Project 1A – Jazzmyne Haines

Bangor Arts Exchange, Downtown Bangor, ME

The singer/acoustic guitarist, electric guitarist, and drummer of Milk St performing on a small stage with purple backlighting. There's a few people standing near the front of the stage.

Milk St. performing on stage

John Warmb, lead singer of RENT STRIKE, belting his heart out and shredding an electric banjo

Spring 2023, my first year taking college in-person, me and a group of good friends went to see Bangor’s own indie band Milk St and Michigan folk-punk group RENT STRIKE, at a small concert venue in the Bangor Arts Exchange. The music was fantastic, the crowd’s energy was infectious, and the pit was insane. The whole experience reenforced my love for live music, and all of us went back to our residence hall with huge smiles on our faces. We were lucky to see those bands when we did; the venue closed permanently only a year later.

Lord Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME

A head-on photo of the Lord Hall gallery's main isle, walls lined with all kinds of paintings and woodblock prints, and a couple of small sculptures on stands in the distance. The place is lit up with studio lights and sunlight from a window in the back.

A view of the gallery’s main aisle from outside the entrance

A picture of me, a pudgy 5' 3" redheaded woman in a blue sweatshirt and jeans, confidently pointing backwards at my painting on a wall in the gallery. The painting is a copy of Alice Neel's portrait of social critic, teacher, and author Harold Cruse, which I painted as part of a project.

A picture my dad took of me next to my painting during the 2024 Student Exhibition

When I stepped into Lord Hall’s art gallery for the first time, with all those beautiful paintings and prints lining the walls and the sculptures perched proudly on stands, I knew I wanted to have my own art in there. I jumped at the opportunity in 2024, and submitted a painting from one of my classes – a remake of Alice Neel’s portrait of activist-teacher-author Harold Cruse, done in acrylic paint. The painting made it in, and I was psyched to see it on the wall, and just as excited to see what everyone else had made as well. My dad’s and stepmom’s smiles when they came to see the exhibition meant everything to me.

Various Locations, Boston, MA

A mural of a smiling Janis Joplin, complete with big 1960s shades and plenty of beaded bracelets, on a red wall by a stairwell.

A mural of Janis Joplin by the stairwell at the House of Blues

More than a dozen rockhopper penguins (the ones with the big yellow eyebrow-looking crests on their heads) standing on a rocky habitat. Some have their stubby little wings outstretched in what I can only assume is a proud pose for all the cameras taking photos of them.

A flock of various rockhopper penguins showing off at the New England Aquarium

A picture of Boston at sunset, a backdrop of golden-peach clouds contrasting with the severe silhouettes of office high-rises. A couple of streets can be seen below, chaotic as ever, with many cars scrambling to get where they're going in one piece.

A very blurry shot of some high-rises during sunset, from the car window

My dad and stepmom took me and my siblings to Boston in late October, 2022 so we could see an AWOLNATION concert. It was our first taste of the big city, and we loved it. The concert at the House of Blues was fun and gave us a sneak peek at upcoming music from the artist, and we also had a blast at the New England Aquarium, looking at all the different marine animals. We also got to eat some delicious stir fry at the Quincy Market, watch an acrobatics performance, and stop at It’sugar for something sweet (their mango mochi is the best). There was not a single moment when we were bored. I want to make it a point to visit Boston again, because it was such a blast.

Picture of jazzmynehaines

jazzmynehaines

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