//UPCOMING EVENTS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ March 22, 23 & 24 ]
Maine Jewish Film Festival @ Salt
March 22 // 5:30-6:30 pm » Behind the Scenes:
A conversation with independent filmmaker and director Erik Kesten
Don't miss this opportunity to hear what it takes to create an award-winning documentary and be part of an intimate conversation with the director of Holy Land Hardball (2009). This event is free and open to the public. Make sure to purchase a ticket for the 7:00 PM screening of the film!
March 23 // 5:30-6:30 pm » LGBT Film Forum Reception
We invite you to a public reception prior to the screening of The Secrets. Come celebrate the GLBT Film Forum! Join us for appetizers, drinks and good company. This event is free and open to the public.
March 24 // 9:00 pm » Artist Reception: Canvasman
MJFF invites you to a reception to celebrate the premiere event of Canvasman. Come mingle with director and Portland resident Gary Robinov, as well as Rob Elowitch, star of Canvasman. Appetizers and drinks provided. This event is free and open to the public.
What's Maine Jewish Film Festival?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
//UPCOMING EXHIBIT
[ March 5 - May7 ]
photographs by NOAH ADDIS
Sempre Jardim Edite » the story of a lost neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil
OPENING RECEPTION: March 5th // 5-8
We're proud to announce our upcoming exhibit by Salt alum and award-winning photojournalist and documentary photographer Noah Addis His 15-year career has taken him around the world shooting for The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, US News & World Report, among others on everything from Christianity in Africa to the war in Iraq. Sempre Jardim Edite is the first chapter in an ongoing project about unplanned urban development, urban migration and squatter communities throughout the world.
The Jardim Edite favela (neighborhood), located at the foot of the landmark Estaiada bridge in an affluent section of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was once home to more than 550 families. Most are gone now, as the government of Sao Paulo has forced them to leave their homes to make room for a new development. "I first visited the neighborhood at the beginning of 2009. The place was still full of life then, the demolition had not begun. Men gathered around a television at a local bar, watching a football game, joking and laughing." Noah tell us.
Traditional social theory believed that urbanization would follow industrialization. However many of the worlds mega-cities, particularly those in the developing world, are undergoing massive population growth at the same time they are experiencing a loss of industrial jobs and stagnant economies. Meanwhile, due to mechanized farming, industrial-scale agribusiness, civil war, draught and countless other factors, the hardships of rural life drives many to look for opportunity in the worldÕs urban centers.
"As I got to know the residents of the Jardim Edite," Noah elaborates, "I could see the tension building in their faces, just below the surface. Some were angry, others scared because they didnÕt know if they could find a new place to live for their families."
Many of the residents of Jardim Edite came from the countryside, often from poor rural communities in the North, seeking opportunity in the bright lights of the city. They built their homes first out of scrap wood and cardboard and whatever else they could find, but over the years some of the homes have grown into reinforced concrete structures with running water and electricity. Some residents lived there for more than 30 years.
City officials have long wanted to remove the ramshackle homes and businesses that make up Jardim Edite. As part of the Favela Urbanization Project the government plans to replace the favela with a modern housing development. In late 2008, a court order sealed the fate of this tight-knit community when a state tribunal judge said the project could go forward and the occupants should be evicted.
Life in Jardim Edite changed in early 2009. The parties stopped, the wrecking crews arrived, and the community was broken. Some residents, those who were previously registered with the city as official occupants of the favela, were eligible for rent subsidies or cash payouts if they left their homes. They were eligible for even larger cash payouts if they leave the city of Sao Paulo and return to the countryside. But these payouts were often not sufficient to find suitable housing. Many residents ended up moving to other favelas, with even worse living conditions.
Government plans call for a complex of buildings with 248 two- and three-bedroom. Officials from the Secretaria Municipal de Habita¨‹o (Municipal Department of Housing) have denied repeated requests for interviews and information about the proposed development project.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
//CURRENT EXHIBIT
[ December 17 - February 26 ]
about face» Maine stories in writing + radio + photography by Salt fall 2009 graduates
Come by and see, read, and listen to exceptional stories told by the next wave of media makers -- our very own Salt students. Enjoy a gallery of images, listening stations for audio documentaries, online blogs full of beautiful written pieces, and a variety of multimedia projects.
9 writers + 14 radio producers + 9 photographers
CAME TO SALT TO PURSUE DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING.
:: the process ::
They spent 15 weeks making contacts, inviewing, building relationships, gathering sound, making images, critiquing, editing, work-shopping, and printing - then polishing their images, words, and sound.
:: 72 stories ::
From lunch ladies to sea urchin divers to suicide, experience intimate documentary storytelling at its best.
:: thank you ::
A special thank you to all the subjects who shared their time and stories with us. This work would not be possible without your courage. Your stories will live on in Salt's Mildred H. McEvoy Memorial Archive.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
//PAST EVENTS + EXHIBITS
[ October 1 - December 4 ]
More Than a Rap Sheet
[ the real stories of incarcerated women ] »
:: an exhibitition of poetry and portraits ::
OPENING NIGHT» October 1st // 5-8pm, short program at 6:30
Join us for the opening reception and live readings.
This powerful exhibit, a project of Family Crisis Services, showcases the raw and compelling poetry of women incarcerated in Maine as well as photographs by Salt alum (and staffer) Christine Heinz.
In 2002, Family Crisis Services, a domestic violence agency, conducted a study which found that approximately 95% of incarcerated women were involved in an abusive intimate relationship or had been a victim of one in the past. Recognizing the connection between female incarceration and domestic abuse, Family Crisis Services began offering educational support groups for women at the local jail and corrections facility. More than a year ago, creative writing groups were added to their incarcerated women's program.
Because Salt's mission is to teach its students "to seek the truth and report it by producing thought-provoking documentary work," Family Crisis Services approached the school about creating an exhibit of the women's work. Christine Heinz, Director of Operations and Marketing at Salt, was excited frome the beginning of the collaboration. Also a professional photographer, she readily agreed to photograph the women for the project. "Meeting and working with the women has been a profound experience for me," says Heinz. "After having worked as a domestic violence volunteer (at Family Crisis Services and in Texas), I feel so very lucky to have two great passions of mine come together in this project."
About Family Crisis Services »
Family Crisis Services works to end domestic violence in Cumberland and Sagadahoc Counties in Maine. Founded in 1977, the agency's vision has been to change the cultural values which support and perpetuate the abuse of women. Family Crisis Services works with victims and survivors, regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation, providing programs which focus on individual advocacy and safety for victims and their children. Family Crisis Services is one of only a handful of domestic violence agencies in the country that offer programs for incarcerated women.
For help or more information » www.familycrisis.org
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
September 17 // 7-8:30pm »
DO1Thing.org: An evening with the creators
In celebration of the current exhibit at Salt, Do1Thing.org: Young Faces of Homelessness, please join us for an evening with one of the creators of the project. We're pleased to welcome Do1Thing.org co-founder, former Newsweek photographer Najlah Feanny Hicks to speak about Do1Thing.org, which sheds light on young adult homelessness in Maine and around the country. Several powerful and uplifting multimedia pieces will also be screened.
In addition, we are excited to premiere Lulu's Story, a multimedia piece produced by Mainers: photographer Alexandra Daley-Clark, Director of Photography for Do1Thing.org, and audio and multimedia producer Suzi Piker, an alum of the Salt radio program. Their intimate portrait tells the story of a young woman who is currently experiencing homelessness in Portland, Maine.
DONATIONS »
This event will also act as a fundraiser for Do1Thing.org and Portland's Preble Street Teen Center in order to continue the wonderful and necessary services for homeless youth. Photographic prints from the exhibit, as well as other related items will be for sale. Monetary donations are welcome.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ August 7 - September 23 ]
DO1THING.org » YOUNG FACES OF HOMELESSNESS Do1Thing.org is a collaborative effort by award-winning photographers, journalists, editors, designers, writers, and who have come to together for one mission: To use the power of storytelling to shine an "ongoing" light into the many dark places that affect our most vulnerable children and teens.
Inspired by the success of the Heart Gallery, the co-founders, Najlah Hicks and Pim Van Hemmen, started thinking big: "What if we use this same approach to shine the light on multiple issues impacting children and teens? Not all at the same time. But one at a time, so each issue gets the attention and awareness it deserves." "And what if we partner with organizations that support a particular cause, and then reach out to people and corporations to follow our lead and do one thing to help make a difference?" The "what ifs" turned into "Why not?" And do1thing was born.
This exhibit showcases some of the most powerful work coming out of their first cause, youth homelessness.
OPENING NIGHT» 1st Friday // August 7th // 5-9
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 21 - July 24 ]
inside out there »
radio + writing + photography by Salt spring 2009 graduates
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 14 // 6-9 pm ]
UNBUILT Architecture AWARDS 2009 » Presented by the Portland Society of Architects
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 12 // 7 pm ]
Overlap » Experimental Multimedia in images+sound+words by Salt Spring 09 students
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 11 // doors open @ 6:30 + conversation starts at 7 pm ]
Creative Conversations » An arts discussion sponsored by PACA.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ April 3 - May 15 ]
FUTUREpast » Current Work from Salt Alums + their Work from the Archive
&rarr Check it out MAY 1st for Portland's 1st Friday Art Walk or M-F // 9-4:30 [ 561 Congress ]
For over 35 years, we have been dedicated to teaching the craft of storytelling to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from nearly all 50 states and almost a dozen countries throughout the world. Those years have produced over 2 million images, 7,000+ hours of recorded interviews, and, most importantly, over 1500 finished stories in images, sound, and the written word. The Mildred H. McEvoy Memorial Archive, located in this very building, will continue to preserve this rich Maine history.
Our 35th year marked the most tremendous change Salt has seen. We moved from our former location at 110 Exchange Street and settled into this new home, in the heart of Portland's Arts District. This location was custom designed and built to suit our every need. For the first time, our space hosts state of the art technology, enabling us to make the move from black and white film to digital color.
For years, it has been a goal of ours to create a space, for the local and global communities alike, to share the wonderful documentary work that is being done at this very moment all around the world.
We could think of no better way to begin this journey than show the great work our of very own alumni. From Nashville to Berkeley, from Montreal to Zurich, and from the South Pole to Asia, they continue the work that they humbly began here at Salt, carrying on the tradition of telling real stories of real people, with grace, integrity, and great skill.
Meet five talented Salt Alumni >> Alex Cohn :: Andres Gonzalez :: Kiersten Hanna :: David Y. Lee :: Holly Wilmeth ::
We hope that their work makes as much of an impact on you as it does us.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ February 27 - March 27 ]
Malaga Island » A story best left untold
A Documentary Radio + Photograpy + construted imagery Exhibition by Rob Rosenthal & Kate Philbrick
Click here to view the Malaga Island slideshow.
For more info, check out » malagaislandmaine.org
In 1912, the state of Maine evicted about forty-five people from Malaga Island off the coast of Phippsburg. The island residents were poor, black, white, and mixed race. The eviction is typically viewed as a shameful moment in the state's history.
"This is one of those stories where people say 'That happened in Maine?!' or 'The state did what?!' Then they say 'Tell me more,'" said Rob Rosenthal, radio producer for project.
During the process of evicting the Malaga community, the state committed eight islanders to the Maine School for the Feebleminded in New Gloucester, Maine. The remaining residents left the island taking their homes with them. Once the community was removed, the state relocated the island school. Then, the state dug up the island cemetery and reburied the remains in the graveyard at the Maine School for the Feebleminded (now known as the Pineland Center).
"The Malaga story has been a bit of a secret, a kind of skeleton in Maine's history closet," says Kate Philbrick, the project photographer. "Few people have wanted to speak publicly about this dark moment over the years. This is especially true for descendents because of a local stigma attached to people with a connection to the island." "The silence about this incident is what informed the name of the documentary Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold," adds Rosenthal. "But, now, about one hundred years after the eviction, descendents are talking publicly and we interviewed and photographed several. They speak frankly and passionately about their family history and living in Phippsburg."
Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold features a one-hour documentary radio program by producer Rob Rosenthal and photography and constructed imagery using historic documents and photographs by Kate Philbrick.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
February 23 - April 4 » Salt student show travels to Frontier Cafe+Gallery
Meet Me Anywhere
[ fall 2008 writing + radio + photography ]
Head up to Brunswick, Maine to witness the beautiful and intimate work of some of the most talented documentarians we know: our own Salt students. The fall 2008 semester takes us all over the state of Maine, to bring us wonderful works of storytelling.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Maine Jewish Film Festival @ Salt
March 22 // 5:30-6:30 pm » Behind the Scenes:
A conversation with independent filmmaker and director Erik Kesten
Don't miss this opportunity to hear what it takes to create an award-winning documentary and be part of an intimate conversation with the director of Holy Land Hardball (2009). This event is free and open to the public. Make sure to purchase a ticket for the 7:00 PM screening of the film!
March 23 // 5:30-6:30 pm » LGBT Film Forum Reception
We invite you to a public reception prior to the screening of The Secrets. Come celebrate the GLBT Film Forum! Join us for appetizers, drinks and good company. This event is free and open to the public.
March 24 // 9:00 pm » Artist Reception: Canvasman
MJFF invites you to a reception to celebrate the premiere event of Canvasman. Come mingle with director and Portland resident Gary Robinov, as well as Rob Elowitch, star of Canvasman. Appetizers and drinks provided. This event is free and open to the public.
What's Maine Jewish Film Festival?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
//UPCOMING EXHIBIT
[ March 5 - May7 ]
photographs by NOAH ADDIS
Sempre Jardim Edite » the story of a lost neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil
OPENING RECEPTION: March 5th // 5-8
The Jardim Edite favela (neighborhood), located at the foot of the landmark Estaiada bridge in an affluent section of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was once home to more than 550 families. Most are gone now, as the government of Sao Paulo has forced them to leave their homes to make room for a new development. "I first visited the neighborhood at the beginning of 2009. The place was still full of life then, the demolition had not begun. Men gathered around a television at a local bar, watching a football game, joking and laughing." Noah tell us.
Traditional social theory believed that urbanization would follow industrialization. However many of the worlds mega-cities, particularly those in the developing world, are undergoing massive population growth at the same time they are experiencing a loss of industrial jobs and stagnant economies. Meanwhile, due to mechanized farming, industrial-scale agribusiness, civil war, draught and countless other factors, the hardships of rural life drives many to look for opportunity in the worldÕs urban centers.
"As I got to know the residents of the Jardim Edite," Noah elaborates, "I could see the tension building in their faces, just below the surface. Some were angry, others scared because they didnÕt know if they could find a new place to live for their families."
Many of the residents of Jardim Edite came from the countryside, often from poor rural communities in the North, seeking opportunity in the bright lights of the city. They built their homes first out of scrap wood and cardboard and whatever else they could find, but over the years some of the homes have grown into reinforced concrete structures with running water and electricity. Some residents lived there for more than 30 years.
City officials have long wanted to remove the ramshackle homes and businesses that make up Jardim Edite. As part of the Favela Urbanization Project the government plans to replace the favela with a modern housing development. In late 2008, a court order sealed the fate of this tight-knit community when a state tribunal judge said the project could go forward and the occupants should be evicted.
Life in Jardim Edite changed in early 2009. The parties stopped, the wrecking crews arrived, and the community was broken. Some residents, those who were previously registered with the city as official occupants of the favela, were eligible for rent subsidies or cash payouts if they left their homes. They were eligible for even larger cash payouts if they leave the city of Sao Paulo and return to the countryside. But these payouts were often not sufficient to find suitable housing. Many residents ended up moving to other favelas, with even worse living conditions.
Government plans call for a complex of buildings with 248 two- and three-bedroom. Officials from the Secretaria Municipal de Habita¨‹o (Municipal Department of Housing) have denied repeated requests for interviews and information about the proposed development project.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
//CURRENT EXHIBIT
[ December 17 - February 26 ]
about face» Maine stories in writing + radio + photography by Salt fall 2009 graduates
9 writers + 14 radio producers + 9 photographers
CAME TO SALT TO PURSUE DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING.
:: the process ::
They spent 15 weeks making contacts, inviewing, building relationships, gathering sound, making images, critiquing, editing, work-shopping, and printing - then polishing their images, words, and sound.
:: 72 stories ::
From lunch ladies to sea urchin divers to suicide, experience intimate documentary storytelling at its best.
:: thank you ::
A special thank you to all the subjects who shared their time and stories with us. This work would not be possible without your courage. Your stories will live on in Salt's Mildred H. McEvoy Memorial Archive.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
//PAST EVENTS + EXHIBITS
[ October 1 - December 4 ]
More Than a Rap Sheet
[ the real stories of incarcerated women ] »
:: an exhibitition of poetry and portraits ::
OPENING NIGHT» October 1st // 5-8pm, short program at 6:30
Join us for the opening reception and live readings.
In 2002, Family Crisis Services, a domestic violence agency, conducted a study which found that approximately 95% of incarcerated women were involved in an abusive intimate relationship or had been a victim of one in the past. Recognizing the connection between female incarceration and domestic abuse, Family Crisis Services began offering educational support groups for women at the local jail and corrections facility. More than a year ago, creative writing groups were added to their incarcerated women's program.
Because Salt's mission is to teach its students "to seek the truth and report it by producing thought-provoking documentary work," Family Crisis Services approached the school about creating an exhibit of the women's work. Christine Heinz, Director of Operations and Marketing at Salt, was excited frome the beginning of the collaboration. Also a professional photographer, she readily agreed to photograph the women for the project. "Meeting and working with the women has been a profound experience for me," says Heinz. "After having worked as a domestic violence volunteer (at Family Crisis Services and in Texas), I feel so very lucky to have two great passions of mine come together in this project."
About Family Crisis Services »
Family Crisis Services works to end domestic violence in Cumberland and Sagadahoc Counties in Maine. Founded in 1977, the agency's vision has been to change the cultural values which support and perpetuate the abuse of women. Family Crisis Services works with victims and survivors, regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation, providing programs which focus on individual advocacy and safety for victims and their children. Family Crisis Services is one of only a handful of domestic violence agencies in the country that offer programs for incarcerated women.
For help or more information » www.familycrisis.org
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DO1Thing.org: An evening with the creators
In celebration of the current exhibit at Salt, Do1Thing.org: Young Faces of Homelessness, please join us for an evening with one of the creators of the project. We're pleased to welcome Do1Thing.org co-founder, former Newsweek photographer Najlah Feanny Hicks to speak about Do1Thing.org, which sheds light on young adult homelessness in Maine and around the country. Several powerful and uplifting multimedia pieces will also be screened.
In addition, we are excited to premiere Lulu's Story, a multimedia piece produced by Mainers: photographer Alexandra Daley-Clark, Director of Photography for Do1Thing.org, and audio and multimedia producer Suzi Piker, an alum of the Salt radio program. Their intimate portrait tells the story of a young woman who is currently experiencing homelessness in Portland, Maine.
DONATIONS »
This event will also act as a fundraiser for Do1Thing.org and Portland's Preble Street Teen Center in order to continue the wonderful and necessary services for homeless youth. Photographic prints from the exhibit, as well as other related items will be for sale. Monetary donations are welcome.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DO1THING.org » YOUNG FACES OF HOMELESSNESS Do1Thing.org is a collaborative effort by award-winning photographers, journalists, editors, designers, writers, and who have come to together for one mission: To use the power of storytelling to shine an "ongoing" light into the many dark places that affect our most vulnerable children and teens.
Inspired by the success of the Heart Gallery, the co-founders, Najlah Hicks and Pim Van Hemmen, started thinking big: "What if we use this same approach to shine the light on multiple issues impacting children and teens? Not all at the same time. But one at a time, so each issue gets the attention and awareness it deserves." "And what if we partner with organizations that support a particular cause, and then reach out to people and corporations to follow our lead and do one thing to help make a difference?" The "what ifs" turned into "Why not?" And do1thing was born.
This exhibit showcases some of the most powerful work coming out of their first cause, youth homelessness.
OPENING NIGHT» 1st Friday // August 7th // 5-9
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
inside out there »
radio + writing + photography by Salt spring 2009 graduates
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 14 // 6-9 pm ]
UNBUILT Architecture AWARDS 2009 » Presented by the Portland Society of Architects
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 12 // 7 pm ]
Overlap » Experimental Multimedia in images+sound+words by Salt Spring 09 students
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ May 11 // doors open @ 6:30 + conversation starts at 7 pm ]
Creative Conversations » An arts discussion sponsored by PACA.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ April 3 - May 15 ]
FUTUREpast » Current Work from Salt Alums + their Work from the Archive
&rarr Check it out MAY 1st for Portland's 1st Friday Art Walk or M-F // 9-4:30 [ 561 Congress ]
For over 35 years, we have been dedicated to teaching the craft of storytelling to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from nearly all 50 states and almost a dozen countries throughout the world. Those years have produced over 2 million images, 7,000+ hours of recorded interviews, and, most importantly, over 1500 finished stories in images, sound, and the written word. The Mildred H. McEvoy Memorial Archive, located in this very building, will continue to preserve this rich Maine history.
Our 35th year marked the most tremendous change Salt has seen. We moved from our former location at 110 Exchange Street and settled into this new home, in the heart of Portland's Arts District. This location was custom designed and built to suit our every need. For the first time, our space hosts state of the art technology, enabling us to make the move from black and white film to digital color.
For years, it has been a goal of ours to create a space, for the local and global communities alike, to share the wonderful documentary work that is being done at this very moment all around the world.
We could think of no better way to begin this journey than show the great work our of very own alumni. From Nashville to Berkeley, from Montreal to Zurich, and from the South Pole to Asia, they continue the work that they humbly began here at Salt, carrying on the tradition of telling real stories of real people, with grace, integrity, and great skill.
Meet five talented Salt Alumni >> Alex Cohn :: Andres Gonzalez :: Kiersten Hanna :: David Y. Lee :: Holly Wilmeth ::
We hope that their work makes as much of an impact on you as it does us.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ February 27 - March 27 ]
Malaga Island » A story best left untold
A Documentary Radio + Photograpy + construted imagery Exhibition by Rob Rosenthal & Kate Philbrick
Click here to view the Malaga Island slideshow.
For more info, check out » malagaislandmaine.org
In 1912, the state of Maine evicted about forty-five people from Malaga Island off the coast of Phippsburg. The island residents were poor, black, white, and mixed race. The eviction is typically viewed as a shameful moment in the state's history.
"This is one of those stories where people say 'That happened in Maine?!' or 'The state did what?!' Then they say 'Tell me more,'" said Rob Rosenthal, radio producer for project.
During the process of evicting the Malaga community, the state committed eight islanders to the Maine School for the Feebleminded in New Gloucester, Maine. The remaining residents left the island taking their homes with them. Once the community was removed, the state relocated the island school. Then, the state dug up the island cemetery and reburied the remains in the graveyard at the Maine School for the Feebleminded (now known as the Pineland Center).
"The Malaga story has been a bit of a secret, a kind of skeleton in Maine's history closet," says Kate Philbrick, the project photographer. "Few people have wanted to speak publicly about this dark moment over the years. This is especially true for descendents because of a local stigma attached to people with a connection to the island." "The silence about this incident is what informed the name of the documentary Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold," adds Rosenthal. "But, now, about one hundred years after the eviction, descendents are talking publicly and we interviewed and photographed several. They speak frankly and passionately about their family history and living in Phippsburg."
Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold features a one-hour documentary radio program by producer Rob Rosenthal and photography and constructed imagery using historic documents and photographs by Kate Philbrick.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Meet Me Anywhere
[ fall 2008 writing + radio + photography ]
Head up to Brunswick, Maine to witness the beautiful and intimate work of some of the most talented documentarians we know: our own Salt students. The fall 2008 semester takes us all over the state of Maine, to bring us wonderful works of storytelling.
