Sisters Marlee Brewster Brockmann and Patience Brewster will be feted with an artists’ reception for their new exhibition on Sunday, August 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury.

This has been a remarkably satisfying season for Island theatregoers. We have available not only our regular offerings — the Vineyard Playhouse’s mainstage season and Shakespeare in the amphitheatre, Camp Jabberwocky, Children’s Theatre, special events at the Yard — but also an energetic new theatre company, ArtFarm Enterprises, which has presented some glorious work in collaboration with Vineyard Arts Project and will soon be presenting more with the Actors Shakespeare Project from Boston.

By JONAH LIPSKY

On August 3 Islanders have a rare opportunity to hear and see firsthand accounts of the atrocities of child homelessness and exploitation around the world — and what certain Vineyard people are doing about it.

Island filmmakers Len and Georgia Morris will be showing a short version of their latest film, Rescuing Emmanuel, which exposes childhood calamities, at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs starting at 8 p.m.

The first blue mussels on the experimental offshore mussel farm in Vineyard waters will be harvested in the coming weeks. The mussels are large enough to go to market, according to Scott Lindell, an aquaculture specialist with the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.

There are two small farms. One is north of Chilmark; the second is west of Noman’s Land. Two Island fishermen, Alec Gale of West Tisbury and Tim Broderick of Chilmark, are tending the farms with a 55-foot workboat, the Jane Lee, out of Menemsha.

The Rev. Hal Taussig will be the guest preacher at Union Chapel this Sunday, August 1. This will be his fourth visit to the historic chapel. The title of his sermon is Losing Balloons at the Beach, based on the theme of leisure and crisis. The service begins at 10 a.m. preceded by organ preludes by Garrett Brown at 9:40 a.m.

Shooting Beauty director George Kachadorian wouldn’t mind settling for an Oscar, but his real objective is to get every student in the country to watch his 60-minute documentary. Mr. Kachadorian, along with the co-director and main subject of Shooting Beauty, Courtney Bent, also his wife, wants to engage America in frank, open conversation about disability.

Ben Taylor

Ben Taylor will play live at the Island Theatre on Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs on Wednesday, August 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30.

The concert is a benefit for the capital campaign for the Island’s Waldorf preschool, Plum Hill School. Tickets are $30 general admission, or $100 which includes an after-show party at Island Cohousing’s common house. Ninety per cent of the ticket price is tax deductible.

Mature Workers Program

Income-qualified people 55 or older, who want and need to work, may find the possibility of a 20-hour-per-week paid work experience and/or skills training opportunity with the Mature Workers Program of Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands. To learn more about its Bridge Back to Work program, call 1-800-244-4630 or 508-394-4630 to speak to Mary at extension 543 or Gloria at extension 542.

The merlins that nested on Chappaquiddick have fledged three chicks. Lanny McDowell, Bob Shriber and I were invited by the owners of the house next to these falcons to come and photograph the hatchlings before they flew. Lanny took some great photos as usual, and we thank the owners for their hospitality and excellent observations. This is the second documented nesting of merlins in Massachusetts, the first being in the same area two years ago.

Bird Sightings

There is nothing like a couple of rainstorms to set everything right. Here it is Saturday afternoon and I am sitting in the shade of the one tree in my vegetable garden.