Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School & Festival

With roots back to 1902, Kneisel Hall has been called “the cradle of chamber music teaching in America.” In keeping with this heritage, we take it as our mission to foster the art of chamber music through teaching and performance in an intimate environment steeped in tradition and artistic excellence. Thus, we exist to enrich the artistic skills of our students and the cultural life of our surrounding community and to represent the highest ideals of ensemble performance. Now celebrating its 124th year, Kneisel Hall is an internationally recognized chamber music school and festival based in Blue Hill, Maine. Kneisel Hall offers two programs for music students during the summer months: the one-week Program for Maine Students in June and the core seven-week Young Artists Program. Mentors from the Young Artist Program arrive one week early to inspire and provide mentorships for the Program for Maine Students. Kneisel Hall’s core program Young Artist Program is a seven-week immersive chamber music school and festival for outstanding music students, a highly competitive program for pre-professional artists ages 18- 28 from around the world. These Young Artists study chamber music in an intimate setting with a world-renowned faculty whose weekly performances are open to the public. The students’ intensive weeks of study culminate in multiple free performances on the Kneisel Hall campus in Blue Hill, Maine, and in the surrounding communities. The June Program for Maine Students is an intensive chamber music school and festival for talented classical music students living in Maine. The week-long day program is led by outstanding faculty from the area and is divided into two sessions: a two-day program for ages 9-12 and a five-day program for ages 13-19. The session culminates in two public performances on the Kneisel Hall campus in Blue Hill, Maine. Students in this program are partnered in small ensembles with mentors from the Young Artist Program. Between these two offerings, Kneisel Hall educates more than 80 music students and presents over 50 public performances in Maine during June, July, and August. [read more]

Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry

Loaves & Fishes feeds and serves the hungry in Hancock County, Maine, striving to eliminate food insecurity in our community. We treat all neighbors with respect, so they leave the pantry with dignity and hope as well as groceries. We are committed to providing food assistance and life-skills education to anyone who needs it. [read more]

Maine Community Foundation

Next Step Domestic Violence Project

We believe every individual has a right to live in safety and without fear of abuse. Although the world has changed significantly over the last 40 years, we continue to honor the visionary work of the women who ignited what became known as the “battered women’s movement” in the 1970s. They knew domestic abuse was not a personal problem, but rather a violation of civil and human rights. It was out of that important movement that NextStep emerged. We started in 1984 as a satellite office of Spruce Run Association, the first domestic violence project in Maine and the third in the U.S. Six years later, a concerned group of Hancock County residents put into motion their plan to serve victims and survivors of domestic abuse in their own communities as “The Next Step Domestic Violence Project of Hancock County.” In 2004, we broadened our reach to include our neighbors in Washington County, changing our name to “Next Step Domestic Violence Project.” Currently we use the simplified name “NextStep” to reflect our commitment to victims and survivors not just of domestic violence, but also of other types of interpersonal violence and abuse. For more than 25 years, NextStep has been leading Downeast Maine’s efforts to end domestic violence and abuse. Throughout Washington and Hancock Counties—from Eastport to Topsfield, Bar Harbor to Bucksport—we are on a mission to end domestic violence in our homes and in our communities. Nationally, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Our partners at Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence report that a domestic violence assault is reported to Maine law enforcement every 2 hours and 5 minutes, and in 2017 these assaults comprised more than 40% of the total assaults reported. [read more]

Northeast Historic Film / Alamo Theatre

Northeast Historic Film (NHF) is a moving image archives, incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1986. The mission of Northeast Historic Film is to collect, preserve, and share moving images of interest to the people of northern New England. [read more]

SPCA of Hancock County

Founded in 1911, the SPCA of Hancock County, Maine, is a life-saving organization committed to providing shelter and care for abandoned, stray and surrendered animals. Since opening our doors, our organization has found homes for tens of thousands of dogs and cats. We additionally focus on community outreach and education on proper and humane animal care. [read more]

The Grand

The Grand is an iconic Art Deco theater in Downeast, Maine, that fosters social interaction and growth in artists and audiences through the arts, entertainment, and education. Hancock County Auditorium Associates - 501(c)3 Non-profit in Good Standing - EIN #01-0332058 [read more]