217 Films & 217 Records

Lynd Ward Featured in Fine Books & Collections Magazine

2012-01-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

Fine Books & Collections magazine reviews Library of America's two-volume set of Lynd Ward's novels, Six Novels in Woodcuts. Be sure to pick up the magazine to read the article.

A new documentary on Lynd Ward will be presented this spring by Michael Maglaras and 217 Films. View the screening schedule at this link. More information at www.two17films.com.

Music Web International Reviews Vol. 1 of The Complete Delius Songbook

2011-11-19T17:43:00.001-08:00

"Mark Stone is rising fast in the ranks of baritones and has been heard in opera on both sides of the Atlantic. He has a powerful and affecting voice and puts a lot of thought into his conception of each song. His stated intention is to record all the Delius songs and this is good news..." ~ William Kreindler, Music Web International

Don't miss this informative review of The Complete Delius Songbook: Volume One. 217 Records is proud to be a part of this significant musical accomplishment by Mark Stone and Stone Records.Read the full review and view the tracklist at this link.Purchase the CD at this link. Look for Volume 2 coming soon.

American Record Guide Reviews The Delius Songbook

2011-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

217 Records is proud to support Stone Records' The Complete Delius Songbook - Volume 1.

American Record Guide
November / December 2011 Issue

Delius: Songs 1
Mark Stone, bar; Stephen Barlow, p
Stone 80062 – 79 minutes

At long last, here is a project to record all of the composer’s songs for voice and piano. It is to encompass two volumes. Stone’s own record company has already released some impressive recitals of music by George Butterworth, Ronald Corp., and others. This will be the first time all of Delius’s 61 surviving songs have been recorded.

While many of these songs appear in collections with female performers, Stone has convincingly argued that the tests are basically gender neutral, perhaps leaning more towards the male voice. Benjamin Luxon included 12 songs on his excellent Chandon recital (J/F 1989), and other male singers have included a few as well. Not to be forgotten are the recitals of Felicity, Lott, Ruth Golden, and Yvonne Kenny. While hardly as comprehensive, they are well worth having.

Stone has decided to sing all of these songs in English, including sever in new translation (including his own). Delius, as a cosmopolitan, was well versed in German, French, and the Scandinavian languages, and there are some who will lament the use of translations. Others will applaud the decision to stick with English. Although full texts and translations are supplied, Stone is a master of skillful diction, and the clarity of the recording assures that everything is clearly understood. Moreover, his pleasant voice is ideally suited to the music, and his interpretive and expressive skills, matched beautifully by pianist Stephen Barlow, open one’s ears to this treasure trove.

Delius as songwriter combines his unique harmonic and melodic language to shape his structures. With a few exceptions the songs are relatively short and never overstay their welcome. Sometimes, as in ‘Spring, the Sweet Spring’ a song can seem embarrassingly twee, but this is partly owing to the Thomas Nashe lyrics. Most of the time the songs are quite lovely and express emotions in a heartbreaking and subtle way. Since Delius loved mountains it is not surprising that ‘Over the Mountains High’ and ‘Mountain Life’ benefit particularly well from his ever-shifting harmonies. The three songs based on poems by Shelley are very dramatic and full of love’s yearning, with emotions laid bare. The texts range all over the place with six of the 27 in this volume by the Norwegian Bjornstjerne Bjornson.

Stone has supplied his own fascinating notes and perceptive comments on each son. Both the Delius and the John Ireland Trusts are to be thanked for their sponsorship of this important recording project. Given the many hours of immense pleasure I have derived from this well filled disc, I am eager to hear Volume 2.

~ BECKER

New Lynd Ward Documentary in Production

2011-11-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to view the trailer for the forthcoming documentary from 217 Films "O Brother Man: The Life and Work of Lynd Ward."

This new film by Michael Maglaras tells the story of Lynd Ward, the acknowledged father of the American graphic novel and one of the most prolific graphic artists, book illustrators, and printmakers in the history of American art.

A brilliant storyteller and engraver in wood, Lynd Ward was also a man with a deep social conscience. His works are a chronicle of American life in the 20th century.

"O Brother Man" will feature more than 150 wood engravings, drawings, and illustrations by this important American artist and storyteller.

Premieres March 2012. Follow this link for the screening schedule.

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Frederick Delius Songbook CD: U.S. Release

2011-08-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Read press release online at this link.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

217 Records

Contact:
Tami Kennedy
207-838-0816
tami@maine.rr.com

Volume One of the Frederick Delius Songbook to be Released in the United States this September

ASHFORD, CONNECTICUT (August 22, 2011) – In honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great English composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934), The Complete Delius Songbook – Volume 1 will be released as a CD in the U.S. on September 13, 2011. This is the first volume in a two-volume series that will comprise the first-ever complete recording of all 61 surviving songs of Frederick Delius for voice and piano.

This recording features baritone Mark Stone accompanied by Stephen Barlow on piano. Michael Maglaras of 217 Records is Executive Producer. Produced and released first in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2011 on the Stone Records label, and produced in association with 217 Records, this eventual two-volume journey through the Delius songbook will be a delight to listeners everywhere.

“We at 217 Records cannot imagine a finer exponent of the English art song than baritone Mark Stone. That he possesses a superb instrument is clear to everyone who knows his work. But he is also a singer of rare intelligence and refinement, and this recording bears his unmistakable stamp,” said Michael Maglaras. “Stephen Barlow is the logical successor to Gerald Moore. He is a great English pianist who brings not only gracious support to this undertaking, but helps create, in every song, an immediate sense of both the drama and the deeper meaning of Delius’s work.”

Volume 1, which includes first-time recordings of five of these songs, features all of Delius’s songs to English and Norwegian texts, the latter being sung in English translation. Delius was fascinated and heavily influenced by Norwegian culture, as is evidenced by the large number of Norwegian poems he chose to set, including the ever popular songs Twilight Fancies and Young Venevil.

Volume 1’s booklet contains the full texts, together with the original Norwegian poetry and extensive notes for each song. This major classical music release is supported by the Delius Society and the Ireland Trust. Volume 2 is expected to be released in early 2012. 217 Records’ Michael Maglaras will also serve as Executive Producer of this release.

The Complete Delius Songbook - Volume 1 is available for purchase on the websites of Amazon http://ow.ly/65IG8 and Stone Records http://www.stonerecords.co.uk/.

What they’re saying:
“Stone’s engagingly natural style and immaculate diction are supported by Barlow’s sympathetic playing.” ~ The Sunday Times

“Stone proves an expert guide – not just by uncovering little-known manuscripts, but by investing Delius’s songs with verve and variety of mood.” ~ Financial Times

More about Mark Stone and Stephen Barlow: The UK’s Mark Stone is critically acclaimed for his performances on stage and in concert. His forthcoming engagements include debuts at La Scala, Oper Köln and Deutsche Oper, Berlin as well as return visits to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and The Opera Company of Philadelphia. In recital with Stephen Barlow, he has been described as "a baritone of extraordinary elegance and unforced expressiveness...versatile in his response to the varying stylistic demands” with Barlow “accompanying his voice with a genuine feeling for tone-colour and shape". View a video of Stone and Barlow rehearsing at this link.

More about 217 Records: Located in Ashford, Connecticut, 217 Records is an independent label specializing in alternative rock, jazz, and spoken word recordings. Founder Michael Maglaras was trained as an opera singer in the United States and Europe and has performed widely as a singer and opera director. Among other recordings of note, 217 Records’ discography includes a complete recording of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha, as well as two volumes of the Whittier Bicentennial Recording Project.

On the Web:
Stone Records -- www.stonerecords.co.uk
217 Records -- www.two17records.com
217 Films – www.two17films.com

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The Sunday Times Reviews new Frederick Delius Songbook CD

2011-08-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Mark Stone, Stephen Barlow (piano)
Stone Records
Just under half of Delius’s 61 seldom programmed songs are recorded, so we can expect another volume to complete his “songbook”. The likeable British baritone Mark Stone is the founder-owner of Stone Records, but this is more than a vanity project (he is also making a Wolf edition, in which he has not participated), because he specialises in the undervalued territory of English song. He even sings Delius’s settings of Norwegian or German texts in English translations — several by Peter Pears and one of his own. The highlights here are the Four Old English Lyrics, to words by Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, among others, in which Stone’s engagingly natural style and immaculate diction are supported by Barlow’s sympathetic playing. HC

Frederick Delius Remembered

2011-08-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

Andrew Clark reviews the new CD "The Complete Delius Songbook - Volume 1" in the Financial Times.

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of Delius’s birth, but don’t expect the music business to take any note: the Bradford-born composer, who spent most of his life in self-imposed exile from England, remains deeply unfashionable. Hats off, then, to baritone Mark Stone – best known as a suave Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) – for compiling a two-CD Delius songbook, the first volume of which contains a few surprises.... Continue reading the article at this link.

This CD was released in the UK in July and will be released in the US on September 13. It is available for purchase on the websites of Amazon and Stone Records.

Featuring baritone Mark Stone and Stephen Barlow on piano. Produced in association with 217 Records and supported by the Delius Society and the Ireland Trust.

John Marin Documentary to Screen at the Boca Raton Museum of Art

2011-08-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

Date: September 24 and September 25, 2011
Time: 2:00pm
Film Screening: "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"
Location: Boca Raton Museum of Art
Boca Raton, Florida
Director Michael Maglaras of 217 Films will introduce the film.
View a clip at this link.

More about the film:
"John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" tells the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the undisputed father of American Modernism. Utilizing more than 70 of Marin's paintings, drawings, and etchings, including works in the private collection of the Marin estate which have seldom been exhibited, filmmaker Michael Maglaras tells the story of Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey, and his early experiments in watercolor, to his days at Cape Split in Down East Maine, where, with his late oils, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art. Written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films. 2009.

John Marin on the Rise

2011-08-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

"Marin, you are a mighty fine fellow, but do you know your job as well as those old boys did, and will your stuff last as long?"
~ John Marin, 1936

Terry Teachout writes about why he thinks John Marin so often gets the "John who?" treatment, and notes "Mr. Marin's stock appears at long last to be on the rise."

Wall Street Journal
How a Great American Artist Vanished From the Critical Scope

Artsjournal.com -- About Last Night
Whatever happened to John Marin?

Discover more about American master John Marin in 217 Films' latest essay on film "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"

View clips from the film at this link.

Order the DVD on Film Baby or Amazon.

In addition to paintings and photographs, "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" features extensive footage of Marin at work that has been rarely seen. Written, directed, and narrated by Michael Maglaras.

Painting above: Courtesy of Colby College Museum of Art, gift of John Marin Jr. and Norma B. Marin: "From Seeing Cape Split" by John Marin, 1935, oil on canvas, 23 by 29.5 inches.

Georgia Museum of Art Features 217 Films' Marsden Hartley Documentary

2011-07-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

On July 28, 2011 at 7:00pm
"Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet" will screen at the
Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, Georgia. Director Michael Maglaras will introduce the film.

Film Series: Artists' Biographies
"Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet"
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Location: M. Smith Griffith Auditorium

Using more than 60 of Marsden Hartley’s paintings and drawings, as well as many photographs from collections around the world, director Michael Maglaras traces Hartley’s life and work from its earliest beginnings in Lewiston, Maine, through his travels in Europe and the United States and ends with his secluded life in a remote Maine fishing village. Special guest Maglaras will speak about the film. Introduced by Paul Manoguerra, chief curator and curator of American art (65 minutes, NR).

Delius Songbook - Volume 1: Now Available

2011-06-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Stone Records' The Complete Delius Songbook - Volume 1 will be released in the UK on July 18 and is available now on the Stone Records website at this link.

This is the first CD in a two-disc series that will comprise the first ever complete recording of the songs of Frederick Delius (1862-1934) for voice and piano.

Featuring baritone Mark Stone and Stephen Barlow on piano. Produced in association with 217 Records and supported by the Delius Society and the Ireland Trust, the series is being released in time for the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

This first volume, which includes five première recordings, features all Delius’ songs to English and Norwegian texts, the latter being sung in English translation. Delius was fascinated and heavily influenced by Norwegian culture, as is evidenced by the large number of Norwegian poems he chose to set, including the ever popular songs Twilight Fancies and Young Venevil. His English songs are equally as beautiful, although in a very different style; for each country, Delius seemed to adopt a distinct musical language.

The disc’s booklet contains the full texts, together with the original Norwegian poetry and extensive notes for each song. This disc is the result of a long period of research and preparation and is an important first for Delius enthusiasts and a must-hear for anyone interested in English song.

More about Stephen Barlow and Mark Stone: Stone is critically acclaimed for his performances on stage and in concert and his forthcoming engagements include debuts at La Scala, Oper Köln and Deutsche Oper, Berlin as well as return visits to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and The Opera Company of Philadelphia. In recital with Barlow, he has been described as "a baritone of extraordinary elegance and unforced expressiveness...versatile in his response to the varying stylistic demands” with Barlow “accompanying his voice with a genuine feeling for tone-colour and shape".

Available on CD and digital download.

Click here to hear an excerpt.

www.stonerecords.co.uk
www.markstone.info
www.two17records.com

July 7: John Marin Documentary by 217 Films to air on MPBN TV

2011-06-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Every week the MPBN Community Films series brings viewers independently produced films that showcase diverse people, places and topics of Maine. In July, 217 Films' "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" is one of the featured films on the television stations of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.

July 7
9:55pm
MPBN - TV
"John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!"
This film tells the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the undisputed father of American Modernism. Utilizing more than 70 of Marin’s paintings, drawings, and etchings, including those in private collections seldom seen anywhere, filmmaker Michael Maglaras tells the story of Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey, and his early experiments in watercolor, to his days at Cape Split in Down East Maine, where, with his late oils, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art. Written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films. 2009. Not rated. 95 minutes.

To purchase a video visit this link.

Delius Songbook - Volume 1: Coming in July

2011-06-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Stone Records presents:

To Daffodils
Music by Frederick Delius
Words by Robert Herrick
Mark Stone - Baritone
Stephen Barlow - Piano

From the CD The Complete Delius Songbook - Volume 1 which will be released this July by Stone Records. Michael Maglaras of 217 Records is executive producer.

This is the first CD in a two-disc series that will comprise the first complete recording of the songs of Frederick Delius. Read the Bloomberg article at this link.

Lynd Ward Documentary Shooting to Begin in June

2011-05-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Michael Maglaras, Director, in conversation with Robin Ward Savage about 217 Films’ new project "O Brother Man: The Art and Life of Lynd Ward”.

Shooting for this new film begins June 22.

Penn State Libraries to Digitize Lynd Ward Collection for Documentary by 217 Films

2011-02-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Penn State Libraries to Digitize Lynd Ward Collection for Documentary by 217 Films

Robin Ward Savage, Michael Maglaras, and Terri Templeton

UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA (February 21, 2011) – In celebration of the art and life of American printmaker and illustrator, Lynd Ward (1905-1985), 217 Films has given a gift to Penn State University Libraries to digitize selected Ward woodcuts and wood engravings.

217 Films will showcase many of these works in a new film titled “O Brother Man: The Art and Life of Lynd Ward.” The documentary, projected for release in December 2011, will feature an interview with the artist’s daughter Robin Ward Savage.

Ward, who illustrated more than 200 books, was among the foremost graphic book artists of 20th-century America, and his books, prints, and artwork are held by major museums and libraries worldwide. His “stories without words,” such as "Song Without Words: A Book of Engravings on Wood" (1930), are precursors to the modern graphic novel and are acknowledged masterpieces of that genre. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward produced six of these books, where the storyline was told entirely through wood engravings. Released recently in a two-volume edition by The Library of America, these books will be the focus of "O Brother Man," which will highlight Ward's art as well as his deep personal commitment to social justice and the plight of the working man surrounding the years of the Great Depression.

“We at 217 Films are delighted to contribute to Penn State's Libraries in support of the digitization of the works of Lynd Ward,” said director Michael Maglaras. “The best way to access works of art in our fast-moving times is to do so online, and with the digitization of even a part of Ward’s vast output, we will help to introduce him to a new audience.”

Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communication at Penn State observes, "While alerting a wider audience to this artist extraordinaire, the documentary will also point to Penn State Libraries' strong holdings in fine printing, printmaking techniques, children’s books, graphic novels, and original art work for illustrated books. Additionally 217 Films' gift will help us digitize Ward's work and expand research opportunities for scholars and students interested in learning more about the creative process, illustration, and the book arts."

More about 217 Films: 217 Films is an independent film company devoted to the American artistic experience. In 2005, Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton released their first film “Cleophas and His Own” about the American painter Marsden Hartley's epic narrative of love and loss. Maglaras both directed and played the role of Hartley in this film. In 2008, they released a second film about Hartley called “Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet”—the first-ever documentary on the life of Hartley. In 2010, with their film “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” they established, through the first full-length documentary on this important painter, that Marin was one of the fathers of American modernism. All three films, among other distinctions, have been shown to acclaim at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The "Sacramento Bee" called Michael Maglaras a filmmaker of “Bergman-like gravitas.” His films have been described as “virtuoso filmmaking” ("National Gallery of Art") “alive and fresh” ("Art New England") and “elegiac and insightful” ("Naples Daily News").

More about Penn State University Libraries:
Penn State's University Libraries, with more than 5.4 million volumes and a robust online presence, constitute a major resource for students, faculty, staff, as well as residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The largest research library in Pennsylvania, and with 23 location throughout the state, it is one of four resource libraries that provide service and collections to all other libraries and residents of the Commonwealth. The Lynd Ward Collection is housed at University Park in Rare Books and Manuscripts, The Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library. For more information, call 814-865-1793 or go to www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/speccolls/rbm.html

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217 Films: Documentary about Lynd Ward Announced

2011-02-10T04:39:00.000-08:00

Documentary about American Woodcut Artist and Illustrator Lynd Ward Announced

ASHFORD, CONNECTICUT (February 10, 2011) – Connecticut-based independent film makers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films announce that their new film project -- their fourth film since 2005 -- will be on the great American woodcut artist and illustrator Lynd Ward.

The film will be titled “O Brother Man: The Art and Life of Lynd Ward” and is scheduled for release in December 2011.

Lynd Ward (1905-1985) was a prolific and accomplished woodcut artist and illustrator of international stature. In addition to illustrating more than 200 books, he is also arguably the father of the American graphic novel. Between 1929 and 1937 he produced six “novels without words” in which the action and storyline are told through wood engravings of intense detail, beauty, and singular inspiration.

“We are delighted that Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton will tell our father’s story,” said Robin Ward Savage, daughter of Lynd Ward. “My sister Nanda and I will be cooperating fully and happily with them on this film.”

Focusing particular attention on the six “novels without words” which were recently released in a two-volume edition by The Library of America, O Brother Man will highlight not only the beauty and incomparable vision of Lynd Ward, but his deep personal commitment to social justice and the plight of the working man during and after the Great Depression years.

“Lynd Ward was an artist of great gifts and, as a man of conscience, was committed to the portrayal of the human condition. Lynd Ward’s story is the story of America in the 20th century,” said Michael Maglaras, the film’s director. “Not since Goya do we see images of such beauty, pathos, and understanding of our common humanity, as we do in the best of Lynd Ward’s work. As a storyteller, he is without peer.”

Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman (Maus: A Survivor’s Tale), who was greatly influenced by Ward’s work, has written, “Wordless novels are filled with language, it just resides in the reader’s head rather than on the page.”

More about 217 Films: 217 Films is an independent film company devoted to the American artistic experience. In 2005, Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton released their first film “Cleophas and His Own” about the American painter Marsden Hartley's epic narrative of love and loss. Maglaras both directed and played the role of Hartley in this film. In 2008, they released a second film about Hartley called “Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet” – the first-ever documentary on the life of Hartley. In 2010, with their film “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” they established, through the first full-length documentary on this important painter, that Marin was one of the fathers of American modernism. All three films, among other distinctions, have been shown to acclaim at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The Sacramento Bee called Michael Maglaras a film maker of “Bergman-like gravitas.” His films have been described as “virtuoso filmmaking” (National Gallery of Art) “alive and fresh” (Art New England) and “elegiac and insightful” (Naples Daily News).

www.two17films.com

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Image credits:

Self-portrait. Wood engraving. Copyright The Estate of Lynd Ward.

From Vertigo, 1937. Wood engraving.
Copyright The Estate of Lynd Ward.

Cover illustration for Frankenstein, 1986 edition. Courtesy of Sterling Publishing and Copyright The Estate of Lynd Ward.

Michael Maglaras In Performance: Snow-Bound

2011-01-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

In this video, Michael Maglaras reads an excerpt from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Snow-Bound." The Library of America calls Michael Maglaras's reading of this poem "The best recording of Snow-Bound...".

This video excerpt is taken from a full performance of this poem he made at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland, Maine on Sunday, December 12, 2010.

More about Michael Maglaras, executive producer Terri Templeton and their audio recordings and films can be found at www.two17records.com and www.two17films.com.

Maglaras recorded this poem in 2007 as part of 217 Records' Whittier Bicentennial Recording Project.

View additional videos at this link.

Homer's Prouts Neck Home

2011-01-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

Today, the 217 Films crew took a trip to Winslow Homer's Prouts Neck home in Scarborough, Maine to scout for a possible shooting location this fall.

The Portland Museum of Art acquired the Winslow Homer Studio in 2006. The Studio and the surrounding grounds are closed to the public while construction and restoration projects take place. The Museum will open the Studio in September 2012.

Read more about the studio on the Museum's website at this link.

See additional photos from today's location scout at this link.

Library of America: "Snow-Bound" The Poem for a Winter Storm

2010-12-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to read The Library of America's blog post about John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Snow-Bound." The poem for a winter storm!

The Library of America calls Michael Maglaras's reading of this poem "The best recording of Snow-Bound...".

Michael Maglaras recorded this poem in 2007 as part of 217 Records' Whittier Bicentennial Recording Project.

Listen to an excerpt at this link.

"Barbara Frietchie" read by Michael Maglaras

2010-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

In this video, Michael Maglaras reads John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Barbara Frietchie."

This performance was recorded before a live audience at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland, Maine on Sunday, December 12, 2010.

More about Michael Maglaras, executive producer Terri Templeton and their audio recordings and films can be found at www.two17records.com and www.two17films.com.

217 Records celebrates 150 years of Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride"

2010-12-20T04:24:00.000-08:00

Many people can still recite from memory these words from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s great poem Paul Revere’s Ride: “Listen my children and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.”

Listen to Michael Maglaras recite this masterpiece of American poetry; this still-resonating call to citizen action.

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere made his famous ride across the farming communities just outside Boston. His one command, “one if by land and two if by sea,” was met with two signal lights in the tower of the Old North Church. Paul Revere’s Ride celebrates the call to arms he sounded that began the American Revolution.

“Paul Revere’s Ride was more than a call to action, it was and remains a call to citizenship. I can’t think of a better time for us to remember the important events of April 1775 that changed the face of the world,” said Terri Templeton, executive producer of 217 Records.

On December 20, 1860, 150 years ago today, the Atlantic Monthly published Paul Revere’s Ride in its January 1861 edition. “Since then,” commented Templeton, “this wonderful poem has occasionally become trivialized in its old-fashioned reminder of the importance of each individual’s responsibility as a corporate member of our democracy.”

In honor of the Longfellow Bicentennial, in 2007 Maglaras also brought the story of Hiawatha - more than 6,500 lines - to life for a modern audience when 217 Records released a limited edition 5-CD recording of this epic poem, complete with a soundtrack of Native American drums, flutes, vocals, and a host of sound effects. Read the Associated Press story about this recording at this link.

“The Song of Hiawatha is a great story populated with fantastic characters - monsters, demons, witches, and animals that speak. Hiawatha himself was America’s first superhero,” said Templeton. “It is great literature, wonderful theater, and an absolute celebration of our American heritage.”

MORE ABOUT MICHAEL MAGLARAS: Michael Maglaras is an independent businessman, filmmaker, classically-trained musician, and founder of 217 Records in Ashford, Connecticut, a label devoted to celebrating the American artistic experience through recordings of American poetry as well as alternative rock and jazz.

In 2007, Maglaras performed The Song of Hiawatha live in its entirety - all 6 ½ hours of it - in a special marathon public reading in Portland, Maine. Since that time, he has performed excerpts from this epic poem at the Maine Festival of the Book, Maine Historical Society in Portland, Maine and The Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

View a video clip of Michael Maglaras reading The Song of Hiawatha at this link.

On the Web:

www.two17records.com

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Snow-Bound at the St. Lawrence

2010-12-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, December 12 Michael Maglaras of 217 Records performed John Greenleaf Whittier's "Snow-Bound" to a sold out audience at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland, Maine.

View photos from the performance at this link.

'Snow-Bound' comes to Portland arts center

2010-12-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

'Snow-Bound' comes to Portland arts center
December 5, 2010
From staff reports

PORTLAND - Actor, director and filmmaker Michael Maglaras will perform John Greenleaf Whittier's masterful poem "Snow-Bound" at 3 p.m. Dec. 12 at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St.

It will be an hour-long reading, with Charles Ives's "Concord Sonata" as a musical backdrop. Donna McNeil, director of the Maine Arts Commission, will introduce Maglaras. 217 Records is sponsoring this performance as a benefit for the St. Lawrence. All proceeds will go directly to the arts center.

Whittier wrote "Snow-Bound" in Amesbury, Mass., during the summer of 1865. The Civil War had just ended, and the nation was grieving the assassination of President Lincoln.

Published in February 1866, "Snow-Bound" was an immediate success, selling 20,000 copies in the first few months. From that point, Whittier became a national hero. Cities and streets were named in his honor. His birthday became a public holiday.

"Yet today," Maglaras said in a news release, "most people have not read his poetry."

Whittier was one of the most famous men in America. Held in high esteem by Emerson and Longfellow, this modest Quaker lived a life of great simplicity while carving out a position in American life as an important statesman, abolitionist, and one of the founders of the Republican Party. His poems were read and memorized throughout America and much of the English-speaking world.

" 'Snow-Bound' is one of the great poems of the English language," Maglaras said. "This intense poetic masterpiece still resonates with as much power as the day it was published."

"Snow-Bound" captures a sense of a special time and place. It recounts a New England blizzard from Whittier's childhood that isolated the young poet and his family in their Haverhill home for almost a week before a team of oxen could free them.

As the fury of the blizzard rages outside, the family and their guests huddle before the great fireplace, knowing they will soon be cut off from the outside world. Inspired in this intimate setting, they begin, one by one, to open their hearts.

Each person tells a story from his or her life -- revealing a depth of experience and spirit -- all seen through the eyes of Whittier as a 10-year-old boy, and remembered by him as a mature man, in this masterpiece of American literature.

An excerpt of Maglaras reading "Snow-Bound" is available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/maglaras. The full text of "Snow-Bound" is available as a free download on the 217 Records website, www.two17records.com.

PREVIEW

"SNOW-BOUND," performed by Michael Maglaras

WHEN: 3 p.m. Dec. 12

WHERE: St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St., Portland

TICKETS: $15; www.stlawrencearts.org

"Snow-Bound" -- An Appreciation

2010-12-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

"Snow-Bound" -- An Appreciation
by Michael Maglaras, 217 Records

John Greenleaf Whittier's "Snow-Bound" is his signal work of genius. Whittier wrote many poems of unassailable quality...but "Snow-Bound" is without equal among his poems. It is a work of towering imagination and incandescent beauty. "Snow-Bound" also captures, at once, Whittier's best qualities as a poet and as a man. It is clearly a nostalgic poem. It is, of course, also much more than that. For Whittier's command of lyricism is no better evidence than in this great masterpiece: a poem intended to tug at our hearts, while calling us vigorously to action.

In "Snow-Bound," Whittier speaks passionately about "the hell of prison torture." Since that particular kind of hell is still with us 144 years after "Snow-Bound" was written, his work can still resonate on many levels and in many ways. When he began the emotional and intellectual journey that culminated with the publication of "Snow-Bound" in February of 1866, he was still mourning the loss of his sister Elizabeth: the two of them had formed a special bond that was hardly understandable by the outside world. (We have dedicated Volume 2 of the Whittier Bicentennial Recording Project to Elizabeth Whittier's memory.)

I know of no other poet who can seduce the ear like Whittier, and a moment later slam his fist down in front of us, reminding us of how we must do better and why we must not settle for interminable indignities...particularly those perpetrated by men against their brothers.

"Snow-Bound" captures a time that we, in the 21st century, only have a hint of understanding. Imagine a two-day blizzard (in the days when we still had two-day blizzards). Imagine a family and their friends brought unexpectedly together, entombed by the snow in a Haverhill, Massachusetts farm house for almost a week, before plows, drawn by teams of oxen, reach them. Imagine a time when a group of persons, forced together by the "shrieking of the mindless wind" in a combination living-dining-and-kitchen area less than 26 feet in length, would have been able to sustain each other, happily, through a week of conversation, fellowship, and mutual understanding...without once having to go "online" to escape boredom. And now, lastly, imagine that experience impressed on the mind of a ten-year-old boy of exceptional talent, sensitiviity, and perception -- this young boy growing into a man able, in his late middle age, to invite us to "stretch the hands of memory forth," so lovingly in "Snow-Bound."

Whittier's hands of memory are more than the hands that reach back into the past; they are also the hands that subtly draw the curtain back and reveal simple lives (or, in the case of Harriet Livermore, a not-so-simple life), and show us how self-sufficient people of intelligence and dignity coped with a storm, the likes of which would most probably reduce us, in our own time, to at best, whining, and at worst, hysteria.

In "Snow-Bound," Whittier's use of language and image is without peer. It is Whittier at his finest...and Whittier at this finest is without equal in the American experience. On Whittier's 80th birthday he was presented with a birthday greeting signed by the President and Vice President of the United States, every member of the United States House, Senate, and Supreme Court. Schools closed in his honor. Streets and towns were being named for him while he was still alive.

Tonight, as we celebrate Whittier's 203rd birthday year, and as you hear "Snow-Bound" read aloud in its entirety (and to hear Whittier read aloud is to take the ultimate joy from his work) and not in some reduced, expurgated edition or performance, I hope you become inspired to take up the cause of Whittier again, so that the depth of his human understanding and the profoundness of his universal message can be passed to a new generation.

~ Michael Maglaras

Copyright (C) 2007-2010 217 Records. All rights reserved.

John McDonald interview Michael Maglaras

2010-12-01T05:42:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to listen to John McDonald's interview with Michael Maglaras about the December 12 benefit performance of John Greenleaf Whittier's "Snow-Bound."

100% of proceeds from this performance benefit the St. Lawrence Arts Center.

Cleophas at the Crocker

2010-11-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

Cleophas and His Own will screen at the Crocker Art Museum on Thursday, December 2 at 5:30pm as part of the Museum's new Thursdays 'til 9 series. Art lovers will recall that this film made its west coast premiere in 2006 at the Crest Theatre in conjunction with a gallery talk at the Crocker during its Marsden Hartley retrospective. Director Michael Maglaras will introduce the film.

"Hypnotic...this haunting film illuminates Hartley's life and work with a nearly Bergman-like gravitas." ~ Victoria Dalkey, Sacramento Bee

More information about the December 2 screening at this link.

Read more about Thursday 'til 9 at this link.

Read more about Cleophas and His Own at this link.

The Films of Michael Maglaras

2010-11-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

Buy local! Purchase the films of Michael Maglaras at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine.

Can't make it to the museum gift shop? You can purchase online from Amazon at the links below:

Cleophas and His Own

Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet

John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

Get and Give: Help 217 Records help the St. Lawrence Arts Center

2010-11-13T03:34:00.000-08:00

GET: Purchase a ticket for Michael Maglaras's December 12th performance of Snow-Bound, sponsored by 217 Records. FMI at this link.

GIVE: 100% of your ticket purchase benefits the St. Lawrence Arts Center.

WHY? Check out today's article in the Portland Press Herald to learn more about the $17 million dollars the Friends of the St. Lawrence are working to raise.

Rebuilding the Sanctuary on Munjoy Hill

November 13, 2010

By Tom Bell tbell@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

PORTLAND - Razed two years ago after a partial roof collapse exposed a fatal structural flaw, the stone sanctuary of the St. Lawrence Church may rise again at the top of Munjoy Hill.

The Friends of St. Lawrence Church have quietly begun to raise money to rebuild the sanctuary.

The campaign began last week, after the City Council approved a contract zone that essentially allows the group to build a replica of the iconic building on the site where the old building stood -- now an empty lot at the corner of Congress and Munjoy streets. CONTINUE READING

Behind the Scenes with Mark Stone: Delius Songbook Project

2010-11-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

Banker Mark Stone Turns Baritone, Sets Up His Own Record Label: Interview

By Warwick Thompson
Nov 2, 2010

It’s a sad fact that classical recording contracts are as rare as shy sopranos or well-read tenors. Baritone and former accountant Mark Stone, passionate about English songs, isn’t fazed. He founded his own label.

Set up in 2008, Stone Records already has four well-received releases to its credit, and a fifth on the way....Fortunately, Stone has found many people willing to help him. For a forthcoming complete recording of songs by the English composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934), Stone has a benefactor in the U.S. businessman Michael Maglaras.

“I put out an appeal for help in the Delius Society’s journal, and Michael replied,” he says. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Mark Stone and pianist Stephen Barlow at a recording session. For a forthcoming recording of the complete songs of Frederick Delius, Stone has found sponsorship from the American businessman Michael Maglaras. Photographer: Thomas Stone/Stone Records via Bloomberg

"Cleophas and His Own" returns to Sacramento

2010-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Movie Portraying Legendary Painter Marsden Hartley "Cleophas and His Own" Returns to Sacramento

What they're saying about "Cleophas and His Own":

"Hypnotic...this haunting film illuminates Hartley's life and work with a nearly Bergman-like gravitas." ~ Victoria Dalkey, Sacramento Bee READ THE REVIEW

"Maglaras is mesmerizing as Hartley. 'Cleophas and His Own' channels the artist's passion and suffering-and vision-with remarkable grace and drama, heightening our appreciation of the painter, writer, and man." ~ Carl Little, Art New England

"There's no film like it." ~ Prairie Miller, WBAI New York City

Director Michael Maglaras of 217 Films returns to Sacramento to screen "Cleophas and His Own" at the Crocker Art Museum. Art lovers will recall that this film made its west coast premiere in 2006 at the Crest Theatre in conjunction with a gallery talk at the Crocker during its Marsden Hartley retrospective

December 2 -- 5:30pm
"Cleophas and His Own"
Crocker Art Museum
216 O Street
Sacramento, California
More info HERE

Director Michael Maglaras, who also plays the role of Marsden Hartley, tells the magnificent story of “Cleophas and His Own” using Hartley’s text in its entirety, preserving the poem’s original thirteen-chapter structure. Twenty-four paintings and drawings by Hartley, as well as flashbacks to his Nova Scotia experience, illuminate the days leading up to and following the great Atlantic hurricane of September 19, 1936 when Hartley lost the young man who had become the great love of his life. This powerful and evocative movie had its world premiere in June 2005 in Hartley’s hometown of Lewiston, Maine, where hundreds of people turned out to see this portrayal of the world-renowned painter. (Not rated / 147 minutes)

"Snow-Bound" Performed by Michael Maglaras

2010-10-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Read press release at this link.

More about the St. Lawrence Arts Center's fundraising campaign at this link.

WHAT: “Snow-Bound” read by Michael Maglaras
WHEN: December 12 – 3:00pm
WHY: Special benefit for the St. Lawrence Arts Center

Remembered for his legendary 2007 complete performance of Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha,” actor, director, and film maker Michael Maglaras returns to the St. Lawrence to perform John Greenleaf Whittier’s masterful poem “Snow-Bound.” Charles Ives’ piano masterpiece “A Concord Sonata” is the musical back-drop for this hour-long reading.

Sponsored by 217 Records, 100% of ticket sales will benefit the St. Lawrence. A special reception will follow the performance.

“Snow-Bound” captures a sense of a special time and place. It recounts a New England blizzard, from Whittier’s childhood, that isolated the young poet and his family in their Haverhill home for nearly a week before a team of oxen could free them. As the fury of the blizzard rages outside, the family and their guests huddle before the great fireplace knowing they will soon be cut off from the outside world. Inspired in this intimate setting, they begin, one by one, to open their hearts. Each person tells a story from his or her life -- revealing a depth of experience and spirit -- all seen through the eyes of Whittier as a ten-year-old boy, and remembered by him as a mature man, in this masterpiece of American literature.

Tickets are $12 if purchased by November 22 and $15 after that date.

Purchase online at this link.
Purchase via phone: 207-347-3075

All proceeds from this benefit performance will go to the St. Lawrence.

Directions at this link.

This Friday: John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! screens at The Grand

2010-10-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

The historic Grand theater in Ellsworth, Maine is under scaffolding as its magnificent art-deco tower is fully restored.

217 Films is honored to screen John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! there this Friday. Filmmaker Michael Maglaras will introduce the film.

WHAT: Screening of 217 Films' new essay in film -- John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

WHEN: Friday, October 22 -- 7:00pm

WHERE: The Grand, 165 Main St., Ellsworth, Maine

COST: $7 Adults / $6 Seniors / $5 Members

FMI:
Box Office -- 207-667-9500
Administrative Offices -- 207-667-5911

Where John Marin Found His Voice

2010-08-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

Don't miss today's Maine Sunday Telegram article by Bob Keyes about how American modernist painter John Marin found his voice in Maine. Click HERE to read the story.

The Grand presents "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"

2010-08-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Read press release at this link.

WHAT: Screening of 217 Films' new essay in film -- John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! Filmmaker Michael Maglaras will introduce the film.

WHEN: Friday, October 22 -- 7:00pm

WHERE: The Grand, 165 Main St., Ellsworth, Maine

COST: $7 Adults / $6 Seniors / $5 Members

FMI:
Box Office -- 207-667-9500
Administrative Offices -- 207-667-5911

Announcing the Delius Songbook Project – Volume One

2010-07-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Filmmaker, actor, and record producer Michael Maglaras has announced that 217 Records will be participating in a major classical music release: Volume One of a planned two-volume set of all 61 surviving songs for solo voice and piano by the English composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934).

The notable English baritone Mark Stone, accompanied at the piano by the renowned composer and conductor Stephen Barlow, will begin recording Volume One at the end of August in England, with a probable CD release date in the first quarter of 2011. The recording will be released under the Stone Records label.

“Stephen and I are delighted Michael Maglaras has decided to sign on as Executive Producer of this historic recording,” said Stone. “Michael, as a trained concert singer, has a deep appreciation for the art song repertoire and for English music in particular, and we expect him to bring much to this collaboration.”

Frederick Delius is an important English composer who -- although he lived most of his life outside of England -- captures for many the best of the soul and spirit of the great English musical tradition.

“That no one has recorded the complete songbook of Frederick Delius has been, at least until now, one of the great omissions in classical music,” said Maglaras. “Mark Stone is one of the most important singers of our time, and will bring, as he has brought to his other important recordings, an elegant musicianship and deep intelligence to this project. I am delighted to be lending the resources and support of 217 Records to bring this first volume to its completion.”

Volume One will feature 28 songs, including “Seven Songs from the Norwegian” as well as three songs set to texts by the poet Shelley.

“Delius spoke several languages. He was among the most cosmopolitan and experienced of the important composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries,” commented Maglaras. “Mark and Stephen have chosen well for this first volume from the existing 61 songs. Lovers of art song and lovers of Delius will be enchanted by this recording.”

Scrupulously researched, and including historical commentary on each of the songs, Volume One will include the complete lyrics of each song as well as background notes to assist in the listener’s understanding.

Schoodic Arts Festival presents John Marin film

2010-07-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films will screen their new Maine-made film “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” at the Schoodic Arts Festival in Winter Harbor, Maine on Saturday, August 7 at 7:00pm.

Written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras, this film tells the story of John Marin -- one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th-century, and one of the undisputed fathers of American Modernism.

“From 1914 until his death in 1953, John Marin captured the visual and spiritual essence of the Maine coast in watercolors and oils that have no peer in American art,” said Maglaras. “At Cape Split, from 1934 until the end of this life, Marin took comfort and inspiration from the beauty and imagery of the coast of Down East Maine.”

This screening marks the third time Maglaras has presented his films in Winter Harbor. His first two films, “Cleophas and His Own” and “Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet,” focused on American Modernist Marsden Hartley, who also painted in the Down East area. Read more HERE.

DVD Released: John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

2010-07-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films announce that their new film “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” is now available on DVD. Written, narrated and directed by Michael Maglaras, this 95 minute essay in film tells the story of John Marin -- one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the undisputed fathers of American Modernism. Read MORE.

This DVD has a suggested retail price of $20.00 and is available through online retailer Amazon.com at this link.

This Saturday: John Marin film featured at National Gallery of Art

2010-07-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films will screen their new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! at the National Gallery of Art this Saturday, July 3 at 3:00pm.

Read the Fosters Daily Democrat article at this link.

View the film listing at this link.

View the full summer film schedule at this link.

WHERE: National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, 4th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

TICKETS: Admission is free

FMI: (202) 842-6799

Michael Maglaras Remarks on His Work

2010-06-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Watch a behind the scenes interview with filmmaker Michael Maglaras of 217 Films. He talks about what inspires him to create the films he makes, why he selects the topics he does, the creative process and thought behind his work, and his unique personal style of storytelling through "essays in film."

August 1: Visible Silence to air on Maine Public TV

2010-06-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

(Marsden Hartley photographed by George Platt Lynes. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Used by permission.)
217 Films' documentary Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet which illuminates the life and work of world-renowned painter Marsden Hartley, will air on the television stations of MPBN on Sunday, August 1 at 11:30pm.

This is the first documentary ever made about this American master. It was written, directed, and narrated by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films and filmed entirely in Maine. This documentary will be shown as part of MPBN’s Community Films series which showcases the people, regions and culture of Maine.

Hartley was born in Lewiston and the Bates College Museum of Art is home to the world’s largest collection of Hartley artifacts. Visible Silence includes many pieces from this extensive archive, including drawings and photographs.

Art New England - Meet John Marin

2010-06-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

"The work we see in John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint! does feel alive and fresh, and many viewers will discover Marin for the first time." ~Ethan Gilsdorf, Art New England (July 2010)

National Gallery of Art -- John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

2010-06-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films will screen their new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! at the National Gallery of Art on Saturday, July 3 at 3:00pm.

Written, narrated and directed by Michael Maglaras, this film tells the story of John Marin -- one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the undisputed fathers of American Modernism. Director Michael Maglaras will introduce the film

WHERE: National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, 4th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Directions at this link.

TICKETS: Admission is free

FMI: (202) 842-6799
film-department@nga.gov
www.nga.gov

Upcoming screenings include three stops in Maine where this documentary was filmed:
July 23: Stonington Opera House, Stonington, Maine
Aug. 7: Schoodic Arts Festival, Winter Harbor, Maine
Oct. 22: The Grand, Ellsworth, Maine

Michael Maglaras at Stonecoast

2010-06-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 10 Michael Maglaras will present a masters class for summer residency students at the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing program.

MASTERS CLASS:
3:00pm -- Stone House, Freeport, Maine
Poetry Aloud: Nuance and Meaning -- A Master Class with Michael Maglaras
Michael Maglaras – actor, writer, film maker, and performance artist – will conduct a class on reading poetry aloud. He’ll provide ideas about how best to communicate the meaning of a poem through the use of voice, gesture, and body language. The class will examine W.H. Auden’s poem Musee des Beaux Arts, and he will choose readers of this poem from among attendees to illustrate his points. This will be an interactive and thought-provoking session.

READING:
8:30pm -- Bowdoin College, Moulton Student Union
Michael Maglaras Reads the Poetry of Longfellow and Annie Finch
Michael Maglaras will read selected poems of Longfellow and Annie Finch. A performance by one of America’s most distinguished readers of American poetry. Not to be missed.

LISTEN:
Listen to Michael Maglaras read poetry by Annie Finch at this link.

Stonington Opera House to screen new film on John Marin

2010-06-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films will screen their new Maine-made documentary “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” at the Stonington Opera House on Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00pm.

“Marin’s summers in Stonington were a great inspiration to him,” noted Maglaras. “With the exception of 1929 and 1930, he spent every summer painting in Stonington and elsewhere in the area during the years 1919 through 1933...when he discovered Cape Split in South Addison. This is very significant, because it was on the Maine coast where he created his most profoundly beautiful work.”

Three watercolors of Stonington feature prominently in the film, including a panoramic view of the village titled “Stonington, 1923,” a 1924 downtown street scene, and a painting of a cottage Marin rented with his family.

Utilizing more than 70 of Marin’s paintings, drawings, and etchings, including works in the private collection of the Marin estate which have seldom been exhibited, Maglaras tells the story of Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey, and his early experiments in watercolor, to his summers in Stonington where he began to reexperiment with oils, and, at last, at his summer home and studio on Cape Split in Addison, where, with his late oils, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art.

“John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” follows Marin’s development as a man and as an artist, from his early years as a young architect struggling with his own artistic identity, to his first moments of self-discovery as an etcher and painter, to his final years as the painter and man (in his eighties) whose unending quest for the new never ceased, and who served as the creative example to painters as diverse as Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.

WHAT: Screening of new documentary “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” Director Michael Maglaras will introduce the film.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00pm

WHERE: Stonington Opera House, 1 School St., Stonington, Maine

TICKETS: $6 for adults

FMI: 207-367-2788
www.operahousearts.org

“John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” is currently on a national tour. Upcoming screenings include:

July 3: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Aug. 7: Schoodic Arts Festival, Winter Harbor, Maine
Oct. 22: The Grand, Ellsworth, Maine

Image credits for the above paintings:
“Stonington, 1923” by John Marin, watercolor and charcoal on paper, 21 3/4 in. x 26 1/4 in. Courtesy of Colby College Museum of Art, gift of John Marin Jr. and Norma B. Marin.

“Stonington, 1924” by John Marin, watercolor, charcoal and crayon on paper, 13 3/4 in. x 17 in. Courtesy of Colby College Museum of Art, gift of John Marin Jr. and Norma B. Marin in Honor of Hugh J. Gourley III.

New Britain Museum of American Art: Connecticut Premiere

2010-05-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

On May 27, 2010, Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films screened their new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! at the New Britain Museum of American Art. This red carpet gala marked the Connecticut premiere of this new film.

View photos from the event at this link.

Hartford Courant - Interview with Michael Maglaras

2010-05-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to read Hartford Courant film critic Susan Dunne's behind the scenes interview with Connecticut filmmaker Michael Maglaras about his new film John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint which screens at the New Britain Museum of American Art this Thursday, May 27.

A Film Salute To John Marin
Documentary by Michael Maglaras Of Ashford Will Be Screened At New Britain Museum Thursday

By SUSAN DUNNE, sdunne@courant.com
May 25, 2010

When we last checked in with Michael Maglaras, in March 2007, he was at the New Britain Museum of American Art, presenting his documentary about American modernist painter Marsden Hartley. That film, "Cleophas and His Own," was the culmination of a years-long obsession Maglaras had with Hartley, a fixation that resulted in a second documentary.

Today, the Ashford filmmaker — who has a production company, 217 Films, with his wife, Terri Templeton — has found a new artistic soul mate. On Thursday, also at NBMAA, Maglaras will present his new documentary about another modernist: " John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!"

Modernist painters are a labor of love for Maglaras, 60, who in his "day job" is a risk-management consultant. He sat down to discuss his affection for this style and this artist:

Q. Where does the title of your film come from?

A. This is actually a quotation from a letter that John Marin wrote to Alfred Stieglitz.

Q. You were focused on Marsden Hartley for many years. What is it about John Marin that finally lured away your attention?

A. I am particularly interested in American modernism and in the kind of work that was done in what I consider to be America's "golden age,"...CLICK HERE to continue reading.

May 27: New Britain Museum of American Art

2010-05-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Special Red Carpet Event
Connecticut Premiere

Thursday, May 27, 5:30pm
By reservation only

John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!
A new film by Michael Maglaras

Ashford, Connecticut-based filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films will debut their new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! at the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Guests will indulge in extravagent sweets and savories and then preview the Marin documentary, the first full-length documentary about the father of American Modernism.

5:30 -- Cocktails
6:15 -- Opening remarks
6:30 -- Film begins

Reservations required, limited seating, tickets are $20 per person, contact Heather Whitehouse at (860) 229-0257, ext. 203 or at whitehouseh@nbmaa.org .

John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! tells the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century and the undisputed father of American Modernism. Utilizing more than 70 of Marin’s paintings, drawings, and etchings, including, those in the private collection of the Marin estate seldom seen anywhere, filmmaker Michael Maglaras tells the story of Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey and his early experiments in watercolor, to his days at Cape Split in Down East Maine, where, with his late oils, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art. Written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films. 2009. Not rated. (95 min.)

NOTE: Encore screening Wednesday, June 9 at 1:00pm. FMI contact Heather Whitehouse at (860) 229-0257, ext. 203 or at whitehouseh@nbmaa.org .

Annie Finch on Michael Maglaras

2010-04-30T04:40:00.000-07:00

Don't miss Annie Finch's post on the Poetry Foundation's blog: Audacity of Voice: The Poet as Actor, Michael Maglaras’ Hiawatha Marathon, and How I Made my CD.

An excerpt follows below:

Michael Maglaras is an professional reader-aloud of poetry. He trained as an opera singer, and he loves poetry, and one of the things he does is to go around and give readings. I met him when I introduced his six-hour reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha at a theater in Portland last year. How long will all these folks last, I confess I wondered cynically when I first walked in and saw the house was full. Yes, I confess to a slight feeling of superiority, earned from the hundreds (maybe thousands?!) of hours of poetry readings I’ve sat through. Did these people (realtors and plumbers and all kinds of other people, judging from my random queries, but not a single poet that I could tell) know what they were in for?

But I was laughing out of the other side of my poetic mouth three hours later when the house was still full, with people knitting happily and kids sitting on the edge of their seats and everyone rapt with attention, riding the trochees onward with all their variations and subtleties as Michael intoned the prologues and boomed the battles and storms and whispered the love scenes and wiggled like a squirrel and channeled Hiawatha and Pau-Puk-Keewis and Kahgahgee and Minnehaha and Laughing Water and Wagemin and Nokomis and the scores of other characters Longfellow had researched so painstakingly.

When I had to leave, regretfully, a couple of hours after that, many people still remained in the audience—after five hours—to hear the final controversial scenes of the poem. I was humbled, and excited, by the singular power of the perennial, metrical spine of poetry, surging its energetic currents among us, bringing images alive within a community of people. And when Michael looked at my own work and decided he wanted to perform some of my poems, I was excited too. Now my version of a poem from Calendars can be compared to Maglaras’ version of the same poem. If anyone wants to continue the Actor vs. Poet experiment begun on the podcast, where listeners were asked to compare an actor and a poet reading the same (free-verse) poem, I’d be curious what you think; would the experiment come out differently with a metrical poem?

Full house for Michael Maglaras poetry reading at Longfellow's Wayside Inn

2010-04-19T04:14:00.000-07:00

View photos at this link.
On Sunday, April 18, Michael Maglaras, founder of 217 Records, performed a dramatic reading of excerpts from The Song of Hiawatha at the Longfellow Big Read at the Martha Mary Chapel at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. This hour-long reading was performed with a full score of pre-recorded sound effects and music by Native American musicians.

Michael also performed "Paul Revere’s Ride" as a special encore commemorating the significance of the 18th of April. 2010 marks the 150th anniversary of the publishing of this poem.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
In 2007, 217 Records released a limited edition 5-CD recording of The Song of Hiawatha to mark the Bicentennial of American master poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Accompanied by a soundtrack of Native American drums, flutes, vocals, and a host of sound effects, Michael Maglaras brings the story of Hiawatha (more than 6,500 lines) to life for a modern audience. Purchase the CD at this link.

This is not your grandmother's "Hiawatha"

2010-04-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Longfellow's best-loved poems to be read Sunday

By Chris Bergeron/DAILY NEWS STAFF
Apr 16, 2010

Though Henry Wadsworth Longfellow never spent a night at the Wayside Inn, the 19th century bard's verse will resound through the Martha-Mary Chapel Sunday afternoon in dramatic readings of two of his best-loved poems.

Former opera singer Michael Maglaras will recite four cantos, or books, from "The Song of Hiawatha" and "Paul Revere's Ride" in its entirety at 4 p.m. in the chapel of the Sudbury landmark as part of a series of events celebrating the legacy of one of the nation's most distinguished poets.

Read full article at this link.

Maglaras said Longfellow -- like his other 19th century favorites, poet John Greenleaf Whittier and author Mark Twain -- wrote verse and prose that reflected the optimism and confidence of their era.

"It was a confident time in our history when they were all alive. They were great poets and writers who never doubted their ability to set themselves a task and just do it," he said. "We can learn from that kind of wonderful exuberance."

Asked how a 21st century audience might respond to Longfellow's under-appreciated 19th century masterpiece, Maglaras replied without hesitation, "They'll walk out (of the chapel) feeling damn proud to be Americans."

April 18: Longfellow Big Read features Michael Maglaras

2010-03-23T06:54:00.001-07:00

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Sunday, April 18 -- 4:00pm
Michael Maglaras will perform a dramatic reading of excerpts from The Song of Hiawatha at the Longfellow Big Read at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. This hour-long reading will be performed with a full score of pre-recorded sound effects and music by Native American musicians.

Michael will also perform "Paul Revere's Ride" as an encore commemorating the significance of the 18th of April. This is the 150th anniversary of the publishing of this poem.

MORE INFORMATION at this link.

ADMISSION: $10 adults / $5 seniors and students (Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 978-443-1776)

READ the Associated Press Story

GO BEHIND THE SCENES with Michael Maglaras

HEAR Michael Maglaras talk about why he recorded The Song of Hiawatha

A LITTLE BACKGROUND: In 2007, 217 Records released a limited edition 5-CD recording of The Song of Hiawatha to mark the Bicentennial of American master poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Accompanied by a soundtrack of Native American drums, flutes, vocals, and a host of sound effects, Michael Maglaras brings the story of Hiawatha (more than 6,500 lines) to life for a modern audience.

April 10: Visible Silence to air on MPBN Televsion

2010-03-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

(Marsden Hartley photographed by George Platt Lynes. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Used by permission.)
217 Films' documentary Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet which illuminates the life and work of world-renowned painter Marsden Hartley, will air on the television stations of MPBN on Saturday, April 10 at 11:00am.

This is the first documentary ever made about this American master. It was written, directed, and narrated by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films and filmed entirely in Maine. This documentary will be shown as part of MPBN’s Community Films series which showcases the people, regions and culture of Maine.

Hartley was born in Lewiston and the Bates College Museum of Art is home to the world’s largest collection of Hartley artifacts. Visible Silence includes many pieces from this extensive archive, including drawings and photographs. Read more at this link.

National Gallery of Art -- John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

2010-03-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

New screening date added: 217 Films' "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" will screen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on July 3. Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton will introduce the film. More details coming soon.

Great Day in Gloucester

2010-03-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

217 Films' new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" made its Massachusetts premiere today at the Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton introduced the film and took questions following the screening.

This truly one of a kind cinema is run by Robert Newton. Read a recent Boston Globe article about the cinema at this link.

Check out photos from the screening at this link.

Gloucester Daily Times: Marin and modernism on film

2010-03-18T05:11:00.001-07:00

Marin and modernism on film
March 18, 2010
Gail McCarthy

A new film about the master of American modern art, John Marin (1870-1953), will have its Massachusetts premiere in Gloucester on Sunday at Cape Ann Community Cinema.

"What we know about modern art, abstractionism, and the direction that art has gone since the 1950s, we know because John Marin was the father of it all," said Michael Maglaras, an independent filmmaker who with Terri Templeton produced the new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint."

A 1948 poll by Look magazine, museum directors, curators and artists voted Marin the foremost painter in America, noted Maglaras. The artist has more than 4,000 recorded works, some of which sell for millions of dollars.

Maglaras came to Gloucester last year when he unveiled a film about American artist Marsden Hartley to a packed house. The Marin film debut here is at the start of the national tour. He has presented the new film to two sold-out houses in Portland, Maine.

This is the first full-length documentary about Marin, said Maglaras. "This film tells the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the undisputed father of American Modernism."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.

Massachusetts Premiere -- John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

2010-03-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Don't miss 217 Films' new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" at the Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton will introduce the film and take questions following the screening.

WHAT: "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"
2009. Not rated. 110 minutes.

WHEN: THIS Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 2:00pm

WHERE: Cape Ann Community Cinema
21 Main Street - 2nd Floor
Gloucester, MA 01930
978-309-8448
www.massbayfilmproject.org

TICKETS: $9 Adults / $7.50 Seniors / $6 Members

WHY: "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" tells the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the undisputed father of American Modernism. Utilizing more than 70 of Marin’s paintings, drawings, and etchings, including those in the private collection of Norma Marin seldom seen anywhere, filmmaker Michael Maglaras tells the story of Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey, and his early experiments in watercolor, to his days at Cape Split in Down East Maine, where, with his late oils, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art. Written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films. Terri Templeton is executive producer.

"The Song of Hiawatha" and the Artist as Hero

2010-03-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to read Michael Maglaras’s view on performing The Song of Hiawatha. A behind-the-scenes look at interpreting Longfellow’s masterpiece.

On April 18, 2010 Michael Maglaras will perform a dramatic reading of this poem for the Longfellow Big Read. More information at this link.

Michael Maglaras talks about recording "The Song of Hiawatha"

2010-03-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

In this short video clip, Michael Maglaras of 217 Records talks about recording Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.

In honor of the Longfellow Bicentennial, in 2007 217 Records released a limited edition 5-CD recording of this epic poem, read by Michael Maglaras and complete with a soundtrack of Native American drums, flutes, vocals, and a host of sound effects. Read the Associated Press story at this link.

Hear Michael Maglaras read Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride"

2010-03-07T04:47:00.001-08:00

On April 18, 2010 Michael Maglaras of 217 Records will perform Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Paul Revere’s Ride, commemorating the significance of the 18th of April and the 150th anniversary of the publishing of this poem. This reading will be performed at the Longfellow Big Read in Sudbury, Massachusetts as a special encore following Michael's dramatic reading of excerpts from The Song of Hiawatha. Follow this link for more information about his performance.

Listen to Michael Maglaras read Paul Revere's Ride here:

Great article about a great cinema

2010-03-04T06:27:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out this Boston Globe article about Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, Massachusetts where "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" will screen on March 21 at 2:00pm. More details about the screening at this link.

Close-up and personal
Cinema offers a congenial movie experience
By James Sullivan
Globe Correspondent / February 21, 2010

Before showtimes at the Cape Ann Community Cinema, proprietor Robert Newton cues up a digital slide show of his late grandfather’s collection of vintage Gloucester postcards.

“He was obsessed,’’ Newton says. The 40-year-old film fanatic, who opened his idiosyncratic theater last July, might say the same about himself.

As the one-man show behind an enterprise he calls the Mass Bay Film Project, he is the curator, floor manager, and, on most nights, the ticket taker at the North Shore’s newest, least conventional movie house. He even makes the popcorn.

The Gloucester cinema, his labor of love, is...CONTINUE READING

Longfellow Big Read Features Michael Maglaras

2010-02-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

Longfellow Big Read - Schedule of Events

2010-02-23T14:09:00.001-08:00

Click HERE for a printable schedule of the full calendar of events for the Longfellow Big Read.

We are particularly excited about the Sudbury Savoyard dinner theatre event (March 26), the screening of Thomas Edison’s 1914 film “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” (April 8), and Michael Maglaras’ dramatic reading of “The Song of Hiawatha” (April 18).

Michael Maglaras will also perform “Paul Revere’s Ride” as an encore commemorating the significance of the 18th of April.

You really shouldn’t miss these events!

Follow Longfellow and all the Big Read activities at:
Web: http://longfellow.wayside.org
Facebook: Longfellow Big Read
Twitter: @readlongfellow

Hiawatha: America's first superhero

2010-02-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

"Hiawatha himself was America's first superhero."
~ Michael Maglaras, 217 Records

Sunday, April 18 at 4:00pm don't miss Michael Maglaras's dramatic reading of excerpts from The Song of Hiawatha at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. He will perform three chapters from this epic poem:
~ Hiawatha’s Childhood
~ Hiawatha’s Fishing
~ Picture Writing

This hour-long reading will be performed with a full score of sound effects.

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Longfellow's birth, 217 Records released a special 5-CD boxed set of this epic poem.

Michael Maglaras, founder of 217 Records, recorded this masterpiece in its entirety in Longfellow's hometown of Portland, Maine. Accompanied by a soundtrack of more than 1,000 pieces of Native American music and sound effects, Maglaras brings the story of Hiawatha -- more than 6,500 lines -- to life for a modern audience.

Purchase the limited edition 5-CD boxed set at this link.

March 21: New John Marin film to make Massachusetts debut

2010-02-18T15:32:00.001-08:00

For directions and additional information, visit this link.

In December, 217 Films’ new documentary “John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!” made its world premiere in two sold out shows at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine. On March 21, independent filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton will bring this film to the Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Read full press release at this link.

Michael Maglaras reads poetry by Annie Finch

2010-02-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

In 2008, Michael Maglaras had the honor of reading poetry by Annie Finch before an audience at the Maine Festival of the Book in Portland, Maine. This reading inspired him to record five of her poems. These recordings are now available to listen to on Annie Finch's website by following the links below:

1. A Carol for Carolyn
2. In Cities, Be Alert
3. Coy Mistress
4. Elegy for My Father
5. Still Life

More about Annie Finch:
Annie Finch is the author or editor of fifteen books of poetry, translation, and criticism. Her book of poetry Calendars was shortlisted for the Foreword Poetry Book of the Year Award and in 2009 she was awarded the Robert Fitzgerald Award. She lives on the Maine coast near Portland where she directs the Stonecoast MFA program in creative writing at the University of Southern Maine.

More about Michael Maglaras: Michael Maglaras has already had more careers than most people have in a lifetime. Trained as an opera singer in the United States and Europe, he has performed widely as a singer and opera director. Maglaras is the founder of 217 Records and 217 Films; both of which are devoted to creating works that celebrate the American artistic experience.

American Artist -- January 2010

2010-02-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

217 Films' new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! is a "Quick Sketch" feature in the January 2010 issue of American Artist.

The Song of Hiawatha - Michael Maglaras

2010-01-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to order on Amazon.
This limited edition 5-CD recording of “The Song of Hiawatha” was released by 217 Records in 2007 to mark the Bicentennial of American master poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Accompanied by a soundtrack of Native American drums, flutes, vocals, and a host of sound effects, Michael Maglaras brings the story of Hiawatha (more than 6,500 lines) to life for a modern audience.

“Hiawatha” is a narrative poem rich with imagery and profound beauty. Weaving together old Native American legends from many North American tribal nations, it is the story of America’s first superhero. Longfellow began “Hiawatha” in June of 1854 and, writing at a feverish pace, completed it by March, 1855. Published in that year, it immediately became a national best-seller, selling 10,000 copies within a few months. “The Song of Hiawatha” and all it represents is truly a part of our national consciousness.

Michael Maglaras is an independent businessman, filmmaker, classically-trained musician, and founder of 217 Records in Ashford, Connecticut – a label devoted to celebrating the American artistic experience through recordings of American poetry as well as alternative rock and jazz. This is his fourth spoken word performance released on 217 Records.

217 Records : The Song of Hiawatha

2010-01-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

Sunday, April 18 at 4:00pm don't miss Michael Maglaras's dramatic reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha at Longfellow's Wayside Inn's in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

In 2007, Michael's 217 Records label released a special 5-CD boxed set of this epic poem. Click HERE to read the Associated Press article about this project.

Michael recorded this masterpiece in its entirety in Longfellow's hometown of Portland, Maine. Accompanied by a soundtrack of more than 1,000 pieces of Native American music, a host of sound effects, and using music by French composer Maurice Ravel, he brings the story of Hiawatha, more than 6,500 lines, to life.

To celebrate the Longfellow Bicentennial, Michael Maglaras also performed The Song of Hiawatha live in its entirety, in a special marathon public reading at the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center in Portland, Maine.

Screening: March 21 -- 2:00pm

2010-01-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

Save the date!

217 Films' new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! will be shown at the Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton will introduce the film and take questions following the screening.

WHAT: John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!
2009. Not rated. 110 minutes.

WHEN: Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 2:00pm

WHERE: Cape Ann Community Cinema
21 Main Street - 2nd Floor
Gloucester, MA 01930
978-309-8448
www.massbayfilmproject.org

TICKETS: $9 Adults / $7.50 Seniors / $6 Members

WHY: John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! tells the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the undisputed father of American Modernism. Utilizing more than 70 of Marin’s paintings, drawings, and etchings, including those in the private collection of Norma Marin seldom seen anywhere, filmmaker Michael Maglaras tells the story of Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey, and his early experiments in watercolor, to his days at Cape Split in Down East Maine, where, with his late oils, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art. Written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films.

Camera-eye View: World Premiere

2010-01-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

217 Films had a videographer on hand to document the World Premiere of the new documentary about the life and work of painter John Marin.

Follow this link to YouTube to view a camera-eye view of the event, which took place at the Portland Museum of Art, in Portland, Maine. View photos from the premiere at this link.

"John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" was writen, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras of 217 Films.

The next screening will be held Sunday, March 21 at 2:00 pm in Gloucester, Massachusetts at Cape Ann Community Cinema.

Follow 217 Films on Facebook

2009-12-28T04:39:00.001-08:00

Keep up to date on upcoming screenings of John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! by becoming a fan of 217 Films on Facebook. You can also follow 217 Films on Twitter.

World Premiere Event

2009-12-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

On Friday, December 11, 2009 217 Films' new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! was shown for the very first time to a sold out house at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine. The encore screening on December 12 was also sold out. Museum director Mark Bessire and Portland's Mayor Mavodones welcomed the audience to this first-ever viewing. Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton were also in attendance.

It was a great honor to hold the world premiere at this world-class museum. View photos from the event at this link.

This film will be on a national tour in 2010. Keep your eye on this blog for more information.

TONIGHT! World Premiere "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"

2009-12-11T04:25:00.001-08:00

For more information, visit this link.

TONIGHT: MPBN TV "Maine Watch"

2009-12-10T04:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight at 8:00pm be sure to tune in to the stations of MPBN Television to watch "Maine Watch" for Tom Porter's TV interview with Michael Maglaras. This interviews focuses on 217 Films' new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint" which makes its world premiere at the Portland Museum of Art this Friday and Saturday.

The Friday screening is sold out but tickets are still available for Saturday. FMI and tickets visit this link.

Listen to MPBN Radio Interview with Michael Maglaras

2009-12-09T05:12:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to listen to Tom Porter's interview with Michael Maglaras. This interview aired December 8, 2009 on MPBN Radio's "Maine Things Considered." Read the full transcript at this link.

This Thursday, December 10 at 8:00pm be sure to tune in to MPBN Television's "Maine Watch" for Tom Porter's TV interview with Michael Maglaras.

Both these interviews focus on 217 Films' new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint."

The world premiere of this new film will be held at the Portland Museum of Art this Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12 as part of its Movies at the Museum series. Michael Maglaras will introduce the film and answer questions at the end of each screening.

Special Announcement: Friday Sold Out

2009-12-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

Tickets are SOLD OUT for the Friday, December 11 world premiere of 217 Films' "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"

Tickets are STILL AVAILABLE for the Saturday, December 12 screening at this link.

Both these screenings are being held at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine.

TONIGHT: MPBN Radio

2009-12-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

Be sure to tune your radio dial to Maine Things Considered at 5:30 tonight to listen to Tom Porter's interview with Michael Maglaras about 217 Films' new documentary, "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"

You can also listen to MPBN Radio live on the web at this link.

This new film premieres at the Portland Museum of Art this Friday and Saturday. More at this link.

New documentary explores life and art of master Marin

2009-12-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

From staff reports December 6, 2009

The documentary “John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!” premieres Friday.

Tickets are available for the Friday premiere of 217 Films' new documentary about American master John Marin at the Portland Museum of Art. Tickets for "John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!" cost $7 and can be purchased at the museum's Web site, www.portlandmuseum.org.

The museum anticipates the Friday screening will sell out, and recommends people buy their tickets in advance.

The movie begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, followed by an encore screening at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" tells the story of one of the most important American artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, considered by many to be the father of American Modernism. Follow this link to read the full article.

John Marin Film: World Premiere This Friday & Saturday

2009-12-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

FMI and to reserve tickets online at this link.

Two weeks from today: World premiere of 217 Films' new John Marin film

2009-11-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

Just two weeks from today, the world premiere of 217 Films' new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" will be held at the Portland Museum of Art. Advance tickets for the Friday, December 11th world premiere and the Saturday, December 12th encore screening are available to purchase on the Portland Museum of Art's website.

View video clips at this link.

Advance Tickets: John Marin Let the Paint be Paint!

2009-11-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Advance tickets for John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint! are now available to purchase on the Portland Museum of Art's website. Read full press release at this link.

WHAT: World premiere of 217 Films' new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!

WHERE: Portland Museum of Art, Seven Congress Square, Portland, Maine

WHEN:
Friday, December 11 -- 6:30pm (world premiere)
Saturday, December 12 -- 2:00pm (encore screening)

TICKETS: $7

FMI: 207-775-6148

Filmmaker Michael Maglaras of 217 Films will introduce the film at both screenings.

View clips from this new movie at this link.

Maine Art Scene

2009-11-05T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Maine Art Scene website is a great place to keep up to date on the latest art news and happenings in the state. Read about the debut of 217 Films' John Marin: "Let the Paint be Paint!" at this link.

Follow this link to become a fan of Maine Art Scene on facebook. You can also follow them on Twitter.

John Marin in Maine

2009-11-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

This clip was shot in Addison, Maine near John Marin's home on Cape Split. Watch below or follow this link to 217 Films' YouTube channel. Follow this link to view photos from the shoot.

This new documentary, John Marin: "Let the Paint be Paint!", will be shown for the first time on Friday, December 11 at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine as part of the Movies at the Museum series. Filmmaker Michael Maglaras will introduce the film and take questions following the screening.

John Marin in New York

2009-11-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

This clip from 217 Films new documentary John Marin: "Let the Paint be Paint!" focuses on Marin's paintings of New York. Watch below or follow this link to YouTube. John Marin: "Let the Paint be Paint!" will be shown for the first time on Friday, December 11 at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine. More information at this link.

217 Films on facebook and Twitter

2009-10-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

Keep up to date on the latest news from 217 Films as well as information about all our upcoming screenings by becoming a fan on facebook or following us on Twitter. Look for our new website coming soon!

Marin's Piano: Scene from "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!"

2009-10-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

This scene from 217 Films' new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" was shot on location at John Marin's summer home on Cape Split in Addison, Maine. View below or follow this link to YouTube. This documentary was written, narrated and directed by Michael Maglaras. Terri Templeton is executive producer. The world premiere of this new film will be held December 11, 2009 at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine as part of its Movies at the Museum series. A national tour is planned for 2010. Next stops for this film include the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Sneak Peek: John Marin Documentary

2009-10-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

Click below or follow this link to 217 Films' YouTube channel to view an excerpt from Michael Maglaras's new documentary "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" This scene was shot at the Colby College Museum of Art and includes rarely seen photographs from Marin's estate. The world premiere of this new film will be held at the Portland Museum of Art on December 11, 2009.

Opening Scene: John Marin Documentary

2009-10-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Click on the video clip below or follow this link to YouTube to view the opening cut from 217 Films' new documentary John Marin: "Let the Paint be Paint!"

Art Knowledge News: John Marin Documentary

2009-10-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to read about 217 Films' new documentary John Marin: "Let the Paint be Paint!"in Art Knowledge News.

Art Knowledge News is sponsored by the Art Appreciation Foundation. Part of the Foundation's mission is to inform and enlighten people about the world of art. With nearly 800,000 subscribers worldwide, Art Knowledge News does just that!

John Marin: “Let the Paint be Paint!” was written, narrated and directed by Michael Maglaras. Terri Templeton is executive producer.

October 11: Artdaily.org

2009-10-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Established in 1996, Artdaily.org is the first art newspaper on the net. Ignacio Villarreal is editor and publisher.

Today, 217 Films' world premiere of "John Marin: Let the Paint be Paint!" was selected as one of the features. Read more at this link.

New Documentary on Painter John Marin Premieres in December

2009-10-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

NOVEMBER 11 -- NOTE: Due to popular demand, advance tickets are now available on the Portland Museum of Art's website at this link.

John Marin, ca. 1908. Photographer unknown.
Used by permission of the Estate of John Marin.
Download pdf of this press release at this link.
ASHFORD, CONNECTICUT (Oct. 9, 2009) -- 217 Films and independent filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton announce the premiere of their new film about American master John Marin.

On Friday, December 11 at 6:30pm, John Marin: “Let the Paint be Paint!” will make its world premiere at the Portland Museum of Art, Seven Congress Square, in Portland, Maine. There will be an encore screening on Saturday, December 12 at 2:00pm. Tickets are $7 and will go on sale at the Museum beginning at 10:00am the day of the screening.

John Marin: “Let the Paint be Paint!” tells the story of one of the most important American artistic figures of the first half of the 20th century, and the undisputed father of American Modernism. Utilizing more than 70 of Marin’s paintings, drawings, and etchings, including those in the private collection of Norma Marin seldom seen anywhere, filmmaker Michael Maglaras reveals Marin's life, from his beginnings in New Jersey and his early experiments in watercolor, to his days at Cape Split in Down East Maine, where, with his late oils and watercolors, he established himself as one of the preeminent masters of American art.

This documentary highlights Marin’s development as a man and as an artist from his early years as he struggled with his own artistic identity as a young man studying architecture, to his first moments of self-discovery as an etcher and painter, and brings us, finally, at the end of his life and in his 80s, to the painter and man whose unending quest for the new never ceased, and who served as the creative ,example to painters as diverse as Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.

John Marin: “Let the Paint be Paint!” was written, narrated and directed by Michael Maglaras. Terri Templeton is executive producer. This film was shot on location at the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine and at Marin’s summer home on Cape Split in Addison, Maine, where he produced some of his most outstanding and memorable work. The Colby College Museum is the world’s single largest publicly displayed museum collection of Marin’s work and many of these pieces are featured prominently in the film.

A national tour is planned for 2010. Next stops for this film include the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

###

Oct 8: Art Speak and Film Screening "Cleophas and His Own"

2009-10-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Art Speak and Film Screening: Cleophas and His Own
When: Thu., Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m.
Cleophas and His Own has been adapted into a feature-length film directed by Michael Maglaras and produced by Terri Templeton of 217 Films. Maglaras will also give a lecture at 1pm (hours before the screening) in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia auditorium. Both events are free. CBC Radio Room South End CBC Radio Building, 1599 South Park

Cleophas and His Own: A Little Background...

2009-10-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

It has been four years since Cleophas and His Own first premiered in Marsden Hartley's hometown of Lewiston, Maine on June 22, 2005. Since that time, this film has toured the United States to critical acclaim. It is with great pleasure that we bring this film to Halifax, Nova Scotia on Thursday, October 8. Read about this special screening at this link. Can't make it to the screeing? Purchase the DVD HERE.

Early in the fall of 1935 Marsden Hartley met the Francis and Martha Mason family. He had traveled to Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, in search of a friend, whom he could not locate. After a short time there, he moved to nearby Blue Rocks, where he met the Masons. In early November he moved to their home on East Point Island, across an inlet from Blue Rocks. Read more about the story at this link.

"...a must see...there's an intimacy that Maglaras manages to achieve in his portrayal of Hartley that draws the audience into the film's story...this a notable achievement." (Joel Johnson, Wolf Moon Press Journal)

"Virtuoso filmmaking in a rare and beautiful hybrid...'Cleophas and His Own' holds the viewer spellbound from start to finish." (Peggy Parsons, Director of Film, National Gallery of Art)

"There's no film like it." (Prairie Miller, WBAI New York City)

"Cleophas and His Own is a superb piece of devotional art...be prepared to savor the experience." (Edgar Allen Beem, The Forecaster) READ THE FULL REVIEW

"Hypnotic...this haunting film illuminates Hartley's life and work with a nearly Bergman-like gravitas." (Victoria Dalkey, Sacramento Bee) READ THE FULL REVIEW

"Maglaras is mesmerizing as Hartley. 'Cleophas and His Own' channels the artist's passion and suffering-and vision-with remarkable grace and drama, heightening our appreciation of the painter, writer, and man." (Carl Little, Art New England)

"a penetrating performance of understated intensity...a passionately rendered ode..." (Jason Gargano, CityBeat) READ THE FULL REVIEW

Oct 8 - Halifax Screening: Cleophas and His Own

2009-09-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, October 8, 217 Films first film Cleophas and His Own will screen in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the CBC Radio Room. It has been a goal to show this in Nova Scotia and we are very fortunate to work with Will Roberts of the Cultural Product Project to make this goal a reality.

1:00 p.m.
Free lecture by Michael Maglaras about the making of this film.
Location: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia auditorium, 1723 Hollis Street, Halifax. FREE.

6:30 p.m.
Screening of Cleophas and His Own
Location: CBC Radio Room 1599 South Park St., Halifax with a reception to follow. View map at this link. FREE admission.

In 1935-36 the iconic American painter Marsden Hartley lived at Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia. His time there living with a local family was idyllic until tragedy took the lives of those close to him. The experience changed Hartley and ultimately changed the course of American painting through an amazing outpouring of brilliant and new work. This film by Michael Maglaras is based on Hartley's own writing, the narrative he wrote following the tragedy. Mr. Maglaras will introduce the film and take questions following the screening.

Log on to facebook to follow this link and find out more about this event.

FMI contact Will Roberts at 902-495-8220 or culturalproduct@gmail.com

The life and art of John Marin

2009-08-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

A new documentary about the legendary painter tells the story of a remarkable artist who also was just a regular guy.

By BOB KEYES, Staff Writer

August 30, 2009

ADDISON — It's easy to understand why the painter John Marin was so smitten with the Down East coast.

After spending many years renting homes and staying at boarding houses from Portland to Stonington, Marin finally settled on a lonely section of the coast, far beyond the bustle of the city or the quiet of Deer Isle.

Marin, who came to Maine nearly every summer from his New Jersey home with wife and child in tow, rented a home in the Cape Split section of Addison in the summer of 1933 and returned the following year. But this time, he stayed at a cottage overlooking Pleasant Bay that he had purchased.

It would become his professional and personal touchstone, and a source of joy, until he died in 1953 at age 82.

Just outside his windows, the sea washed in around the glacial remains. Beyond the rocks, a series of islands lay before him, providing a stunning visual backdrop.

Cape Split offered everything Marin wanted. It was remote and inspirational. It afforded endless opportunities to paint, and also to hunt, fish and get on the water in his boat. Nearby, the Tunk Mountains provided the painter with paths to hike and other scenes to consider.

The cottage – expanded and modernized over the years – is still standing, and on a recent afternoon, filmmaker Michael Maglaras planted himself in an armchair on the porch where Marin painted and sketched.

"Everything I have read about him, everyone I have spoken to who knew Marin, every letter of his that I have read, leave me with two lasting impressions: He was enormously sensitive and intelligent, but he also was a regular guy," Maglaras said.

Read full article at this link.

Check out behind the scenes photos.

It's a Wrap

2009-08-27T09:37:00.001-07:00

On August 25th and 26th, Michael Maglaras, Terri Templeton and the 217 Films crew were on location on Cape Split in Addison, Maine doing the final shoot for the new documentary John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!

View photos at this link.

This documentary will premiere in December 2009 and has been shot by an all Maine crew, including:

Phil Cormier, Director of Photography
Ramsey Tripp, Production Manager
Jayson Lobozzo, Gaffer
Tom Eichler, Sound
James Sturiano, Grip
Mike Panenka, Grip
Lucretia Connolly, Stylist
Jay Piscopo, Storyboards

Terri Templeton is executive producer and this film is written, narrated, and directed by Michael Maglaras. For more about 217 Films other work, visit two17films.com

Final Shoot for John Marin Documentary

2009-08-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Next week, the final shooting will take place for 217 Films’ new documentary about one of the most important painters of the American experience, John Marin.

This shoot will take place in and around Marin's summer home on Cape Split in Addison, Maine, where he produced some of his most outstanding and memorable work.

“John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!” is written, narrated and directed by Michael Maglaras. Terri Templeton is executive producer and Phil Cormier is director of photography.

Scheduled for release in December 2009, this documentary will employ more than 50 paintings, drawings, and etchings by this American master, and will highlight Marin’s development from his early years as he struggled with his own artistic identity as an architect, to his first moments of self-discovery as an etcher and painter in Paris, to his triumphant return to the United States and his position as “America’s Painter.”

Cleophas and His Own to Screen in Halifax, Nova Scotia

2009-07-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

On October 8th, 217 Films' first film, Cleophas and His Own, will screen in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the CBC Radio Room. It has been a goal to show this in Nova Scotia and we are very fortunate (and excited!) to work with Will Roberts of the Cultural Product Project to make this goal a reality. More details will be posted soon.

In the meantime, follow this link to read the story behind the making of this film.

Synopsis: In September of 1943, the typescript of a private, unpublished narrative was discovered in Corea, Maine, among the belongings of the American modernist painter and poet Marsden Hartley…just a few days after his death. This powerful and poignant elegy called Cleophas and His Own and written by Hartley to assuage his grief at the loss of a young man he loved, is now a feature-length film directed by Michael Maglaras and produced by Terri Templeton of 217 Films. The film presents Hartley (played by Maglaras) seated in his makeshift studio in Corea in 1943 where, tired and ill, he recounts a tragic story to an unseen visitor of the sad fate that befell the Francis Mason family: a family of farmers and fishermen with whom he lived on a remote island in Nova Scotia seven years before. Using Hartley's text in its entirety and preserving the poem's thirteen-chapter structure, the film uses flashbacks and employs 24 of Hartley's paintings and drawings to tell of the events leading up to and following the Atlantic hurricane of September 19, 1936, when Hartley lost the young man who had become the love of his life. Following the death of this young man, the last seven years of Hartley’s life were devoted to reliving these experiences through poetry and painting, leaving behind a body of work, second to none in the American experience, devoted to this young man’s memory and his love the Mason family. 2005. Not rated. 147 minutes.

217 Films: Screening News

2009-07-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton were invited to show Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, July 10, 2009.

This is the second time 217 Films has held the D.C. area premiere of one of its films at the National Gallery. The first was Cleophas and His Own in 2006.

"We are always delighted to show at the National Gallery of Art and are particularly indebted to Peggy Parsons for her invitation," said Maglaras. "Washington is a great venue to screen films and the National Gallery showings attract the highest quality audience. I am always impressed by the quality and quantity of questions asked after a screening there."

The Washington, D.C. area premiere of 217 Films latest work, John Marin: Let the Paint Be Paint!, will be held at the National Gallery of Art in early 2010, after its Maine premiere this December. Shooting for this film concludes in August.

217 Films first film, Cleophas and His Own, is scheduled to screen in Halifax, Nova Scotia this fall. In this film, painter Marsden Hartley (played by Michael Maglaras) recounts to an unseen visitor a sad story of the fate that befell the Mason family, with whom he spent two summers on a remote Nova Scotia island in 1935 and 1936. Those two summers forever transformed Hartley’s work as an artist, and so transformed the history of American art.

July 11: "Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet" at the National Gallery of Art

2009-06-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet, a new documentary by 217 Films which illuminates the life and work of American master Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), will be shown at the National Gallery of Art. This documentary will screen in the East Building Auditorium at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. The National Gallery of Art is located on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C.

Click HERE to read full press release.

Click HERE for National Gallery of Art listing.

What: Screening of Visible Silence: Marsden Hartley, Painter and Poet. Discussion with director Michael Maglaras will follow the screening.

When: Saturday, July 11 at 1:00 p.m.

Where: National Gallery of Art – East Building Auditorium

Admission: Free and open to the public

Contact: 202-737-4215

Photo of Hartley: George Platt Lynes, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Used by permission.