Pecha Kucha at the Camden Opera House

By Annaliese Jakimides
Photos by Leslie Bowman

Friday night, about 400—including at least a couple of people, Leslie and I, from as far away as Bangor—gathered at the Camden Opera House for Pecha Kucha Night in Midcoast Maine. Simultaneously, Pecha Kuchas (meaning “chit chat” in Japanese, we were told) were happening in Pittsburgh, Bali, and Belgrade, although no one was sure which one (Maine or Serbia).


Eight artists from the Midcoast showcased their work. Formula for these gatherings all over the world: The artist (loose definition allowed for an importer of wines) stands in front of the audience, while 20 slides of their work (for the wine guy, that meant Italian hillsides, and stunning, gnarled, old vines) flash on the screen. Well, not exactly flash. Each image lingers for 20 seconds, a long time if not accompanied by chatter, which some artists did and others did not. Let me tell you, some of the work was stunning, and some of the monologues entertaining, and at least one of the presenters left us with a compelling need to question ourselves about many things. It was a blast. Actually, it was a controlled blast.

Afterwards, Camden was hopping. Since neither Leslie nor I have any experience with Camden’s weekend nightlife, it’s hard to judge whether this was because of the two-day Juice Conference about the creative economy, but—no matter—conversation was flowing, and so was the wine.

Presenters were Scott Minzy, book artist and printmaker; Autumn Cipala, ceramic artist; Bill Laurita, owner of Swans Island Blankets; Mary Barnes, unconventional dry and wet drawings; Paul Chartrand, importer of organic wines; Antonia Small, photographer and writer; Anastasia Fischer, interaction designer; and Sam Cady, shaped canvas painter.