Stone Mountain Arts Center

Written by staff writer

Monday, 05 March 2007

Stone Mountain Arts Center Opens in Brownfield, Maine Brownfield isn’t exactly a hub of nightlife.  The rural western Maine town has about 1,200 residents and culture can be found about 40 miles away in Portland or on a smaller scale just over the New Hampshire border in North Conway.  But that’s changed since the Stone Mountain Arts Center opened this past summer in the foothills of the White Mountains.     On a forested hill by their 200 year-old farmhouse, folk musician Carol Noonan and her handy husband Jeff Flagg have built a new 200-seat performing arts center.  Housed in a renovated timber-frame barn with cathedral ceiling and stained glass, the mountain stage is home to a wide range of musical styles like folk, jazz, classical, opera and blues.  Already, national acts like singer songwriter Dar Williams, the Grammy winning zydeco sounds of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and the bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley have graced the stage. Upcoming acts include folk musician Greg Brown on December 3, a special holiday “Stone Mountain Live” (a Prairie Home Companion-like variety show) December 15-17, and Grammy award-winning singer Kathy Mattea on February 2.     Noonan is no stranger to the acoustic music scene.  She grew up in New England and attended the New England Conservatory of Music. The contemporary singer-songwriter has recorded several albums and has twice been featured on National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition.”  Her husband Jeff is a commercial fishing net builder. So to avoid driving long hours, fighting traffic and getting in at odd hours of the night, they decided to bring the arts to the country.  The two believe there are eager audiences out there who appreciate small, local art centers.  And if all goes well in this musical version of Field of Dreams, then Noonan won’t have to tour anymore. She can walk to work.     Stone Mountain hosts music, theatre, art exhibits, workshops and community events.  For select shows, there’s a limited casual dinner menu that features foods like gourmet pizza and fresh salads. Beer and wine are served, but bring the greenbacks.  They don’t accept credit cards at the venue.  But you can write a check.  That certainly fits with the rural character of a performing arts center in a barn on a country road. –Marty Basch Stone Mountain Arts Center 695 Dug Way Road, Brownfield, Maine 866.227.6523, www.stonemountainartscenter.com Articles by this Author: Learning About Weather Relaxing with Bowser Pets Do the Shopping Meeting Needs Through NEADS Inn Decadence View all articles by this author

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 March 2007 )

 

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