Waterville
Maine
Waterville Creates Arts Spotlight from December 9-15, 2024
Arts and Entertainment
December 10, 2024
From: Waterville Opera HouseFEATURED
JOY TO THE VILLE
Embrace the holiday and winter spirit at the seventh annual Joy to the Ville community celebration! Join Waterville Creates, the Colby College Museum of Art, the Waterville Public Library, and the Children’s Discovery Museum as we celebrate the magic of the season with movies, art making, play, Community Maker Days, and more! Free holiday treats to enjoy while supplies last.
Paul J. Schupf Art Center
93 Main Street, Waterville
Saturday, December 14
10am–5pm
Joy to the Ville is sponsored by the City of Waterville, Central Maine Newspapers, Kennebec Savings Bank, Maine General Health, and Back Office Solutions. Thank you!
ARTS
COMMUNITY MAKER DAYS
Part of Joy to the Ville
Paul J. Schupf Art Center
93 Main Street, Waterville
Saturday, December 14
12–2pm
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
During Waterville Creates' Joy to the Ville celebrations, join local artists for a new series of workshops at Community Maker Days. These fun and engaging events offer makers of all ages the chance to explore their creativity and craft something special.
WORKSHOPS + DEMOS
COMMUNITY DRAW
Ticonic Gallery
93 Main Street, Waterville
Wednesday, December 11
6pm
$11
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
Join us for a costumed figure drawing program designed for both seasoned and aspiring artists. This class provides a unique opportunity to refine your drawing skills in a supportive and creative environment. Bring your preferred media—charcoal, pastels, paint, tablet, etc.—and we’ll supply the chairs, model, and camaraderie.
HOLIDAY BAZAAR
Ticonic Gallery
93 Main Street, Waterville
Open Daily, 11am–7pm
Closed Tuesdays + federal holidays
Waterville Creates and Ticonic Gallery are pleased to announce the return of this beloved handmade marketplace to downtown Waterville, featuring the talents of Maine makers across various media, offering a community space for artists to showcase and sell their creations.
YOUTH ARTS ACCESS FUND
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Established in March 2022, the Youth Arts Access Fund (YAAF) provides youth aged 18 and under with free access to Waterville Creates events and programs-all of them!
For just $1,000/month or $5,000/6 months, your business can be recognized as a YAAF sponsor of the month and provide critical support for this beloved program.
The Waterville Area Women's Club is December's Youth Arts Access Fund sponsor! Waterville Area Women’s Club and its volunteer members support numerous local charities and service agencies in the Greater Waterville Area, with a focus on those that benefit women and children.
FILM
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
Part of Joy to the Ville
Maine Film Center
93 Main Street, Waterville
Saturday, December 14
10am
Free
Bah, humbug! Michael Caine hilariously portrays Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical retelling of the famous holiday tale, narrated by Charles Dickens—who looks suspiciously like Gonzo—and Rizzo the Rat. Scrooge is a miserly moneylender who doesn't appreciate the holiday, rejecting his nephew's invitation to dinner and rebuking those seeking charity. Over the course of Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who seek to rid him of his penny-pinching ways and enlighten him to the true meaning of Christmas. With an ensemble of Muppets playing key roles in the story and a performance from Caine fit for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Scrooge's journey across time is fun for the whole family!
THE RETURN
Maine Film Center
93 Main Street, Waterville
Now Showing
From $9
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
The Return follows Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes, Conclave), king of the Greek island of Ithaca, as he finally washes up on the shores of his home 20 years after departing for the Trojan War. Time and the voyage home have not been kind to him, and few recognize the haggard old man as the warrior king they once knew. Odysseus discovers that his wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche) is essentially a captive in her home as suitors vie for her hand in marriage and, through her, kingship of Ithaca. To make matters worse, the suitors view Odysseus and Penelope’s son Telemachus as a threat to their plans and plot to kill him. Disguising himself as a beggar and scheming from the shadows, Odysseus must defend his family and home in this down-to-earth adaptation of Homer's epic.
FLOW
Maine Film Center
93 Main Street, Waterville
Now Showing
From $9
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, Flow follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. From the boundless imagination of the award-winning Gints Zilbalodis (Away) comes a thrilling animated spectacle as well as a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of friendship and community. Steeped in the soaring possibilities of visual storytelling, Flow is both wordless and profound, its story perfect for both adults with imaginations and children.
PERFORMING ARTS
TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA
Waterville Opera House
1 Common Street, Waterville
Thursday, December 19
7:30pm
$44–54
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
Celebrate the festive season with beloved classics from the timeless Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Tommy Dorsey was an extremely successful bandleader from the 1930s until his untimely passing in 1956. His technical skill on the trombone was unmatched and made him world-renowned amongst musicians and the public alike. He had a string of hit records including Opus One, Marie, and Song of India.
THE NUTCRACKER
Waterville Opera House
1 Common Street, Waterville
December 13, 14 at 7pm
December 14, 15 at 2pm
$34–$39
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
Experience the magic of the holiday season with Bossov Ballet Theatre’s rendition of The Nutcracker at the Waterville Opera House, December 13–15, 2024. This year’s performance, guided by Artistic Director Natalya Getman, offers a masterful blend of tradition and fresh choreography, showcasing the exceptional talent of young dancers from Maine Central Institute. As a cornerstone of Maine’s holiday celebrations, this production promises a memorable night for audiences both new and returning, with every detail designed to captivate and inspire.
UP COMING
CINEMA EXPLORATIONS
Cinema Explorations, a free wintertime community-curated film series, returns in January 2025! The new lineup consists of five films from five different countries around the world.
Maine Film Center
93 Main Street, Waterville
Starting January
Saturdays + Sundays, 10am
Free, reservations encouraged
PORTRAIT OF ARETHA
Waterville Opera House
1 Common Street, Waterville
Thursday, January 9
7:30pm
$47–$57
Eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
Aretha Franklin taught us how to "Think" and demand "Respect..." all while ridin' on the "Freeway of Love!" In Portrait of Aretha, CeCe Teneal honors the legacy of the Queen of Soul with personalized interpretations of both popular and lesser-known songs from this 18-Grammy-Award-winning icon’s 50-year career, including “Chain of Fools,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Rock Steady,” and “Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)." An award-winning songstress in her own right, Ms. Teneal has been nominated for four Independent Music Awards and claimed the title for 2011 Best Gospel Song (“I Heard You Prayin’”) and 2011 Best R&B Album (Train from Osteen), as well as 2018 Best SoulFunkFusion Song ("Danger").
COMMUNITY SURVEY
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Take our short community survey for your chance to win a MIFF28 Full Festival Pass or a WOH 2025 Theatrical Season Pass.
Paper copies of the survey are also available at the Ed Harris Box Office, Paul J. Schupf Art Center, 93 Main Street, Waterville.
SUPPORT THE ARTS
At Waterville Creates, community is at the core of everything we do. We believe everyone deserves access to outstanding arts opportunities and that shared experiences in the arts build stronger, happier, and healthier communities.
To truly fulfill our mission of ARTS EXPERIENCES FOR ALL, we need your help!
Only 40% of our budget is covered by ticket sales and program fees. By making a gift to Waterville Creates, you help us to keep our programming quality high while keeping our ticket prices affordable, increasing access for all members of our community. Your support also allows us to offer a variety of free arts events for all ages and ensures that no child is turned away due to cost.
Thank you for supporting the arts in our community.
WE'RE HIRING
Are you passionate about the arts? Waterville Creates is seeking enthusiastic, outgoing individuals for the roles of Director of Development, Communications Coordinator, and Theatre Camp Counselors and Lead Counselor.
MEMBERSHIP
Our membership program provides benefits across all divisions, including the Waterville Opera House, Maine Film Center, and Ticonic Gallery + Studios, as well as special gifts from founding partners the Waterville Public Library and the Colby College Museum of Art. Your support will help sustain outstanding, accessible arts programming for all members of the community.