The year has flown and we are less than 2 months from the 2011 All Species Parade! Have you thought about your costume, puppet or mask for this year’s event? Maybe you bought material, or made a sketch, or envisioned your inner species but haven’t had a chance to bring it all to life yet. Well, we’ve got just the thing. Once again this year Spindleworks and Arts Are Elementary will be hosting community workshops where you can come and unleash your creativity in a supportive energetic environment. On Saturday April 16th, and 30th, we will set up shop next to the Brunswick Winter Market in Fort Andross at the end of Maine Street in Brunswick. From 9-noon, as well as shopping for the best in local produce and edible goods, you can join us to bring your ideas to fruition. We will have tables, some supplies, inspiration and helpers to get your project off the ground. Bring your ideas, any materials you want to use or share, and a sense of adventure!

Details: 9-Noon, April 16th and 30th. Fort Andross, 14 Maine Street, Brunswick (Cumberland Storage Entrance). There is limited parking at Fort Andross, so if you can come by other means, please do or park somewhere else downtown and walk. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Yes, it is true! Brunswick’s All Species Parade was such an incredible success and so much fun that we are going to do it again in 2011! We do not have a date set yet but we are angling for May 13th (again!) which is a friday in 2011, in order to correspond with the Second Friday ArtWalk put on by Five Rivers Arts Alliance. So stay tuned to find out the exact details but in the mean time, get busy making your puppets! What will it be this year? Bigger? Wheels? Wings? Let your imagination fly!

On May 13^th, Brunswick came alive with the culmination of a yearlong collaboration between Spindleworks and Arts Are Elementary. The town’s first ever All Species Parade was a magnificent success, drawing over 500 community members to participate and watch the colorful parade travel down Maine Street. For us at Spindleworks and Arts Are Elementary, we feel the universe shined upon us: the weather was perfect, and we were blessed by a host of volunteers who helped make the day go off without a hitch from start to finish.

Our hope was to take a moment at the beginning of the parade to thank everyone who made this event possible but our megaphone was not cooperating. In lieu we would like make thanks here, and reach even a broader audience than we would have at the parade:

There are so many community members, business partners, and organizations who have made the first All Species Parade a success. Many thanks to…
The Brunswick Police Department for guiding us safely down the highway that is Maine Street, and doing it with a smile; Frank Brockman for the use of his Maine Street window and space for our display and workshops, Steve Howe at Cumberland Storage and Toni Gatti and Waterfront Maine for the use at almost no cost of a storage unit in Fort Andross to store puppets; Cindy and Midcoast Hospital who donated all of the sheets used to create the fleet of eleven beautiful birds; Geoff Hewett at the Times Record for the rounds of chip board which became the body of the caterpillar and other puppets; Jim McCarthy who has worked all year with Spindleworks on their writing and made sure the parade was ever present in the paper; Carrot Signs who donated wonderful materials for our puppets; Nance Parker and Jeanne at Shoestring Theater in Portland who leant us some of their giant street puppets; Figures of Speech in Freeport who leant us the wonderful crow heads to wear; Tim Vail who hoisted our banner over Maine Street for all to see; Paul at Red Dragon Toys who donated a myriad of supplies for our puppet making workshops; Ron Harrity and Evan Parker who designed our website and marketing materials at a fraction of the cost; Al Miller and the Theater Project for working with the second graders to help their birds come alive; all of the second grade students, teachers and volunteers that we worked with this year to create the most colorful flock of birds we have ever seen; Harriet Mosher and Five Rivers Arts Alliance who have supported with materials and marketing for this project and so many arts events in Brunswick; and the Maine Arts Commission who provided two grants that enabled this collaboration to take place, including funds for marketing and the residency which took place this school year.

There are so many individuals who we cannot forget to mention:
Terry Grasse has been working with Spindleworks throughout the year to create masks and costumes, Mildred Johnson, Barb Kay, Rebecca McNulty, Ed McCartan, Lisa Harman, Barbara Kaufman, Karyn Dickey (all those tent poles!!!), Gary Lawless—our fearless Grand Marshal, Michelle Nadeau and Ripley Swan from BHS, Joshua Magno, Elizabeth Compton, Sarah Deck, Andrew Kosack, Cheryl Sleeper, Katherine Harding, Holly Randall, Mary Turner, Darcee Pantaz, the Spindleworks staff (Alyce Ornella, Deirdre Barton, Ryan Walker, Jennifer Benham) and of course the creators of this event who had a little idea last spring…Cathy Worthington and Maureen Block.

With gratitude and awe,

Liz McGhee, Program Manager, Spindleworks
Patty Olds, Executive Director, Arts Are Elementary

Hello everyone! four days left until the parade! Its supposed to rain Wednesday and Friday but as of right now, not on Thursday! Everyone do a sunshine dance! At Spindleworks we are making last minute adjustments to costumes, masks and puppets and getting organized for Parade Day. All of our storage areas and closets are stuffed to the gills (no pun intended) with creatures just waiting for a chance to process down Maine Street!

Last minute details for you to know:
1. if you are interested in volunteering, please come to Spindleworks at 7 Lincoln street at 3:00 or to the Mall at 4:00. We welcome help moving some of the large scale puppets from storage to the mall, and helping participants line up once there. There are other ways you can help during and after the parade and we can tell you about those opportunities if you show up! Look for people in white shirts, and in particular three crows who will be leading the way.

2. if you are participating! Please come to the Brunswick Mall at 4:00. there will be volunteers to help you find a place to line up, get into your costume, and guide your way during the parade.

3. we have ALOT of costumes and puppets. If you are without a proper attire for the parade, come anyways and we may very well be able to put you into a costume, ask you to carry a puppet or a flag! If you stand on the sidelines you may be grabbed to join in!

4. The parade is rain or shine. We are in Maine after all and spring is a funny thing here. check the weather, wear proper garb for the predictions and come on down!

5. tell your friends, tell your family! The Procession of Species in Olympia Washington drew 30,000 spectators this year, and 3,000 participants. Can we top that?

Everyone is asking what the parade route is! Hopefully this means many spectators but also many participants!
Thanks to the Brunswick Police Department we will have an escort so that we are safe and don’t get lost! The parade will start at the Brunswick Mall (or green), and process down Maine Street towards the river (west, towards Topsham). At Bank Street we will turn right, and then right again onto Federal Street. At School Street we will turn right again and follow back to the Mall! It is short and sweet which is why we have to make it big and colorful. Have you made your costume, mask or puppet yet? See you on May 13th! 4:00 gathering for a 4:30 start of the parade!