New resident will serenade Farmington

FARMINGTON — At noon on Friday, Nov. 20, Ariel Simpson-Johnson, one of the community's newest residents, will give a public performance titled "Here's One Way to Say..." Timed with the traditional noon hour bells of  Henderson Memorial Baptist Church, she will sing selected hymns and interact with passersby for about 45 minutes.

"I've never lived in a place like this before," said Simpson-Johnson who moved to Farmington from Boulder, Colo., with her partner, Chris, last January after he was hired as assistant professor of sculpture at the University of Maine at Farmington. "It's mostly been large Western suburban cities for me, so Farmington has introduced a whole new way of life. I am interested in learning about what it means to be part of such a tightknit New England community."

Simpson-Johnson's performance will reflect her introspection about the experience of moving to Farmington. "I would love it if this performance makes people question my motive," she said. "I'm not interested in preaching a political agenda or telling people what this performance means to them. I am just really interested in how the community of Farmington will receive this."

Simpson-Johnson's work as an artist has been mostly in painting and sculpture. "Here's One Way to Say..." has spawned her interest in doing more public performance. To see some of her work, visit www.arielmakesart.com.