Ellis Paul concert to aid arts center
Photo courtesy of Justine Ferland
ELLIS PAUL, a native of Presque Isle, will be performing at The Crow’s Nest on Maysville Street on Friday, May 11. The concert will benefit the Wintergreen Arts Center.
By Kathy McCarty
PRESQUE ISLE — A fund-raising concert featuring Presque Isle native Ellis Paul will be held Friday, May 11, at The Crow’s Nest on Maysville Street, with proceeds benefiting the Wintergreen Arts Center.
“The concert is this coming Friday. We’re excited and anticipate a good turnout. A friend told me recently they were at one of Ellis’s sold-out concerts in Virginia and it was terrific — lots of audience participation and just a really good time,” said Wendy Gilman-Zubrick, Wintergreen’s director.
Given that music is an art form, she said a concert seemed like the perfect method to raise funds for the Center.
“We were looking for a fundraiser that would help us raise much-needed funds for the Center and also give back to the community. I was familiar with Ellis, as he grew up in Presque Isle, and knew he had a local — and much wider — following, so this seemed like a terrific fit,” said Gilman-Zubrick.
The Wintergreen director made contact with Paul and details were worked out for him to appear in Presque Isle.
“Ellis agreed to come and perform at a much-reduced rate. The Crow’s Nest graciously offered to host the event and, with the support of some terrific sponsors — MMG Insurance, Wilder’s Jewelry Store, Cassidy Orthodontics and TAMC — we’ve moved forward with the concert date of May 11,” Gilman-Zubrick said.
This isn’t the first fundraiser Paul has taken part in.
“Whenever there’s a good cause, Ellis avails himself to fundraisers — oftentimes at shows across the country, including in Maine, community coffeehouses, etc. Places will be fund-raising and donating a portion of the night’s ticket sales back into the community, of which Ellis is a strong supporter,” said Justine Ferland, spokesperson, with Ralph Jaccodine Management of Cambridge, Mass.
Paul will perform a variety of music, including a mix of new songs and older material.
“He’ll perform songs off his latest adult album, ‘The Day After Everything Changed,’ crowd favorites from his older albums, and a song or two off his latest family album, ‘The Hero in You,’” said Ferland.
Known for his deeply-felt and socially-conscious songwriting, often about heroes, Paul was inspired by his own two growing daughters and four years of performing for families to write about people who contributed something to the world through their work and art.
“I spent the last year writing about people who made significant contributions to our culture and in doing so, helped change the course of our country’s future,” said Paul. “Strangely, I started regaining some pride in the process. These people reminded me of how lucky we are to be living here, and that the opportunities here demand that we live boldly.”
The featured heroes include well-known personages like Benjamin Franklin, Woody Guthrie and Rosa Parks, and some not as familiar, including Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe and Augustus Jackson, one of the first African-American businessmen who improved how ice cream was made.
Ferland said Paul is taking part in the event as a way to give back to his hometown and a worthwhile facility, Wintergreen Arts Center.
“The Wintergreen Arts Center is truly an artistic space for the community of Presque Isle. It’s a place where creativity is nurtured, and Presque Isle is Ellis’s hometown. He wants to help raise money to keep the Center and local arts intact and thriving — a cause that’s very close to his heart,” said Ferland.
In addition to Paul, also performing Friday night will be local musician Travis Cyr.
“Funds raised will support next year’s after-school programming, as well as help us to continue offering quality programming at an affordable cost to the community,” said Gilman-Zubrick.
Gilman-Zubrick said there are a number of ways people can get involved and support the Center.
“Ways to contribute to the Center include volunteering, donating materials and supplies, sponsoring classes or making monetary donations. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.wintergreenarts.org or mail: Wintergreen Arts Center, PO Box 1252, Presque Isle, ME 04769, or call 762-3576,” said Gilman-Zubrick.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and senior citizens. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., with the concert scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
