Learn about a dozen influential women who have shaped public policy and community life in Maine through a new exhibit near Acadia National Park. “Twelve Maine Women: Portraits of Change,” on show through Sept. 25 in Ellsworth, showcases acrylic portraits on wood panels by Robert Shetterly, a Maine-based artist known for his portrait series called Americans Who Tell the Truth, in response to the US government’s actions following the World Trade Center attacks. In this free exhibit, see portraits of — and learn about — Frances Perkins, the first female US Cabinet member; 10-year-old peacemaker Samantha Smith from Manchester, Maine, who wrote to Soviet premier Yury Andropov in 1982 urging peace — and heard back; Sherri Mitchell Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset, an indigenous leader and lawyer from two sovereign nations within Maine’s borders; historian Heather Cox Richardson, who grew up in Yarmouth and publishes a wildly popular nightly newsletter “Letters from an American” on social media; and other women whose vocal outreach and civic leadership has helped shape Maine’s communities.
Special programs, linked to the exhibit, include: “The New Deal at Work: Frances Perkins, Labor Reform and the Continuing Legacy,” Sept. 15 at the Ellsworth Public Library, which explores the legacy of labor secretary Frances Perkins, with speakers from the Maine Department of Labor and the Frances Perkins Center, and with Peter Kellman, a labor activist, teacher, and lawyer. On Sept. 19, join Shetterly himself for “Intergenerational Fun with Americans Who Tell the Truth,” featuring art making for all ages, when participants create self-portraits or self-representational art and pair it with an original quotation. Shetterly’s exhibits have traveled to 37 states, to school libraries, sandwich shops, university museums, New York City’s Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, and even San Francisco’s Superior Court. https://americanswhotellthetruth.org.
A ribbon mime performing at the annual King Richard’s Faire in Carver, Mass., which runs on weekends from Sept. 5 through Oct. 25.KING RICHARD’S FAIRE
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Join the adventure at this year’s Renaissance faire
For 45 years, knights, musicians, artisans, and regal guests of all kinds have gathered on the grounds of mythical Carvershire for the annual King Richard’s Faire. New England’s largest Renaissance festival returns on weekends from Sept. 5 through Oct. 25 (plus two Monday holidays), with joust tournaments, witch dances, centuries-old craft demonstrations, and other festivities. The faire, taking place at the Edaville Entertainment Venue in Carver, welcomes hundreds of performers who entertain on eight different stages. Enjoy comedy shows, live music, acrobatic animals, aerialists, giant puppets, interactive characters, and knights jousting on horseback. This year, the venue has added new permanent shops and shaded seating areas. Guests can feast on hearty stews, giant turkey legs, mead, and more, and then browse handcrafted treasures transported here from artisans around the world.
For this year’s storyline, King Richard XI and Queen Anne III return to the village during harvest season, but get tangled up in mysterious royal intrigue, magical mishaps, and an anniversary celebration. Guests become part of the adventure as they travel alongside colorful characters and performers. Themed weekends feature a wizard tournament, relay race and ring toss, costume events, drum jams, and highland games — one weekend is devoted to celebrating dogs. Admission free for 3 and younger; $22-$26 for ages 4-11, and $36-$46 ages 12 and older, depending on dates (cheaper rates through Sept. 20); free parking. https://www.kingrichardsfaire.net.
The new Kimpton Ashbel New York-Park Avenue hotel, located a 5-minute walk from Grand Central Terminal, has a cozy living room-like seating area (pictured here) with couches, coffee tables, bookshelves, and a fireplace.Kimpton Ashbel
New Manhattan hotel offers luxury and location
A new hotel in Midtown Manhattan offers visitors a quiet stay on a tree-lined street amid Gilded Age mansions and classic townhouses, yet just a five-minute walk from Grand Central Terminal and top local eateries. The 205-room Kimpton Ashbel New York-Park Avenue hotel, an IHG Hotels and Resorts property, opened on the site of the original Doral Park Avenue Hotel, built in 1928 during the Beaux-Arts movement. The hotel has a restored limestone façade and a lobby with a residential vibe, offering a spacious foyer and a cozy living room-like seating area with couches, coffee tables, bookshelves, and a fireplace. Grab free morning coffee in the lobby next to the Park & Bel café, which serves pastries, fruit, and other grab-and-go bites. The rooms range from a single queen (220 square feet) with a desk and extra chair to a penthouse suite (1,300 square feet) with two king beds, two balconies, two living room areas, and four baths — plus views of the Empire State Building and Grand Central. The hotel offers 14 connecting rooms that work well for families. Enjoy a complimentary happy hour in late afternoon and access to the hotel’s 24-hour fitness center.
Through Dec. 31, the hotel offers its Sit, Stay, Sleepover package for pet owners, which includes two nights’ accommodation, a pet welcome kit with treats, accessories, and a branded pet robe, a dog bed (for loan), a drinking “pup cup” from Park & Bel, and a guide to local pet-friendly parks, walks, and city sights. Regular room rates start at $200, while the package rates start at $350, plus tax. www.ashbelhotelnewyork.com.
KARI BODNARCHUK
Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at travelwriter@karib.us.