Do you know that the Y has an award-winning signature arts program? It’s called Y-Arts, and it was founded in 1999 by Ginny Bishop. Y-Arts is now directed by her daughter, Emily Mirabile, who participated in the program as a child herself and therefore knows the ins and outs of running a successful program. Y-Arts provides youth and adults with arts opportunities and classes focusing on visual arts, theatrical arts, and music and dance-based education. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Y-Arts continued to meet online to connect participants, create art, and celebrate a sense of normalcy.

Mirabile’s Y-Arts team has had extraordinary success on a national level. In fact, under Emily’s direction, the Y-Arts troupe has brought home an award every single year since 2009 from the national Junior Theatre Festival. Most recently, in January 2021 Y-Arts competed against 100 other groups from around the country and the world. They won the “Excellence in Ensemble” category, which they performed virtually due to COVID-19!

Local viewers will have a chance to see this talented group in person very soon. Mirablile says, “We are bringing live arts back and presenting an outdoor dance recital on May 30 at 2 p.m. on the Boothbay Common. The Y-Arts dance teachers are ecstatic to present our 30 Y-Arts dancers, ages 4-15, as we ‘Travel Through Time’ with dance. Join us as we celebrate our youth and their love of the arts!”

Y-Arts recently completed a successful fundraising effort that will enhance their outdoor summer performances. Due to the generosity of 34 donors, Y-Arts was able to purchase a much-needed sound system with body microphones and speakers to better project outdoors. Mirabile says, “With individual microphones, our students will be able to hear each other, and the audience will be able to enjoy the performances in an outdoor setting. The students and I send our sincere thanks to everyone who donated to this important purchase for our program.”

There will be four summer outdoor productions, including “Children of Eden Jr,” “Dear Edwina Jr,” “Moana Jr,” and “Shrek Jr.” Keep your eyes peeled for more information about these exciting opportunities to watch some nationally recognized artists perform right here in Boothbay!