FARMINGTON — A public celebration for the gala opening and ribbon cutting of the newly constructed Emery Community Arts Center takes place from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, starting on the campus of the University of Maine at Farmington.

The day’s events will be a celebration of art, music and performance and are free and open to the public.

“This is a thrilling moment for UMF and the local community,” Theodora J. Kalikow, UMF president, said. “Through the gift of a generous benefactor, Emery provides a new vision for the arts in Western Maine. The campus and local arts community now has a collaborative, state-of-the-art facility where they can come together to create, perform and inspire.”

Festivities begin at 3 p.m. on the ECAC Center Plaza, just off Academy Street, where the new center’s masonry steps create a welcoming outdoor performance space.

Members of the public will be treated to outdoor performances from 3-4 p.m., by Clefnotes, a UMF student a cappella group; Don’t Panic, a Mt. Blue student musical group; readings by local poet Henry Braun and various Shakespearean characters; and a performance by Inner Rhythm, a community drumming group.

“The dramatic indoor and outdoor spaces of Emery are the perfect backdrop for the region’s vibrant creative expression,”Jayne Decker, director of the Emery Community Arts Center, said. “We look forward to Emery attracting a diverse audience of art lovers that can not only enjoy the creative arts, but also discover all that western Maine has to offer.”

During a ribbon cutting, UMF President Kalikow will officially open the facility to the public at 4 p.m., outdoors on the ECAC Center Plaza steps.

Dr. Glenn Cummings, president and executive director of Good Will-Hinckley is the featured speaker. A former UMF student, Cummings served in President Obama’s administration as deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, Cummings served as Speaker of the House in the Maine House of Representatives, Majority Leader and chairman of the state’s Joint Committee of Education and Cultural Affairs.

Along with Kalikow, Ted Emery, art enthusiast and longtime Farmington resident will participate. The art center is named after Emery and his late wife, Marguerite. Art Perry and other members of the Emery Advisory Board and dedicated patrons of the arts will also attend.

 In addition, a grand opening of the exciting 2,500-square-foot, 160-seat multipurpose performance space will be held with a second celebratory ribbon cutting on the Emery Center’s new Yamaha piano, at 4:30 p.m., followed by a performance by Steven Pane, pianist and UMF professor of music.

 The Flex-Space gallery, a 1,600-square-foot wired gallery space for traditional exhibits, new media and performance art will feature an Arts Collective exhibit of artists from the community and campus, throughout the day, curated by Sarah Maline, UMF associate professor of art history.

Following the ribbon cuttings, the gala celebration will continue on the outdoor plaza from 5-8 p.m., with a performance reading by the Beloit Poetry Readers, the acoustic music of Mike Allen and Laura Pons, the Bluegrass sounds of Harmony Grits and reVerse, and the Medieval and Renaissance vocal traditions of the Northfield Singers.

A reception will follow the celebration at 8 p.m., at the Homestead Bakery in downtown Farmington, and is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the ECAC website at http://emeryarts.umf.maine.edu/.