WATERVILLE, Maine — From absinthe to cross-continental friendship, the 17th volume of Waterville’s PechaKucha Night will include presentations on a wide range of topics during the fast-paced networking event planned for July 9 at the Colby College Museum of Art.
“It’s a celebration of passions and creativity,” said Dick Dyer, marketing director of Waterville Creates!, a partner in the PechaKucha Night.
PechaKucha is a presentation style that originated in Tokyo, Japan. Presenters show 20 slides for 20 seconds each, giving their presentation during the slideshow. The fast-paced event is an opportunity for locals to express their passions and creativity to the public. Other PechaKucha Nights are held quarterly in 10 other locations in Maine, including Bangor, Portland and Lewiston.
The theme of Waterville’s PechaKucha Night on July 9 is “A Concert of Ideas.”
Grace Von Tobel of Waterville will present “Nyaminwa Means Sister: Stories from Kenya,” a talk reflecting on her friendship with Dolfine Gumba Dawa, and Dawa’s work founding an orphanage and primary school in Korando, Kenya. The women met online via the Women Welcome Women World Wide website, a hospitality exchange.
When Dawa couldn’t get a visa to visit the United States, Von Tobel fulfilled a longtime dream of visiting Africa at age 60 to see her friend. Since then, the two have visited each other an additional five times (Dawa was eventually able to come to the United States). Von Tobel has watched as Dawa’s work has transformed the fledgling school from a compound with no running water or electricity into a place where a gravity-feed water system supplies running water and donated farmland is used to feed students and generate income for the orphanage and school.
“All of the pieces are unique,” said Dyer.
Bruce Olson, who operates a small distillery in Oakland, will present “Return of the Green Fairy,” a talk about absinthe. Nick Runco will present “The Northern Lights Festival: Creating a Canvas for Community Conversations.” Maggie Ellis, who splits her time between Portland and Manchester, Maine, and Santa Cruz, California, will present “Tales from the Road.” And Rosie Curtis, who teaches architecture at the University of Maine, Augusta, will present “Waterville’s Tiny House Community for People without Homes.” Other presentations include Jennifer Olsen’s “Faces and Facades: Concentric Circles of a Community’s Health” and Lisa Pohlmann’s “Maine’s Proposed New National Park.”
Writer Mike Kaplan will present a piece titled “GOTTA DANCE! The Art of the Dance Movie Poster,” based off his new poster book.
Dyer said that audiences should “come with the expectations of seeing short, interesting presentations from passionate people.”
PechaKucha Night in Waterville will be held at Colby College Museum of Art, 5600 Mayflower Hill Drive. Previous volumes have been held at the Waterville Opera House, Thomas College and the Hathaway Creative Center.
It begins at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public. There will be complimentary refreshments and a cash bar available, and presentations are scheduled to begin at 7:20 p.m. in the Given Auditorium.