The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Reed Fine Art Gallery presents the 2013 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, featuring selected works created by five graduating UMPI art students, now through August 17. The public is invited to view the exhibition and attend a reception, being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk, on Friday, Aug 2 from 5-7 p.m. in the Reed Gallery.

The Reed Fine Art Gallery has presented a Senior Thesis Exhibition each year for the last six years as an opportunity for young and upcoming artists in northern Maine to showcase their work to the public and to provide a forum for them to discuss their art.

University of Maine at Presque Isle officials are pleased to have three County men include the campus as part of their five phase walk in honor of President John F. Kennedy and his brother U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. The three men will walk 40 miles from Houlton to UMPI on Saturday, July 27.

This will be the final of four practice walks leading up to a 50-mile walk being undertaken in August by Larry Berz, Dr. Arthur Selander, and Nicholas Boggs. Their undertaking is in remembrance of Robert F. Kennedy, who hiked 50 miles from Washington D. C. to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, strongly challenged and inspired by his brother President Kennedy’s call for national physical conditioning and renewed vigor.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Volleyball team will host a Volleyball Camp from July 22 to 26 for students in grades 6-12, providing an opportunity for area players to jumpstart their volley-ball season. UMPI’s own volleyball coach Mark Kornachuk and 2013 campus volleyball players will provide training in Wieden Gymnasium.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its 2nd annual Art Camp, providing local kids with opportunities for artistic expression in all sorts of mediums, from clay to music to mime. Especially for students currently in grades 2-7, this year’s Art Camp will take place from Monday, Aug. 12 to Friday, Aug. 16, 2013 in Folsom 105. Registration deadline for the camp is July 11.

UMPI Art Camp will offer classes in mime, musical composition, watercolor, acrylic, clay, and optical design. According to Art Camp Director Heather Nunez, there’s something for kids of all artistic backgrounds.

Officials mark milestone with proposed expansion

The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Maine Solar System Model celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday with a short press conference and the announcement of a proposed expansion into Canada, which would make it the very first international model on record. The Maine Solar System Model was formally dedicated on June 14, 2003, after four years of construction.

The American Red Cross and the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Residence Life Office are teaming up to pull off the University’s sixth “Super” Blood Drive this summer, the time of year when the need for blood increases.

The Super Blood Drive will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24 in the Gentile Hall Gymnasium. The event is being sponsored by the University and cosponsored by Pat’s Pizza, Big Cheese Pizza, Country Farm’s Market, and Wal-Mart.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle will present a special evening with award-winning writer Cathie Pelletier on Monday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in the UMPI Library, when it hosts a reading and book signing for her long-anticipated new novel The One-Way Bridge.

Pelletier’s tenth novel, published by Sourcebooks, returns readers to the logging town of Mattagash, the scene of several of her novels including The Funeral Makers and The Weight of Winter. The June 3 reading, which will include a reception featuring light refreshments and wine available through a cash bar, is part of The One-Way Bridge national book tour.

Two hundred and nineteen students graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, May 18, during the 2013 Commencement Exercises – the University’s 104th Commencement ceremony. President Linda Schott conferred degrees for the 2012-2013 academic year upon 145 students who participated in the ceremony held in Wieden Gymnasium.

John Cariani, the accomplished playwright and award-winning actor, addressed the graduates as this year’s commencement speaker. During the graduation event, Cariani was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree.

The Aroostook Agency on Aging presents the Aging Well Living Well EXPO at the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, June 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The agency is partnering with the United Way of Aroostook, AARP, WAGM-TV, UMPI, and SAGE (Seniors Achieving Greater Education) on the event, which also serves as a celebration of SAGE’s 15th anniversary.

The EXPO is especially for people nearing retirement, who are retired, or who want to improve their health and well-being. The EXPO will include informative sessions and event exhibitors sharing products and information to help attendees improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.