05/17/2014
The Surry Concert Barn (SCB) has been a unique venue in its almost 50 years of local
and international exchange programs.
The fact that it is an old barn on the coast of Maine and has been a neighborhood resource
featuring performing arts programing adds to its charm and place in the community.
It has a legacy that has been written about in People Magazine, The NY Times, and Downeast
Magazine. The Barn was also featured on CBS "On the Road" with Charles Kuralt, applauded
by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell on the floor of Congress and was entered in the
Congressional Record on the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Surry Opera Company.
In addition, the SCB was the home of the Surry Opera Company for over 15 years.
The surrounding barns near the SCB served as residences for as many as 30-40 international
musicians and guests from Russia, Japan, France, Georgia, Germany, Canada, and the
United States. The SCB and nearby barns were used for seasonal concerts and affiliated
programs such as musical theater productions, films, discussions, gatherings, and international
conferences. The SCB was used as the model for the Barns at Wolf Trap , which are part of
the National Center for the Performing Arts.
I have not yet had time to write a complete history of the SCB, but I am very much involved in
the process of revitalizing its programs and ushering it into a new era.
Beginning in June 2014, we plan to launch a new website for events occurring at the SCB
including concerts, theater, films, visual arts, children’s programs and special topic discussions
ranging from wellness to climate change.
This is an opportunity to be part of revitalizing a community based arts project in a beautiful
area on the coast of Maine. The project will have international outreach as well as local impact.
Performers, lecturers, visual artists, filmmakers, composers, authors, and creatively minded
individuals are welcome. Other areas of need include carpenters, landscapers, painters,
farmers and others who feel that they have skills and energy that would be of use.
Individuals who can share the value and meaning of this undertaking and would like to
be a part of it from the ground up, please feel free to contact me.
