On the Artwall through end of May
Eye catching and colorful patterns depicting flower-like images by artist Ebyn Moss. For more information and images check out The Canvas Journal on Facebook.
Prints also available for purchase.
Category Archives: Tearoom Events
First Friday, June 7: World Flutes with Kevin Reams
First Friday Artwalk – Friday, June 7
7PM
Kevin Reams is a multi talented and award winning musician from Maine who performs his own style of meditative, ambient and relaxing music on finger style guitar, frame drum and various types of world flutes, including the Native American style flute, Irish whistles, shakuhachi, and recorder. Kevin’s music draws from and is inspired by traditional world music of various cultures and countries around the globe, from the tribal beats of Native American and African cultures, the lilting dances and haunting aires of Ireland and other Celtic countries, the sinuous melodies of the Middle East, the deceptively simple roots of medieval and Renaissance music, to the poignant zen music of Japan.
Learn more at www.KevinReams.yolasite.com.
2018 Taiwan Tea Journey
May 11-24, 2018
We will once again be traveling for tea, this time to Taiwan to connect with the farmers and producers of our most favorite oolong teas!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Embarking on another tea journey, the owners of Dobrá Tea, a teahouse located at 89 Exchange St., Portland, will head to Taiwan for oolong plucking, production and sourcing of these cherished teas.
Walking from India to Nepal, 2017
For most of May owners Ellen Kanner and Ray Marcotte will travel with 10-12 other “Devoteas” from the US and Eastern Europe to connect with producers while tasting and selecting teas to sell in their tearooms. Along winding roads and various forms of transportation, the group travels to tea farms, experiencing up to 6 tastings per day, and where the agenda is to compare the quality, flavor, and characteristics of these special teas. Previous trips have been taken to India and Nepal (2017), Korea and Japan (2015), The Azores (2016), and China (2012). Organized by business partner and founder Ales Jurina of Dobrá čajovna, Prague, CZ, the tea trip is both an educational endeavour and chance to connect with the farmers and producers while gaining insight into the culture of Taiwan and its tea heritage.
You can follow their journey off their website, www.dobrateame.com.
The tearoom will remain open normal hours, opening at 10 everyday, and cared for by the dedicated staff of Devoteas. It serves over 100 teas and tea drinks, desserts and light fare — all vegetarian, some gluten free, and many vegan options. www.dobrateame.com.
Contact: Ellen Kanner 207-956-0355 or teamaster@dobrateame.com
Tea Tasting at the Brick Store Museum
Join us for an afternoon tea tasting at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk!
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Tea Trip 2017 – India and Nepal
Mar – Apr 2017
Our recent trip for tea took us to India and Nepal, from the far eastern region of Assam tea territory near the border of Myanmar to the Taj Mahal, to the foothills of the Himalayas and the gardens of Darjeeling.
Read more in our travel journals.
On the Artwall: Molly Tucker – Re-Crystalization of Bygone Landscapes
Born in New York, Molly Tucker is an ecological artist and amateur geologist currently residing in Portland, Maine. She is set to receive her BFA in photography from Maine College of Art in 2019. Growing up at the “foothills” of the Adirondack Park has influenced a large portion of Tucker’s life. In particular, the bare bedrock of “The Brothers” on Big Slide mountain is where Tucker’s admiration for physical geology is rooted. “The Brothers” provided her ground to photograph, speculate and uncover the complexities of minerals that lay dormant beneath her. The expansion of Tucker’s geological collection has allowed her to examine over 100 individual specimen and unearth an infatuation to study our interdependent relationship with rocks. Combining her deep passion for geology and environmental issues, such as climate change and pollution, Tucker explores the tactility of cameraless photograms created in the landscape under direct sunlight on silver gelatin paper. As the photographic medium utilizes minerals and ores from the Earth, she embraces this cyclic nature of mining for silvers in the paper and changing their chemical composition once submerged into different toning baths. This process of mining for silvers has resonated deeply with Tucker as a conversation between her photography work and field investigations of geological & chemical changes to the environment. Primarily operating through alternative processes and cameraless photography, Tucker’s practice also includes lens based photography and post-photographic digital treatment of images.
On the Artwall: Steven Brooks’ Fish: Reclaimed, Salvaged and Found
On the artwall through September
Bio
I grew up in Casco, Maine and received my BFA from Maine College of Art after transferring from Ringling College of Art in Sarasota FL. Making fish has been enjoyable as they are accessible and have endless possibilities. Fish are such a diverse and ever-changing species. There is a seemingly endless variety of shapes, colors and sizes in the world under the waves and fish are a digestible entry point for me. In between the scales and fin, I leave room to tell my own tail.
Materials –various reclaimed wood, salvaged and found material, Acrylic and Spray Paints
I’ve always enjoyed using found materials in my art -it allows me a freeness. My fish are made from salvaged materials in, on and by the road all over Maine.
My father was the one who taught me that you can turn debris into design. When I was younger, I remember stopping to pick up bungie cords, wood and other discarded items. I carry his eye with me when I make fish. I’ve use guitars, cooler lids, 80’s toys, driftwood and just about anything I can.
Steven Brooks Art
and on Instagram @stevenbrooksart
On the Artwall: Faces and Finds in the Tea Lands
The Chai Wallah, Darjeeling, India
On the Artwall through mid March
We visited him early each morning and the occasional afternoon for street chai and Kitchari, the Indian dish of mung dal, potatoes and many spices.
Through our tea journeys, we’ve found great beauty in the tea lands, cultures, and people of these countries: The Chai Wallah you share breakfast with, the tea pluckers who have just negotiated their work day with the estate manager, the family of 3 on the back of a motorbike aiming to get to work and going faster than our car going 60 MPH. Life is lived with fewer safety precautions and people take greater risks to sustain themselves. Their striving to do so often catches us by surprise. These photos are a collage of experiences, the faces and places that make traveling for tea such a unique and rewarding experience.
– Ellen Kanner and Ray Marcotte, Dobra Tea owners
Thursday, Nov 8: Middle Eastern Ensemble
Thursday, Nov 8
This Thursday, November 8, 7PM
A popular favorite ensemble at Dobra!
Come listen, tap your toe and have some tea!
On the Artwall: Nancy Kanner – Caribbean Inspiration
Caribbean Inspiration – For the love of color!
by Nancy Kanner
On the Artwall through September
I am inspired by the multitude of colors from the Caribbean – the beautiful turquoise seas, the green of the lush tropical forests, the warmth of the bright sun and the uplifting spirit of the colorful houses. In my acrylic and encaustic paintings I aim to capture these colors while illustrating various vignettes found on my travels to the islands. The elephant inspired encaustic works are drawn from the love of color. I hope as you view my work you feel the tranquility of the Caribbean, the warmth of the sun and the cheerfulness of the bright colors.
10 Off Tuesdays
10% off all loose-leaf teas – every Tuesday!
No bags, only free floating tea leaves!
Need we say more?
First Friday Free Tea Tasting + Art!
Join us for a free tea tasting on First Fridays 5-7PM!
We’ll have select teas available and will share our knowledge about origin, processing, and history.
- Learn how terroir, processing, and other factors effect the flavor of whole leaf teas.
- Ask questions.
- Discover what makes one class of tea different from another.