Colby Arts

08/04/2026

August First Friday is just around the corner. We hope to see you there! August 7 at 4pm at Greene Block + Studios (18 Main Street, Waterville) free and open to all!

08/03/2026

Get ready for our August First Friday Jazz Concert with Jane Ira Bloom and Brian Shankar Adler, with special guest Ken Filiano!

August 7 at 4pm at Greene Block + Studios. Free and open to all!

Jane Ira Bloom & Brian Shankar Adler"Just Like This" (Official Vid...

07/23/2026

Join us for a First Friday Jazz Concert at Greene Block + Studios! August 7 at 4pm, Free and open to all

Legendary soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom and virtuoso percussionist Brian Shankar Adler celebrate their new release “once like a spark” with special guest Ken Filiano

Reserve free seats at https://arts.colby.edu/reserve-tickets/

once like a spark brings together NASA soprano saxophonist/composer Jane Ira Bloom, percussionist/composer Brian Shankar Adler for a series of acoustic duets & trios that traverse the globe and showcase the group’s unique improvisational magic. The music documents the spark of their extraordinary connection whose inspirations range from the gamelan of Southeast Asia and rhythms of North India, to literary icons Luis Borges and e.e.cummings, to the galaxy & beyond. Their sound is alive with rhythm, melodic soul, and turn-on-a-dime improvisation in celebration of music that explores the planet and beyond. Warm, dynamic, and fired with rhythm, once like a spark ignites a special one-of-a-kind rapport between seasoned improvisers at the height of their powers.

Photography:
John Doyle
Dave Wade

06/26/2026

Halcyon, MIFF, and Colby Arts presents THE FUTURE IS HERE feat. Alisa Amador

July 9 at 5pm
Greene Block + Studios
Free and open to all!

What does our world look like when the climate crisis is no longer a problem we will deal with in the future, but a problem we are solving in the present? Halcyon is thrilled to collaborate with singer/songwriter and Tiny Desk winner Alisa Amador to present The Future is Here: Halcyon’s latest multimedia performance featuring the stories and actions of Maine people who are working on the ground to build creative, regenerative, and resilient communities in response to the climate crisis. Combining live music with film, community voices, and stop-motion animations, The Future is Here celebrates the ingenuity within our communities through a series of vignettes that tell stories of the concrete actions being taken to mitigate the climate crisis and build communities that are more equal, more sustainable, and more open. Lasting for roughly an hour, the performance creates space for us to collectively see what our world looks like when we come together to care for each other and the world around us. It challenges the narratives of despair that dominate the climate space, and instead amplifies the action, innovation, creativity, and determination that already exists within our community.

06/22/2026

Thank you to our special guest Dr. Charles McKinney and the Pugh Center for hosting “The Meaning of Freedom” in collaboration with Colby Arts for Juneteenth Community Celebration.

06/02/2026

Experience some incredible music as we celebrate Pride First Friday in Downtown Waterville 6/5 ! 🌈

- At Castonguay Square (outside of Paul J. Schupf Arts Center) 5:30-6:30pm
Kate Campbell Strauss (saxophone), Jake Hickey (keys), and Scott Kiefner (bass) will play a set celebrating the music of q***r jazz composers and musicians.

- At Greene Block + Studios 7-8pm
Random Ideas!
Random Ideas is a triplet punk rock/alternative rock band that has taken their passion for music and human rights/social issues to write powerful, high energy music.

Visit arts.colby.edu for a full list of Pride First Friday Events and follow for details about the upcoming Central Maine Pride Festival!

05/06/2026

Looking back at our May First Friday featuring What's the Vibe and Bomba de Aquí! Thank you to everyone attended and made this evening so delightful.

Photos: John Meader

04/24/2026

Join us on April 30th, May 1st, and May 2nd at The Gordon Center for Sagittarius Ponderosa!

Reserve free tickets at arts.colby.edu!

04/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out for the 3rd Annual Colby Creatives Pop Up and Clothing as Canvas workshop!

Photography: Yuito Watanabe '28

04/16/2026

May First Friday: What’s the Vibe + Bomba de AquÍ

Where? Greene Block + Studios
When? May 1 from 5-7 PM

5pm: What’s the Vibe
A neon installation by Colby Arts Associates (Yiyun Mao, Peggy Jones, Jen Jackson, Elise Struthers, Eric Adjei), featuring phrases collected from community surveys in Fall 2025.

6pm: Bomba de AquÍ
Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance performance, with student musicians from José Martinez’s class joining the group.

Free and open to the public!