy Perez alongside Toshi Reagon, Liza Jessie Peterson, and Ali Ali on mass incarceration and the role of arts, theater, performance, and film in social healing and change. The events screened Liza’s film “Angola: Do You Hear Us?” and included performances of music and poetry as well as visual artwork by Daniel Minter. Sponsored by Maine Humanities Council and hosted by Bowdoin College and Mechanics’ Hall.
Mountain View Theater Project
An MIO artist embraces his family members during the post-performance dialogue for the June 2023 performance of “Courage Beyond Control” at Mountain View.
Maine Inside Out’s spring project at Mountain View Correctional Facility begins this month and will culminate with a public performance at the prison on Friday, June 7. A group of incarcerated artists will create a new original play to premiere followed by a conversation with the audience. Thank you to Mountain View for partnering with us on this project and to Maine Justice Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts for supporting this work. Stay tuned for details about how to RSVP for the June 7th performance, and check out this film for a behind the scenes look at MIO’s theater projects including last year’s performance at Mountain View.