ABBE MUSEUM

Behind the Scenes in January

2012-01-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

We found Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, CEO of the Abbe Museum,
researching and writing grant applications in her office.

The Abbe Museum is closed for the month of January, but that doesn't mean the work stops. Though we may not have regular visiting hours, during the month of January we still have school groups, public programs, and special events. But even more importantly, January is the time when we finish up tasks from the year before, and start making the preparations and laying the groundwork for a successful year ahead. January is an important month, one that makes the other eleven months run more smoothly.

Ever wonder what happens at the Abbe Museum when the doors are closed? If so, then you are in luck...because this issue of Abbe Museum is dedicated to a behind the scenes look at Bar Harbor's quiet time.

For example, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, CEO of the Abbe Museum, had this to say: This time of year, my work as CEO is focused on planning and writing - planning events, initiatives, and meetings and writing grant applications, policy, and organizational messages. My keyboard gets a workout so that when the weather changes and the island welcomes summer visitors again, I'm ready to meet new people, connect with Abbe friends, and be part of the exciting events, programs and exhibits we produce each year. All our plans are in place and our implementation a success because of the rigorous work we do in the winter.

We found JB working at the file cabinets.

John Brown, Director of Finance and Administration, has been busy wrapping up the financial happenings of 2011. He has also been leading the search to find new software that will update the Abbe Museum's aging systems. What will this mean for our visitors? The new software should help us provide a more seamless experience for friends and members of the Abbe Museum and keep us on top of current technological trends.

What are others doing at the Abbe Museum this January? Read on to find out!

Development: Behind the Scenes at the Abbe Museum

2012-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

We found Hannah chatting away, making sure the Abbe's
upcoming programs and activities
were included on summer event calendars.

Hannah Whalen, Director of Development

In January, it’s usually a little chilly in my officeupstairs at the Abbe Museum. Armed with a sweater and a cup of hot tea, Iset to work on the computer, planning and strategizing for the upcoming year ofFundraising and Development work at the Abbe.

The budget has already been determined for 2012 and I needto make sure that we have an organized approach in order to meet our annualfundraising goals. I recently finishedthe Development Plan for 2012 and the accompanying tracking system that we useinternally to make sure we stay on pace with our mailings, membership,sponsorships, donor visits etc...

Right now, I amworking on a comprehensive list or specific “menu” of ways that one can supportthe Abbe. Programs, people and projectsare what the “giving menu” is based upon and it will include things likesupport for: exhibits, events, educational programs, collections care, acquisitionsfund, facility care and the people who make it happen. When I visit with donors, I like to bringthem news from the Abbe and learn more about who they are, what they areinterested in and why they support the Abbe Museum. This “menu” will be something that I will beable to share on my visits when it is appropriate. Part of my job is to be amatch maker between the donor and the Abbe; I work to find fundingopportunities that match a person’s interests or passion. I can then tailor a specific proposal forthem. When a match is made, it is exciting and deeply satisfying for bothparties.

It seems like the summer is light years away, but it will behere before we know it. We are alreadyplanning for the Gathering Gala, which happens on July 18^th thisyear. My job is to garner sponsorshipsupport for the Gala and I am working with Astra to organize the mailing listand get the letters out to potential sponsors. Meanwhile, we are planning our second annual winter gathering for Galaartists, sponsors and Abbe volunteers. This is way to thank our local community members for their support inthe off-season, when we have more time to get together.

There is plenty more going on, but I am going to get anothercup of tea and turn my focus to the “giving menu” and other Development-relatedduties. Thank you for your interest inthe Abbe Museum and for supporting our on-goingeffort to inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations with every visit.

There's never a dull moment...

2012-01-06T09:50:00.001-08:00

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

The fact that the Abbe Museum is closed to the general public over the month of January has little impact on the day-to-day work of the education and exhibition departments. In education, I am still available to teach school children, both here at the Abbe by appointment, or traveling to classrooms in schools throughout the state. This month I will be training two new educators in preparation for spring field trips, to help us accommodate students during our busiest months of May and June. I will also be working with schools on Mount Desert Island and Deer Isle, as well as 10 outer Islands, on programming related to the Big Read and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In preparation, I will create a new program on stereotypes about Native Americans, seeking their source and reasons why they endure through the characterization of Injun Joe.

The Abbe continues to offer programs for adults and families throughout the winter, and January is a time to plan for upcoming summer programs. The annual Brown Bag Lunch series will kick off on January 19th, focusing on "what happened next" after the exhibit Indians and Rusticators leaves off Island history in 1920. Historian Bill Haviland will speak about the Wabanaki and their role on the cost of Maine after the end of the encampment era, and additional lectures will be held in February and March.

Today we found Raney busy in her office, researching for
some upcoming presentations and programs.

And, knowing that in a year, Indians and Rusticators will come down, we are preparing the next exhibit Wabanaki Guides. I am working with tribal historians from the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy communities, developing the budget and exhibit plan, and starting the research phase of this exhibit, which will open in February 2013. All in all, January is a satisfying month in which we can focus on upcoming projects and host events that connect us to our year-round community.

Archaeology is not all in the field...

2012-01-06T09:48:00.001-08:00

Julia Clark, Curator of Collections

Julia Clark, Curator of Collections

Work in the Wellman Archaeology Lab is as busy as ever during the winter months! Star volunteers like Jean Rohrer and Donna Murphy work on washing, sorting and cataloging the artifacts collected during the Abbe's archaeological field school. Every now and then they discover some little treasure or anomaly that was missed in the field, and I hear an "Oh, cool!" from the other side of the room.

Meanwhile, Jane Clifton, who you may encounter in the Abbe Museum Shop when we are open, is tackling several projects in the Lab. She spent part of December sorting through exhibition records, copying the most important documents onto archival paper, and sorting into archival file folders and boxes- making the necessary transition from the museum's working files to the archives. During January, Jane is copying more than a decade of archaeological field school records onto archival paper and re-filing them in archival folder, important steps towards the long term preservation not only of collections, but of the very important records that go with them. Both archival projects are funded by grants from the Maine State Archives.

Today we found Julia laying out measurements
for an exhibit that will open at the Abbe next winter.

Many of my tasks during these winter months revolve around catching up from last year and getting prepared for next year. I just finished my annual wrap-up of new acquisitions, compiling a list and checking it against the necessary paperwork. I want to make sure I have all the correct documentation, such as the Deed of Gift which officially transfers ownership to the museum. I will spend some time entering data on the past year's acquisitions into our collections management software, PastPerfect. This is also a good time to check in with researchers who are working with Abbe collections or archives, making sure they have what they need and providing it if they do not. I will also be working on upcoming exhibits- finalizing budgets and working with Cinnamon to secure funding; working with guest curators to create content; working with Maine Indian Education to create the 2012 Waponahki Student Art Show- all fun and rewarding.

My January started with this blog entry....

2012-01-06T09:46:00.001-08:00

We found Astra showing off signs
for the new text to join program.

Astra Haldeman, Manager of Museum Services

A lot of what I will do this month is all about keeping friends of the Abbe connected and informed. I start each month working on our blog and monthly eNews, making sure that everyone is aware of what is happening at the Abbe Museum in the upcoming days and weeks. Yesterday, I set up a new way for visitors subscribe to Abbe eNews - You already receive these newsletters, so you'll miss out on this fun, but new subscribers can text abbemuseum to 22828 and instantly be added to our mailing list. If you want to try it out, it's quite fun...you'll just receive an email thinking that you've changed your email preferences.

I am also beginning a separate, short newsletter for volunteers that will be sent each month after eNews, sharing that month's volunteer opportunities. If you would like to receive those emails, please let me know (astra@abbemuseum.org) or sign up for the list by selecting the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the very bottom of this email. My goal for 2012 is to keep everyone connected!

Next month is actually the one-year anniversary of Abbe eNews, so I'd love to hear your feedback. Please let me know if there are other sorts of articles you'd be interested in reading are, what your favorite aspects of eNews are, and any suggestions you might have for improvement. We want Abbe eNews to be easy, interesting, convenient, and enjoyable for all our readers.

Throughout January I'll focus on the winter and the summer season simultaneously. 2011 was the tenth anniversary of the Abbe Museum Downtown, and for the 73 years before that the Abbe had never been open in the winter...so we still find ourselves reminding everyone that we are here! I'll attend meetings and meet other Bar Harbor Merchants interested in promoting Bar Harbor as a year-round destination, and we'll begin planning activities for both this winter and next.

At the same time, I'll start prepping for this coming summer. Applications for seasonal positions in guest services will be available on our website by the end of this month, so please direct anyone who might be a good candidate to take a look. We'll collect the applications and begin the hiring process early this spring. January is also a great time for me to begin researching new products for the Abbe Shop. Because we are closed now, purchasing won't begin until March or April, but by the end of this month I'll have a good idea about which books, souvenirs, and other fun take-aways you might expect to see this summer.

Then of course there are all the normal housekeeping tasks; membership reminders and thank yous, updates from our 2011 Guest Book, planning for the Gala...but I'll stop chatting here and let you read on about what others are doing!

Other News & Events for January

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There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this fall and winter are no exception! Please visit our online calendar for more details.

If you are in the MDI area this month, make sure to visit us on Thursday, January 19 for the first discussion in our second annual brown bag lunch series. This year's series will explore topics related to our blockbuster exhibit, Indians & Rusticators. The first discussion will be led by historian Bill Haviland and is titled: Indians & Rusticators: What Happened Next? Bring your lunch and join us for this free event from noon-1pm.

Other events and demonstrations will follow soon thereafter, so make sure to mark your calendar now!

There are also a number of upcoming Wabanaki events that are open to the public. The following links are a sample of some upcoming activities and recent articles that may interest you. Know of more? Feel free to post them on our Facebook page!

The Wabanaki Scholars Series (Minsky Hall, University of Maine Campus) continues January 19, 2012 with presentations by Sherri Mitchell & Bonnie Newsom, followed by discussion and light refreshments.
The series is co-hosted by the Wabanaki Center and the Penobscot Cultural Historic Preservation Department. Next month's presentation will take place February 2nd with Maria Girouard & Suzanne Greenlaw.

First Maliseet Legislator of Maine Sworn In, article from MPBN

It Didn't Go Away in 2011: Racism Continued, article in Indian Country Today

Reflection on Native American Heritage Month (November), from the Marines Website

Pow Wows in Literature, New Book includes a CD in English & Micmac, from Indian Country Today

Life of Mattie Mitchell highlighted in new book, article in The Western Star

December 2011 Retrospective from Indian Country Today

First Nations: A 2011 Retrospective from Indian Country Today

MIBA Events

Tribes of the Dawn Land Cultural and Heritage Days for 2012

A Decade of Gratitude

2011-11-30T14:28:00.001-08:00

by Hannah Whalen,
Director of Development

As we reflect on the end of a year of celebrating our firstdecade in downtown Bar Harbor, there is much to be grateful for at the Abbe Museum. The hundreds of people who, ten years ago,participated in the Campaign to Bring theAbbe Museum to the Community made it happen! Many things that could nothave even been imagined then, are now possible because of this beautiful new facility.

There are intangible moments; consider what a Wabanaki childexperiences when she visits the Abbe for the first time and sees her artworkframed and hung on a gallery wall next to the works of other young Wabanakistudents. The Waponahki Student Art Show is an annual spring tradition and overits 10 years downtown, more than 400 young people have delighted in seeingtheir art on display at the Abbe.

Watie Akins performing in the Circle of the Four Directions

Some of you may recall that during the planning phase of thebuilding, the Abbe consulted with Native communities in Maine, seeking their ideas for design. Again and again they said that there neededto be a circle somewhere in the building. The circle is an important symbol in Native culture and representscontinuity and wholeness. With theguidance of Wabanaki advisors - especially engineer, Watie Akins, Penobscot,and through the generosity of John and Ruth Overton, who named the Circle ofthe Four Directions in memory of John’s mother Joan Blair Overton - the Circle wasconstructed on site. The roof is slantedand faces east toward the rising sun. The walls are made of fir paneling and the floor is white ash and oftenthere is Native flute music in the background. Over the years many guests have commented that they enjoy just sittingin the Circle and the peaceful, calm feeling it ensues.

The word philanthropy means, “the love of humankind.” Everyyear our donors demonstrate their philanthropy for the work we do at theAbbe. Thanks to our donors, members andvolunteers, we are able to inspire new learning about the WabanakiNations for the 25,000 who visit us every year. Because of our contributors, we are able to properly care for over50,000 historical objects, including the largest and best documented museumcollection of Wabanaki basketry. Andwith the Abbe being downtown, we can now offer year-round exhibitions andeducational programs that tell the story of the Wabanaki.

Ten years later, we truly have achieved “neke naka toke” (Passamaquoddyfor “the best of both worlds”) by having a-state-of-the-art downtown museumwith exhibitions and programs year round, and the historic Abbe at Sieur deMonts Spring open seasonally.

Thank you for your interest in the Abbe Museumand for your support. Happy Holidays!

Other News & Events for December

2011-11-28T08:50:00.001-08:00

There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this fall and winter are no exception! Please visit our online calendar for more details.

Crafts and fun at the 2010 Holiday Open House.

If you are in the MDI area this week, make sure to visit us on Thursday, December 1st for the free screening of
Off the Rez which will begin at 7:00.

Other events and demonstrations will follow soon thereafter, so make sure to mark your calendar now!

MIBA Events Next Up: Annual Maine Indian Basketmakers Sale and Demonstration at the Hudson Museum, Collins Center for the Arts December 10, 2011 9:00 - 4:00

Leon Sockbeson II, whose work is currently featured in Twisted Path II, recently placed #11 ina national contest in which over 600 gown designs were submitted to AdriannaPappell. This placement qualifies Leon’s designfor the second round of the competition; ajudging panel will select and produce 5 dresses for another round ofvoting. Visit http://eandadriannapapellpromotion.com/contest/for more information on the contest, or to be involved in the next round ofvoting.

Read the recent review of Twisted Path II by Rob Levin of the Mount Desert Islander

A Boston Globe Travel article featuring the Acadia Region had some lovely comments about the Abbe Museum. Read it here.

"Many Hands:Wabanaki Paths of Learning," is an art exhibition currently on display at Universityof Southern Maine (Woodbury CampusCenter), Portland through Dec.16. Click here to read about the opening.

"Tribes in Maine, U.S., look beyond casinos for business" in the Portland Press Herald

"Passamaquoddy Tribe to create water bottling facility" in the Bangor Daily News

"Passamaquoddy Teacher Shares Inspiration with Students" in the Morning Sentinel

"Weaving history and heritage into an art form" in the Boston Globe (please note the Basketmakers Market is on Dec. 10, not Dec. 1)

"Andrew Sockalexis won Bangor's Thanksgiving Race a century ago" in the Bangor Daily News

"Mi'kmaq preschoolers get a head start" CBCNews Video

Last Film in the 2011 Series

2011-11-25T12:37:00.001-08:00

The last film in the Abbe Museum's 2011 Native American Film Series will screen Thursday, December 1st from 7:00 -- 9:00.

Join us to watch Off the Rez, which will be followed by a discussion moderated by Raney Bench, Curator of Education.

Off the Rez is the story of Shoni Schimmel. Shoni was a high-school junior living on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, the star basketball player on the local team. Then Shoni's mother, Ceci Moses, took a job coaching a high school team in Portland, and against the wishes of her own mother and grandmother on the "Rez," Ceci brought Shoni and her seven other children with her. Now, Shoni's senior year has become the most important year of their lives as mother and daughter fight to prove that Native American women can become champions off the Rez.

For more information about this film, please click here.

The Abbe Museum's third annual film series brings important contemporary films by and about Native people to Bar Harbor. Filmmakers and scholars lead panel discussions following each film. Films are screened in the Community Gallery at the Downtown Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street, and are free and open to the public. For more information about the film series, visit www.abbemuseum.org.

Holiday Sales & Events

2011-11-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

As you prepare for this holiday season, don't forget there are a number of events at the Abbe Museum perfect for family and friends to enjoy! For more details visit our calendar, but here's a quick reminder on some upcoming holiday activities (some newly added since the November issue of eNews!):

Events

--December 2nd, 8pm-Midnight: Stay up late for the Village Holidays & Midnight Madness Sale! From 8pm-Midnight the Abbe will be open with more special holiday sales. Enjoy a classy night on the town and shop in your evening wear for discounts up to 25% in the Abbe Shop!

--December 10th, 10am-7pm: The Abbe Museum will take part in the Bar Harbor Merchants Association's Holiday Open House. Stop in between 10:00-4:00 to enter your name in a raffle for a Household Membership to the Abbe Museum, and other great prizes from Bar Harbor Merchants. The Membership Lounge will be open to all visitors throughout the day, so if you haven't seen it before come in and check it out, relax, and enjoy a warm drink! Then, from 4:00-7:00 admission to the Abbe Museum will be free as the Bar Harbor Merchants arrive to start the holiday festivities! There will be refreshments, raffle winners will be announced, Santa will be in the Circle of the Four Directions for pictures, and special guests from Sherman's Books & Stationary will be reading new their holiday books for kids! This event is sponsored by the Bar Harbor Merchants Association, promoting four season fun in Bar Harbor, and hosted at the Abbe Museum. Visit their webpage for more details by clicking here.

--Don't forget to visit the Abbe Museum Booth to chat with Curators Julia Clark and Raney Bench, as well as Abbe CEO Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, at the Maine Indian Basketmaker's Alliance sale and demonstration hosted by the Hudson Museum in Orono on December 10th. Click here for more details, and that day's schedule of events.

--December 11th, 1pm-4pm: Join us for the Abbe Museum Annual Open House! This is the perfect time to enjoy our new exhibits and take home some souvenirs: join us that afternoon for free admission, fun and unique crafts to make and take home, and light refreshments!

Sales

Looking for the perfect gift?
Throughout December visit the Abbe Shop for 20% OFF!

Need something last minute?
The Abbe Shop is participating in Wrapped & Ready to Go! Quickly step inside and leave moments later with a pre-wrapped gift for everyone on your list!

Want something for the person who has it all?
Abbe Museum Memberships are the perfect gift that keeps on giving...all year long! Every level of membership is available; just ask for it to be wrapped for the perfect holiday presentation! Wrapped memberships can be purchased at the Abbe Shop, or we can mail them to your special someone...just give us a call or email astra@abbemuseum.org for more details.
You can also make a donation in honor of friends or family this holiday, and we'll send them a special card to share our thanks!

Sample Gift Membership Insert

An adorable little ridged hammerstone from the Stephen Wheatland Collection

2011-11-25T09:16:00.001-08:00

Julia Clark,

Curator of Collections

Adorable little ridged hammerstone from the Stephen Wheatland Collection

Over the last few years, long-time Abbe trustee and friendAlice Wellman has been sorting through and cleaning out her and her father’sarchaeological collections. Her father, Stephen Wheatland, collected a varietyof artifacts, starting in the 1930s, along the shores of Sorrentowhere the family spent summers and the lakes and rivers of northern Maine where he worked,fished and hunted. Alicefollowed in his footsteps, and over the years took part in or led several Abbe Museumexcavations, from Eastport to Aroostook County. The Wellman-Wheatland archaeologicalcollection now resides at the Abbe, where it will be taken excellent care ofand made accessible in perpetuity.

The most recent batch of artifacts, re-discovered on a shelfin Stephen Wheatland’s boathouse in Sorrento,included this wonderful little hammerstone. I was immediately charmed by it! (Oh, yeah, I immediately called itadorable!) Only 9 cm long, it is made from a small chunk of dark gray chert,possibly originating from the Munsungan Lake/Norway Bluff formation in northernMaine. The chunk of stone was worked by a Wabanakiancestor into just the size and shape they wanted. It was then used to hammersomething, probably to create other stone tools, so that its carefully shapededges developed the fine battering we can now see.

Why so small? Maybe the tool maker had little hands likemine. Maybe they needed a precision tool. I also wonder why it was discarded.It’s not broken- in fact it looks perfect! Perhaps it just got too worn out to use. Whatever the case, it wasdiscarded, and hundreds to thousands of years later, Stephen Wheatland pickedit up of the shore in the 1950s, and eventually it made its way here to theAbbe. What a little gift for a quietNovember week in the Archaeology Lab.

Help us reach our goals!

2011-11-15T12:01:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

All year we celebrated our 10th anniversary in downtown Bar Harbor, and it has been a flurry of activity! Here are a few highlights from this exciting time at the Abbe Museum:

We opened a major exhibit in July, Indians & Rusticators, which attracted new visitors and helped us to reconnect with friends.
Visits to the Abbe are up nearly 15% from last year.
We taught over 3,000 school children at the Abbe and inside classrooms; and, we trained 100 Maine teachers on how to meet the unfunded state mandate (L.D. 291) that requires K-12 students to learn Wabanaki history in the classroom.

As with the cycles of the seasons, the work at the Abbe continues: designing, planning, building, installing and deconstructing exhibits; hosting educational workshops, teacher trainings, teaching children, engaging with thousands of learners from around the world; providing constant care of the collections; and, organizing yearly events such as the Abbe's Archaeology Field School. This annual work requires funding and your support makes it all possible.

As you consider your end of year giving, please remember the Abbe Museum. Every gift made to the annual appeal, no matter the amount, truly makes a difference and your generosity will help to ensure that the Abbe can continue to change lives through learning. Thank you for your consideration. Click here to learn more.

Sincerely,

Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko

P.S. I hope to see you this winter at the Abbe!

click to enlarge

Click here read our Snapshot of 2011!

click to enlarge

Thanksgiving Revisted

2011-11-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

“Considering that virtually none of the standard fare surrounding Thanksgiving contains an ounce of authenticity, historical accuracy, or cross-cultural perception, why is it so apparently ingrained?”

--Michael Dorris Why I’m Not Thankful for Thanksgiving 1978

How many of us learned in school that Pilgrims settled in New England, had a rough time making a go of it, and were assisted in their cause by a friendly Native named Squanto? Or, alternatively, they found a pristine wilderness and in trying to learn how to survive, they found help by friendly Squanto. Either way, in gratitude for Squanto’s help, at the first harvest, the Pilgrims invited the Indians for a feast of thanks and friendship, the likes of which the Indians had never seen. If your school was like mine, you learned this while making “authentic” Pilgrim hats with silver buckles, or construction paper feather headdresses and reenacting the event in a play.

The real story, however, is a little bit different. Prior to the arrival of the Pilgrims, Squanto had been kidnapped and taken to Europe, where he learned English. He escaped and returned to New England to find that his entire village had been wiped out by disease. Squanto began working with the Pilgrim colony for his own survival, as much as for theirs.

As James Loewen points out in his book Lies My Teacher Told Me “our archetypal image of this first Thanksgiving portrays the groaning boards in the woods, with the Pilgrims in their starched Sunday best next to their almost naked Indian guests.” (pg. 94) The common suggestion that Indians had never seen such a feast, despite that it consisted of primarily Native foods, continues to marginalize Indians and the role they play in the history of the Americas.

The real story is that Thanksgiving was not introduced by the Pilgrims. For centuries now, each fall Native communities throughout the Americas have been hosting feasts of thanks with the harvest. Our modern celebration began in 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday, and it wasn’t until the 1890s that the Pilgrims were included in the myth.

It is a welcome break from our hectic lives to sit together as a family, group of friends, or community, and reflect on our blessings and enjoy a shared meal. This is the true story of Thanksgiving- gratitude for the bounty in our lives and honoring of the diverse traditions that create the fabric of our country.

Winter is Here!?!

2011-11-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

The surprising snow storm that blew in this past weekend reminded us that winter is just around the corner (or perhaps already here!), and so we'd like to thank everyone for a successful summer and fall. The 2011 season was a busy one for the Abbe Museum, and we could not have done it without your support...thank you!

We are now on our Winter Schedule, which will be in effect until

May of 2012:

Museum Galleries & Shop Open:

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, 10:00 -- 4:00

Abbe Museum Offices Open:

Monday -- Friday, 9:00 -- 4:00

Please be aware that if there is inclement weather, the Abbe Museum will be closed if MDI Schools are closed. If it is a weekend day or you are unsure, it is always best to check: please call 207-288-3519 before making the trip. The Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts is closed for the winter; the above hours refer to the Downtown Abbe Museum at 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor.

There is always something happening at the Abbe Museum, and winter is no exception. Please visit our website or call for our ever-growing list of Winter Programs. Confirmed programs are listed at abbemuseum.org, but there are still more we hope to add!

Winter is also a popular time for school group visits to the museum, as well as bookings for Abbe Educational Programs which can be delivered in the classrooms. If you are interested in visiting the Abbe or having the Abbe visit your school or organization (adult programs can be arranged too!) please browse through the offerings on our website, or contact Raney Bench, Curator of Education.

Click to learn more about School Programs or Outreach Programs for Children & Adults.

Upcoming Holiday Events

2011-11-02T12:22:00.001-07:00

The Holidays are fast approaching, and there are a number of events at the Abbe Museum to help you celebrate!

The date is set for our Annual Holiday Open House: Sunday, December 11th from 1pm -- 4pm. Join us that afternoon for for free admission, fun and unique crafts to make and take home, and light refreshments.

There are also exciting Bar Harbor festivities that the Abbe Museum is proud to take part in.

On Saturday, November 12th, wake up early and stay in your pajamas to enjoy the 17th Annual Early Bird Pajama Sale & 4th Annual Bed Races. We'll be open from 6am (yikes!) to 4pm, with special sales, coffee, tea, and other treats from 6am-9am to help keep you going...

Then on Friday, December 2nd stay up late for the Village Holidays & Midnight Madness Sale! From 8pm-Midnight the Abbe will be open with more special holiday sales. Enjoy a classy night on the town and shop in your evening wear!

Native American Film Series

2011-11-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum's third annual film series brings important contemporary films by and about Native people to Bar Harbor. Filmmakers and scholars lead panel discussions following each film. Films are screened in the Community Gallery at the Downtown Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street, and are free and open to the public. For more information about the film series, visit www.abbemuseum.org or click on the film titles below.

If you missed Apache 8 don't fret...there are still two great films to go! Next up is Feature Film, Smoke Signals, based on the "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven," by Sherman Alexie. This is the first film written, directed, and acted completely by American Indians. Smoke Signals was critically acclaimed as one of the best films of the year and a distinguished winner at the Sundance Film Festival.

Smoke Signals
Thursday, November 3
7:00 -- 9:00 FREE

Off the Rez
Thursday, December 1
7:00 -- 9:00 FREE

Thanks to Reel Pizza, for making this event possible.

Photo Caption: Shoni Schimmel and her mother and coach, Cecilee Moses. Courtesy of Hock Films

Twisted Path II is Now Open!

2011-10-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Twisted Path II: Contemporary Native American Art Informed by Tradition is now open! This beautiful exhibition opened on October 21st, and we were lucky to have all five artists join us for the opening reception! Also joining us that evening were Twisted Path's co-curators, Abenaki artist Rick Hunt and Abbe Museum Curator of Education Raney Bench. Guests that evening enjoyed remarks by both curators, as well as the opportunity to meet the artists: Leon Sockbeson, George Neptune, Sarah Sockbeson, Max Sanipass Romero, and Rhonda Besaw. Stop in soon to see these inspiring artworks. This exhibit is made possible with support from The First and the Fisher Charitable Trust.

Twisted Path II, open October 2011 through May 2012, is an invitational contemporary art show featuring Native artists from the Northeast. Co-Curators, Rick Hunt & Raney Bench say this about the show:

Native American artists have pushed the boundaries of what is considered traditional art for many years, often facing criticism for working with new materials or creating new designs. There is a perception that Native art is static; that it should never change, or is somehow less authentic with the introduction of new ideas and materials. But, what is traditional? Are glass beads, introduced by Europeans and purchased at trading posts, traditional? What about a basket made to hold eye glasses? Who decides, and how is that decision made?

As co-curator, Rick Hunt, Abenaki, relates,

I am always impressed by how functional pieces can move toward decorative and purposeful design. In this show, it is evident that the pieces reflect a movement away from tradition and become a reflection of the artists’ own personal psychology. There are beautiful ash baskets and Pop Art-type beaded bags, and even contemporary fashion design evolving from traditional northeast Native clothing.

When the first Twisted Path show was conceived, through a technicolor dream of mine, it was envisioned as an exhibit that would highlight the idea of the Native artist evolving and often struggling in this Westernized society. Questions about Native identity, spirituality, art, and traditions emerged. What was illustrated by that first show, and this one, is that Native people and our culture are very much alive and well and here to stay.

Twisted Path II continues the dialogue that introduced the broader society to the concept of the “modern Indian.” Native traditions have grown and evolved, allowing the adaptation and incorporation of new ideas, methods, and concepts into Native culture.

As a result, Native artists are allowed to step out of the confines of entrenched stereotypes in ways that let him or her maintain the integrity of their tribal identity. As such, Native artists are invited and encouraged to explore concepts of modern popular art that can contain distinctive yet subtle flavors of ancient cultures.

Twisted Path II: Contemporary Native American Art Informed by Tradition exhibits the work of five Wabanaki artists from New England. Their work, inspired by traditional materials, methods, and designs breaks from tradition in important ways, becoming a form of expression unique to each artist.

Image Caption: Details of art displayed in Twisted Path II. Listed from top to bottom, 1. Max Sanipass Romero Assimilation Revisited, 2. Rhonda Besaw Fiddleheads, 3. George Neptune Chocolate Wedding Cake, 4. LEON Untitled Sketches, 5. Sarah Sockbeson Untitled Basket. To learn more about the artists, please click here.

Other News & Events for November

2011-10-31T13:15:00.001-07:00

There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this fall and winter are no exception! Please visit our online calendar for more details.

If you are in the MDI area this week, make sure to visit us on Thursday, November 3 for the free screening of Smoke Signals which will begin at 7:00.

Soon thereafter the Maine Arts Commission will host a grants workshop. Senior Grants Associate Kathy Ann Shaw will be available to answer questions about funding. She will be joined by Kathleen Mundell, Traditional Arts Specialist, to provide specific information about the agency's traditional arts programs especially those Maine's native communities. The brown bag lunch presentation will take place Monday, November 14 from noon - 2:00 and there is no need to register. More info is available here.

Other events and demonstrations will follow soon thereafter, so make sure to mark your calendar now!

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MIBA Events

Next Up: Annual Maine Indian Basketmakers

Sale and Demonstration

Hudson Museum, Collins Center for the Arts

December 10, 2011 9:00 - 4:00

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Were Salem's Men Witches' Victims of Politics?

Research by Dr. Mary Beth Norton claims

convicted men were all associated with the Wabanaki

Read the Indian Country Today Article.

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The Maine Archaeological Society

Upcoming Events

American Anthropological Association, 110th Annual Meeting

November 16-20, 2011

Montreal, QC, Canada

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Penobscot River Restoration Project Recognized

Read the Bangor Daily News Article

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Old Town mill seeks to change emissions standards

Read the article in The Maine Campus, citing the reaction of Penobscot Nation Natural Resources Director, John Banks

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Yes on 2 Campaign in Calais

From The Bangor Daily News

Help Passamaquoddies by voting for a racino in Calais

Portland Press Herald Letter of the Day by Diane Barnes

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Report Released on Canadian Mounties Involvement in Residential Schools

Read the article from CBC News

Residential School Survivors Share their Stories

Halifax Media Co-op

Learn more from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada website about the Atlantic National Event held last week

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Interview with Jeremy Frey

Indian Country Today Media Network

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Maliseets to partner with Houlton on additional road work

in the Bangor Daily News

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Tobique First Nation Maliseet Language Project

read about it in CBC News

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Celebrated Canadian architect visits the Fredericton region as proponents of a museum and cultural centre to safeguard Maliseet traditions step up efforts to get the project going.

The Daily Gleaner

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For those of you in Massachusetts:

Lowell Folklife Series presents lecture on Native American Woodlands Folklife ; November 5th at 2 PM

North American Indian Center in Boston

Boston Globe

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For those of you in New Jersey:

Howell Township Library hosts Micmac exhibition dancer

Asbury Park Press

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Social Media for Social Good Panel Discussion

Camden, Maine, November 5th

Read about it in Village Soup

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University of New England

Donna M. Loring Lecture Series

If you missed these lectures, you can download them

from iTunes for FREE!

Follow the link above for more information.

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David Moses Bridges Canoe Maker Video

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Novia Scotia Mi'kmaq negotiating for own government
CTV
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Official formation of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band announced by Canadian Federal Government
read about it in The Coaster
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Visit penobscotculture.com to read

classic Penobscot books online!

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Stories in the Rock

Downeast Magazine

Traditional Arts Funding Workshop

2011-10-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you have ever had questions about funding available through the Maine Arts Commission (www.mainearts.com) then help is just around the corner. Kathy Ann Shaw, Senior Grants Associate will be visiting Bar Harbor in November to provide the answers. She will be joined by Kathleen Mundell, Traditional Arts Specialist, to provide specific information about the agency’s traditional arts programs especially those Maine’s native communities.

This free brown bag workshop will take place from 12 noon and 2 pm on Monday November 14, 2011, and will be hosted by the Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor. The Abbe offers innovative exhibitions and programs on Maine’s Native American heritage. In recent years, the Abbe has grown from a small but lovely trailside museum, privately operated within Acadia National Park, to an exciting contemporary museum in the heart of downtown Bar Harbor. The Museum (www.abbemuseum.org) is located at 26 Mount Desert Street. Bar Harbor, ME 04609. For more information on the exhibitions featured during the workshop please visit: http://www.abbemuseum.org/pages/exhibitions/exhibitions-overview.html.

Kathy and Kathleen will present basic information about the Maine Arts Commission’s grant programs. The presentation will include a review of the National Endowment for the Arts as needed and will feature tips and tricks for grant writing. This will be an informal gathering which will allow participants to ask specific questions and steer the presentation in the direction most helpful to them. There is no need to register. For further information please contact Kathy at 207/287-2750 or kathy.shaw@maine.gov. The Abbe Museum can be reached at 207/ 288-3519.

Tea, Popovers, & Archaeology

2011-10-04T13:28:00.001-07:00

The Abbe Museum's Tea, Popovers, & Archaeology will take place on Monday, October 17 at Jordan Pond House from 7:00 - 9:00. This annual event features a lecture on current archaeological research followed by Jordan Pond House's famous popovers.

Tea, Popovers, & Archaeology is sponsored by The Acadia Corporation.

This year, Dr. John G. Crock, a Bar Harbor native and Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont, will present his research on the archaeology of the small islands of the northern Lesser Antilles where population growth 1,000 years ago was supported by a heavy reliance on seafood, interisland trade, and a religious ideology unique to the Caribbean.

The small islands of the northern Lesser Antilles were some of the first to be settled by sedentary fisher-farmers during the Early Ceramic Age, as early as 500 B.C. Extensive networks of trade and exchange connected island communities with other islands and with their ancestral mainland "home." Over the next millennium, as populations grew and adapted to specific local island environments, systems of exchange developed to support a rapid growth in the number of newly established communities. Higher volumes of differentially available raw materials and finished products were transshipped between islands. By the late Ceramic Age, ca. A.D. 600-1500, Amerindians in these small islands were as maritime-adapted as any in the world, as reflected by their food remains and the off-island origin of materials used to manufacture stone tools, ceramics, adornments and religious paraphernalia. The same interisland systems that supported the subsistence and material needs of coastal communities also supported the maintenance of social networks and cultural connections, both within the northern Lesser Antilles and between the small islands and the Greater Antilles to the west. Archaeologically, this cultural relationship is reflected in the shared importance of ceremonial cave sites, and artifacts that express a broadly shared religious ideology and view of the island world, including three-pointed stone idols, shell ornaments, and decorated ceramics.

Field School in Archaeology: Another Successful Season of Excavation

2011-09-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

In mid-August, another successful summer of excavation drew to a close. Artifacts and food animal bones were abundant and now artifacts are back in the lab to be processed so that researchers can piece together the larger picture of life on coastal Maine thousands of years ago.

To learn more about the Abbe Museum Field School in Archaeology, follow these links:

2011 Field School Blog

by Abbe Museum Intern, Hannah Wellman

Field School Virtual Tour

About the Abbe Museum Field School

Other News & Events for September

2011-09-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this fall and winter are no exception! Please visit our online calendar for more details.

If you are in the MDI area this week, make sure to visit Jordan Pond (or the Downtown Abbe in the case of rain) between 11:00-4:00 on Wednesday (September 14) where Passamaquoddy birch bark artist David Moses Bridges will be presenting with his birch bark canoe! Or stop by the Downtown Abbe Museum on Friday, September 15th between 10:00-11:00 to visit with artist Erik Sappier, Penobscot, as he demonstrates the art of chip carving. And popular annual events such as Tea, Popovers, & Archaeology or the Native American Film Series are quickly approaching, so make sure to mark your calendar now!

MIBA Events

Next Up: Common Ground Country Fair

Native American Arts Area

September 23, 24, & 25

Micmac Farmers Market

10-6, Monday-Saturday during the growing season.

Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians

31st Annual Recognition Day Celebration

Saturday, September 17

Events scheduled 8:00-400 at the Recognition Day Field (Bell Road)

Community Feast & Bonfire 5pm at Maliseet Gym (Foxcroft Road)

All Welcome!

Exhibit Opening September 24 at the Hudson Museum

Transcending Traditions:

The Next Generation and Maine Indian Basketry

Coming to the Abbe in May 2012

Collaborative Seeks Help to Keep

Penobscot Artifacts in Maine

in Maine Ahead

Read Stories in the Rock about petroglyphs in Maine in the

October Issue of Downeast Magazine...on stands now!

Exhibit Evokes Gilded Age Dichotomy

in the Mount Desert Islander

Museum Marks Decade Downtown

in the Mount Desert Islander

Abbe Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary with Free Admission

in the Bar Harbor Times

Passamaquoddy artist honored nationally,

puts basketry on the map

in the Bangor Daily News

Upcoming Exhibit: Twisted Path II

2011-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibit, Twisted Path II: Contemporary Native American Art Informed by Tradition. Visitors to the Abbe Museum in 2009 enjoyed the wildly popular Twisted Path: Contemporary Native American Artists Walking in Two Worlds and this winter we will highlight the work of five new artists! Please join us for the exhibit opening on Friday, October 21 from 4:00-6:00. Twisted Path II will be on exhibit until May 2012.

Twisted Path II: Contemporary Native American Art Informed by Tradition is an invitational contemporary art show featuring Native artists from the Northeast, including:

Rhonda Besaw, Abenaki

George Neptune, Passamaquoddy

Max Romero, Mi'kmaq & Laguna/Taos Pueblo

Leon Sockbeson, Passamaquoddy

Sarah Sockbeson, Penobscot

The exhibition is co-curated by Rick Hunt, Abenaki, and Raney Bench, Curator of Education at the Abbe Museum. Rick and Raney worked together on the first Twisted Path, when they wrote these words describing the show:

Throughout North America, Native people balance the importance of tribal identity and knowledge with the demands of the non-Native communities that surround them. Art serves as one means of survival, expressing a wide range of emotions and experiences, from hopes and fears for the future, to dreams and anger about the past. Breaking away from stereotypes of Native American art and what is "traditional." the work of contemporary Native artists proves that art and culture are not static, but constantly evolving. Borrowed from traditional beadworking, the term "twisted path" is a pattern that meanders along the edge of an object. Here, it is a visual metaphor for the different paths Native American artists walk as they navigate a complex world.

Reflections on a Decade Downtown

2011-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Julia Clark, Curator of Collections, began her career at the Abbe Museum moving the collections from Sieur de Monts to the state of the art collections facility at the new downtown building. 10 years later, we asked Julia what possibilities became realities with the construction of the "new" Abbe Museum:

A couple of recent things come to mind that would not have been possible without the downtown Abbe:

During the field school, we had a day where the weather was too wet and cool to work on the site. We were able to bring the 20+ participants to the museum for the day to broaden their learning experience. Some worked in the archaeology lab washing and sorting artifacts. Others worked in the learning lab/family circle, identifying animal bones and describing stone arrow and spear points. At mid-day, local archaeologist and Abbe research associate Dr. Rick Will gave a flint-knapping demonstration, and both field school participants and museum guests were treated to an entertaining and informative presentation. There is no way we could have accommodated this group or shared the experience with our guests at the small museum at Sieur de Monts.

Last week I got a phone call from a basket researcher from Santa Fe who is going to be in town this week, and was hoping to take a look at our collection, especially the birch bark pieces. If we were still at Sieur de Monts, with collections stored in plastic totes in the basement, it would have taken much more time to accommodate this visit, and space would have been a major challenge. With the wonderful collections storage facility at the downtown Abbe, I will be able to bring the researcher through the collection, he will be able to see virtually every piece we have at a glance, and if he wants to take a closer look at any particular objects, we have all the space in the archaeology lab available, not just a small table in a dark basement!

Earlier this year, we were able to accept the donation of a collection of objects and associated material made by ethnohistorian and anthropologist Alvin Morrison. The collection, which features primarily Wabanaki and Iroquois objects from the second half of the 20th century, adds wonderfully to our collection, and we would not have been able to accept this collection if we did not have the collections storage space here at the downtown Abbe. A couple of real gems in the collection: a series of small-scale models of a Maliseet basket maker going through the various steps of making a basket, from harvesting the ash tree to weaving the basket; a collection of note cards sold by the Mi'kmaq at the Big Cove Reserve in New Brunswick, featuring prints designed and created by a Mi'kmaq artist, depicting Mi'kmaq stories and legends

An exhibit like Indians & Rusticators would never have been possible at the Sieur de Monts museum, and perhaps most importantly, the downtown Abbe gives local guests the chance to experience the exhibit during the off-season.

Thank You for Making it all Possible...

2011-09-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those capital campaign donors who made the dream of a second location in downtown Bar Harbor a reality. Because of your generosity and support, we are able to impact thousands of people through our innovative educational exhibits and programs, which help to inspire a more understanding and culturally inclusive society.

Eagle's Nest Basket #1

by Fred Tomah, Maliseet

What makes the Downtown Abbe Museum special and the experience unique? Here are some thoughts, shared by Abbe Museum staff, about how a second location in downtown Bar Harbor has changed the Abbe experience for the better:

Collections Care has improved dramatically:

One of the big drivers behind plans for a new Abbe Museum facility was the desire to provide improved care for and access to the collections. The downtown Abbe Museum has been largely successful in these two goals. It has also allowed the museum to accept important collections that we would not have had the space for otherwise.

Thousands of school children are served annually:

Due to the size of the building at Sieur de Monts, classes had to take place outside, so there was a limited season in which we could have students. Teachers were told not to come if it was raining. At the "new" Abbe students can visit throughout the year. We have expanded our course offerings to include programs for all grade levels on seven different topics, which all meet state learning requirements. In addition, the new facility has allowed us to host teacher training workshops, bringing teachers together with Wabanaki leaders for direct learning experiences.

Public programming has expanded with the new facility: Demonstrations with Wabanaki artists and musicians take place throughout the summer months downtown, but the facility also allowed the Abbe to expand our program calendar from summers to a full twelve months. We now host brown bag lunch lectures through the middle of winter, a film series in the fall, children's workshops in the early spring and winter, and exhibit openings throughout the year.

These and many other accomplishments are being celebrated this year. The following is an attempt to distill our achievements into a simple Top Ten Countdown:

10.

The Abbe enhances cultural tourism in Maine as a destination experience for the State; we enrich the visitor experience and we contribute to the local economy.

Since 2001, we’ve served over 250,000 people; over 25% of these were schoolchildren.

Exhibit and program space is accessible to all people and we’ve greatly improved the visitor experience.

We can accommodate tour groups year-round and student visits during the school year and we travel to the four corners of the state, delivering educational content in classrooms.

We have instructed over 500 teachers in our workshops, helping them implement LD291 - the Wabanaki Initiative - in the classroom. LD291 celebrates 10 years as state law this year too.

The downtown Abbe offers more space for changing exhibitions and for multiple shows, resulting in over 30 exhibitions.

The Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts Spring has been preserved as the historic gem that it is and it continues to engage our seasonal visitors.

Our 50,000 piece collection is now stored in a museum-quality environment and we have intellectual control over the collection.

The Abbe gift shop is an economic engine, sending money back into tribal communities and offering a unique shopping experience.

We are now a year-round presence in downtown Bar Harbor, enriching the quality of life for our communities by offering innovative programs, and educational exhibits for all life-long learners.

Thank you for your continued support and generosity, as we celebrate this important milestone.

Abbe Museum Celebrates 10 Years Downtown!

2011-09-13T13:52:00.001-07:00

The Abbe Museum is celebrating 10 years in downtown Bar Harbor! As a way to thank the community for its support over the past decade, the Abbe is offering a special gift for all visitors: 10 nights of free admission!

In September 2001, after a successful capital campaign, the Abbe Museum opened its “new” location in a renovated space that once housed the town’s YMCA. The original Abbe, a historic trail-side museum at Sieur de Monts Spring in Acadia National Park, opened in 1928 and is still open seasonally. The new downtown museum provides proper space for the 50,000 piece collection, multiple galleries for changing exhibitions and year-round educational programs and activities for the community. Over the past decade the Abbe Museum has hosted thousands of school children, tour groups, visitors, families, artists, and educators in the comfortable, contemporary spaces of the new facility.

To thank everyone who helped to bring the Abbe downtown and for the community’s continued support, this September the Downtown Abbe will commemorate its 10^th anniversary by offering 10 nights of free admission. Earlier this summer the museum opened a blockbuster exhibition entitled: Indians & Rusticators: Wabanakis and Summer Visitors on Mount Desert Island 1840s-1920s. The show, which is up until the end of 2012, offers visitors an opportunity to “step back in time” and experience Bar Harbor a century ago. By staying open late and offering free admission, local residents will have a unique opportunity to experience this and other exhibits that reflect the history of our region. As the busy Bar Harbor summer turns to fall, everyone is invited to help us celebrate by enjoying a free evening of cultural enjoyment at the Abbe in downtown Bar Harbor.

The Details:

What…

FREE Evening Admission to the Downtown Abbe Museum

When…

5:00-7:00 PM, Monday-Friday September 12-16 and 19-23

Where…

The Downtown Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor

Why…

The Abbe Museum is celebrating 10 Years Downtown with 10 nights of FREE admission!

The current exhibitions on display at the Abbe Museum are: Indians & Rusticators: Wabanakis and Summer Visitors on Mount Desert Island 1840s-1920s which highlights the role that Mount Desert Island played in the cultural and economic survival of Wabanakis, The 2011 Waponahki Student Art Show featuring original artworks created by Passamaquoddy and Penobscot students from early childhood education through high school, Objects of our Affection focusing on the effects of agents of deterioration on museum collections, Layers of Time highlighting archaeological research in Maine conducted by the Abbe Museum since 1928, and much more. The regular open hours of the Abbe Museum are 10-5 seven days a week, and regular admission is $6 for adults, $2 for children aged 6-16; Abbe Museum Members, Native Americans, and children under 6 are free. The original Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts Spring is open 10-5 daily through October 8^th and admission for Sieur de Monts only is $3 for adults and $1 for children. Note: This evening special does not include the Abbe at Sieur de Monts, which will operate on a regular schedule.

The Annual Meeting...Read the Presentation!

2011-08-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Those of you who joined us for the Annual Meeting on June 15th enjoyed an outstanding presentation by Bonnie Newsom. For those of you who were unable to join us, you can read her presentation here.

Ms. Newsom is a member of the Penobscot Nation and serves as their Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. In this capacity, she ensures tribal compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, identifies and manages historic properties on tribal lands, consults with Federal and State agencies relative to historic site protection, participates in public education initiatives and serves as the tribal point of contact for all archaeological issues. Her former position include a research archaeology position with Archaeological Research Consultants, of Elssworth, Maine and Assistant Director of the Wabanaki Center at the University of Maine.

Ms. Newsom has served on a variety of boards and committees at both the local and national levels. At present, she serves on the repatriation review committee for the Smithsonian Institution and was recently appointed to the University of Maine Board of Trustees.

She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.S. in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her research interests include the archaeology of the Penobscot River Valley and aboriginal ceramic analysis. As an indigenous archaeologist, Ms. Newsom is dedicated to working with and for indigenous communities.

As a military veteran and former leadership instructor with the Maine Army National Guard, Ms. Newsom taught courses in primary leadership, small and large group instructor training and non-commissioned officer training. Currently, she lives in Eddington with her husband, Les, and their four children. The Abbe Museum was honored to have Bonnie Newsom as the guest speaker for our Annual Meeting!

Annual Meeting: Wednesday June 15th

2011-06-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 from 4:30 -7:00 pm, the Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor will host its Annual Meeting. Special Guest, Bonnie Newsom, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Penobscot Nation will speak about the Abbe's 10 year anniversary in downtown Bar Harbor and the impact the Abbe Museum has had on American museums, archaeology, and her personal story. Her talk is titled, Braided Visions: A Personal Reflection on the Abbe Museum’s Community Engagement.

Ms. Newsom is a member of the Penobscot Nation and serves as their Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. In this capacity, she ensures tribal compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, identifies and manages historic properties on tribal lands, consults with Federal and State agencies relative to historic site protection, participates in public education initiatives and serves as the tribal point of contact for all archaeological issues. Her former positions include a research archaeology position with Archaeological Research Consultants, of Ellsworth, Maine and Assistant Director of the Wabanaki Center at the University of Maine.

Ms. Newsom has served on a variety of boards and committees at both the local and national levels. At present, she serves on the United South and Eastern Tribes Culture and Heritage Committee and is a board member of the Forest Society of Maine.

She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.S. in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her research interests include the archaeology of the Penobscot River Valley and aboriginal ceramic analysis.

As a military veteran and a former leadership instructor with the Maine Army National Guard, Ms. Newsom taught courses in primary leadership, small and large group instructor training and non-commissioned officer training. Currently, she lives in Eddington with her husband, Les, and
their four children.

Major Exhibition Scheduled to Open this Summer at the Abbe Museum

2011-06-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum will open a major new exhibition in its downtown location on Friday, July 8, 2011 entitled: Indians and Rusticators: Wabanakis and Summer Visitors on Mount Desert Island 1840s-1920s. The show highlights the role that Mount Desert Island played in the cultural and economic survival of theWabanakis (the collective name for Abenaki, Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Indians in Maine), offering a focused look at the seasonal interactions of Wabanakis and rusticators (annual summer visitors from the urban areas of Northeastern US). It will profile various personalities—especially the iconic Penobscot Indian showman Frank “Big Thunder” Loring, whose unforgettable presence on Mount Desert Island spanned 60 years of the Rusticator Era, will be profiled, as well as noted Passamaquoddy guide and artist Tomah Joseph. Serving as guest curators for the project are Bunny McBride, MA and Dr. Harald Prins, highly regarded scholars and authors of Wabanaki history. The stories told, and research presented represent years of collective work with the four tribes in Maine, the Abbe Museum, and Acadia National Park. McBride and Prins have worked with the Abbe on a number of occasions; memorably, McBride curated The Four Mollys exhibit ten years ago when the Abbe first opened in downtown Bar Harbor.

They had this to share about Indians & Rusticators:

About a century ago, the “Indian Encampment” in Bar Harbor was a thriving summer community of Passamaquoddy and Penobscot families, along with a few Maliseet and Mi’kmaq. Many were relatives, others were friends, and almost everyone knew about everyone else. Romantic relationships were often forged in the camp. Babies were born there and elders died. Although we no longer see their bark canoes lining the shore, smell their cooking fires filling the air, or hear them telling stories and singing songs in their ancestral tongues, this exhibit allows us to peek into their daily lives here on the seacoast. From the 1860s through the 1920s, these Wabanaki journeyed to Mount Desert Island to earn a living - to barter or sell their arts and crafts, to provide services as canoeists and guides, and to work at various hotels. But, they also relaxed and enjoyed themselves, much like the rusticators who came "from away."

As guest curators of Indians and Rusticators, we have not only used archives and museum collections to create this exhibit, but also built upon decades-long personal experiences and friendships with Wabanaki people from each of the four tribes. The groundwork for this particular project began eight years ago when the National Park Service invited us to do historical research on the Wabanaki and Acadia National Park. This resulted in the two-volume report, Asticou’s Island Domain, followed by our book Indians in Eden, which serves as a detailed catalogue for the exhibit.

Through images, objects and stories, Abbe visitors will enjoy learning about a layer of Mount Desert Island history that few know about. The exhibit is designed to give the visitor a “you are there” immersive experience. There is a replica of a Wabanaki sale tent with living space, a reproduction of the Bar Harbor wharf and a wide array of “hands-on” components. Visual images, many recently discovered, will help to create a time travel-like experience. Images to look for include historic photographs, a rare placard for an 1880 Indian performance in Bar Harbor, local period maps of Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor showing the locations of Indian encampments, plus many drawings and etchings. A great variety of cultural artifacts sold by Wabanakis to tourists and rusticators will also be featured, including basketry, bark work, wood carvings, feather work, beadwork, and quillwork. These objects help to illustrate the historical depth of the role Wabanaki art played in the cultural and economic survival of the Wabanaki people, and in making Bar Harbor a unique destination for rusticators.

From the early planning stages to opening day Indians & Rusticators has been a multi-year project and the end result demonstrates the Abbe’s broader program and community goals in action – engaging and informing audiences about the 12,000 year history of Maine’s Native peoples and promoting a diverse dialogue among our visitors, thus revealing the full fabric of our interwoven story. Indians & Rusticators amplifies the historic and first person voices of Wabanaki peoples and will serve as an interesting and interactive educational experience for audiences of all ages. “We want this exhibit to fill in some of the gaps and correct some of the misconceptions of U.S. history in the region and replace stereotypes with an enhanced understanding of Maine’s first peoples,” said Abbe Museum CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko.

The Abbe Museum has engaged as exhibition advisors James Eric Francis, Sr., Tribal Historian for the Penobscot Nation; Donald Soctomah, Tribal Historian for the Passamaquoddy Tribe; and Donna Loring, Penobscot Nation Tribal Council member and former State Legislator. Their influence and guidance have ensured the relevancy of this project. Local organizations contributing to this project include the Bar Harbor Historical Society, the Mt. Desert Island Historical Society, and the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

The public is invited to an opening reception on

Friday, July 8, 2011 from 4:00 to 6:00pm.

During the reception, admission to the Abbe Museum is free.

Generations of Wabanakis Share Their Artistry in Historic Bar Harbor

2011-06-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

For thousands of years, the Native people of Maine have lived on and traveled to the shores of Mount Desert Island. Coming in birch bark canoes by river and sea to what is now Frenchman Bay; they paddled across the channel to land on the Island. After the arrival of Europeans, Native people continued to summer on Mount Desert Island, selling their wares to visitors. It is with this spirit that their descendants continue to travel to Mount Desert Island in modern times to participate in the annual Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market.

It’s fascinating to realize that among the visitors to the Festival today are the great-grandchildren of the people who bought baskets from my great-grandmother and her contemporaries. Her baskets and mine are in some of the same family homes and collections here on MDI. - Theresa Secord, Penobscot

The focus of the Festival is a market featuring basket makers, representing all four tribes in Maine, the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot, collectively known as the Wabanaki. Among this group are nationally renowned contemporary and traditional basket makers who travel to Bar Harbor to sell their work – drawing collectors from across the country.

The Festival combines the art and craft market with music, dancing, and demonstrations. Artists selling high quality baskets made from ash and sweetgrass, birch bark, and other traditional materials, as well as jewelry, musical instruments, and other crafts, gather to share their traditions, history, and culture with visitors. Demonstrations include dancing, drumming, flute playing, and basketmaking, as well as ash pounding.

Parking and public transportation are available, and the grounds of the College of the Atlantic are handicap accessible. Visitors are encouraged to use the Island Explorer bus system which stops at COA. In addition to the festival activities, this year a silent auction will feature works from Wabanaki artists. Proceeds support the non-profit teaching and apprenticeship programs of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance.

The Festival began in 1989 at the Abbe Museum, and as it has grown, it has taken place in several locations around town. In 1994, the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and College of the Atlantic joined the Abbe Museum as partners, allowing the Festival to grow to include more basketmakers, and to take place on the beautiful campus of College of the Atlantic. The Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance has since taken a lead role in organizing the Festival, and plays a key role in bringing dozens of new, “next generation” basketmakers and their families to the event.

The Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance is a nonprofit Native American arts service organization focused on preserving and extending the art of basketmaking within Maine’s Native American community. MIBA seeks to preserve the ancient tradition of ash and sweetgrass basketmaking among the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes. www.maineindianbaskets.org

The Native American Festival & Basketmakers Market will take place on

Saturday, July 9th from 10 am - 4 pm.

Image 1. Photo by Dee Lustusky.

You are cordially invited...

2011-06-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum invites you to our annual Gathering Gala at the Bar Harbor Club on Wednesday, July 20, 2011.

Cocktails & Silent Auction at 5:30
Dinner, Live Auction & Dance at 7:00

All proceeds benefit the Abbe Museum’s mission to inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations with every visit. We are looking forward to an elegant evening filled with beautiful art, delicious food, great friends and music. We hope you’ll join us for the celebration! To preview the artwork and learn more about the Gathering Gala and our sponsors, please visit here. More images of the artwork are being added daily so please check back often! And because seeing the real thing is always better, we also have artwork on display at Machias Savings Bank (Cottage Street, Bar Harbor) and in the Abbe Museum’s Orientation Gallery. Stop in to preview these beautiful works of art…you’ll be glad you did!

Program Collaboration with Acadia National Park

2011-06-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

You may remember an earlier article when Raney Bench, Curator of Education, announced our new collaborative programs with Acadia National Park. (If you don’t, you can find it here.) We are excited to share that those demonstrations start this week! The summer cultural demonstration series in the Park launches on Wednesday, June 15^th at Jordan Pond House with birch bark artist Butch Phillips, Penobscot. Butch will bring a variety of traditional and modern tools used to construct a birch bark canoe, his canoe, and an exhibit detailing the process. Acadia National Park, in cooperation with the Abbe Museum, will present demonstrations each Wednesday this summer to engage visitors with a host of Wabanaki artists, musicians, and experts. These demonstrations are free and open to the public, and in the case of inclement weather, will be held in the Abbe Museum’s Orientation Gallery. We hope to see you there!

Image 1. Butch Phillips.
Image 2. David Moses Bridges.
Image 3. The Burnurwurbskek Singers.
Image 4. Wayne Newell & Blanche Sockabasin.
Image 5. Jeremy Frey demonstrating ash pounding.

An up-to-date list of summer programs can be found on our online calendar.

Celebrating 10 Years Downtown continues as we Celebrate New & Emerging Artists!

2011-06-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Next week is the launch of our Cultural Connections: New & Emerging Artists demonstration series! On Friday, June 24^th from 2:00-4:00 Passamaquoddy fashion designer Leon Sockbeson will demonstrate the art of beading. Leon’s work combines traditional elements with contemporary fashion.

Also participating in the New & Emerging Artists demonstration series are George Neptune, Sierra Henries, and Erik Sappier. On Friday, July 29^th, George Neptune, Passamaquoddy, will demonstrate ash and sweetgrass basket making, while talking about his art, culture, and training. Nipmuck artist Sierra Henries will be demonstrating the art of decorating birch bark with traditional and contemporary designs on Thursday, August 4^th. And on Friday, September 16^th, Penobscot carver Erik Sappier will demonstrate traditional chip carving techniques used to decorate root clubs and walking sticks.

To celebrate these and other artists, the Abbe Shop is offering 15% off select artists throughout the month of June! Currently, you can save 15% on…

Unique Baskets by Sarah Sockbeson
Carved Walking Sticks by Erik Sappier
Unique Baskets by Max Romero
Unique Baskets & Designer Tees by Eric Otter Bacon
Unique Baskets & Beaded Jewelry by Chris & Jaclyn Sockbeson
Birchbark Art, Designer Tees, and more by Sierra Henries

And don’t forget to visit the 2011 Waponahki Student Art Show to celebrate all those fabulous young artists! If you’d like to revisit our monthly themes for 2011, you can find them here.

Next month we’ll be focusing on Abbe Traditions, and giving away a FREE copy of our Abbe Museum Publications CD with every purchase of $75 or more!

Image 1. Sierra Henries.

Image 2. Sample of Leon Sockbeson's bead work.

Image 3. George Neptune at the 2010 Native American Festival & Basketmaker's Market.

Image 4. Erik Sappier.

Image 5. Rainy Days at the Abbe! Both the original Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts Spring, a popular summer tradition, and the Downtown Abbe are open 10-5, every day. If the weather is foul, call to learn what's planned for Rainy Days at the Abbe! Rainy Days at the Abbe is a volunteer-based program; Contact us to learn more.

The Anne Molloy Howells Basket Collection

2011-05-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Julia Clark, Curator of Collections

In 1998, children’s book author Anne Molloy Howells donated her collection of 450 Native American baskets and related material to the Abbe Museum.

The donation almost doubled the Abbe's collection of baskets, making it the largest and best documented holding of Maine Indian basketry in the Northeast. Representing a broad range of styles and uses, Howells acquired a collection from the early 1960s to the early 1990s. It represents nearly 200 years of Native American basketry.

The museum was able to accept such a large collection because plans were underway for the Downtown Abbe, with greatly expanded collections care, storage and exhibition space. Without the new building, the museum would not have been able to accept this extraordinary collection. In 2003, the exhibit “The Basket Room” displayed all but 26 of the 450 baskets, providing visitors with extraordinary insight into the diversity of Wabanaki and other Native American basketry.

The Abbe is noted for its especially strong representation of baskets by the four Maine tribes: the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Micmac. The Howells collection includes Canadian Maliseet and Abenaki works that were not previously well represented in the Abbe's collections.

Howells, a Portsmouth, N.H resident, spent much of each year in Bucks Harbor, Maine from the 1940s to the early 1990s. Her interest in Native American baskets was stimulated by a neighbor's basket, which had been given to his family by Native Americans who gathered sweetgrass for their baskets on family property. At first she purchased baskets for household use, but by about 1960 she had become a serious collector.

The Howells Collection joined two other distinguished basket collections in the Abbe, those donated by Mary Cabot Wheelwright in 1931 and by Watie Akins, a member of the Penobscot Nation, in 1995. Since 1998, collections from Diana Baker, Jeanne Scheno, and the Peter Smith Terry Collection at Unity College have been added to the Abbe’s collection, along with outstanding work by contemporary Wabanaki artists.

The Howells collection is special in part because it is well documented. Mrs. Howells kept very good records, including actual purchase receipts. Also, many of the objects were discussed in Abenaki Baskets, by Gaby Pelletier, one of the best research reports on Northeastern baskets.

Born in Boston in 1907, Howells wrote 24 books for young people, all but three of them fiction, and many set in Downeast Maine. Among her books that feature Native Americans and their culture are Five Kidnapped Indians, Wampum and The Mystery of the Pilgrim Trading Post.

Images 1-8: Examples from the Anne Molloy Howells Basket Collection.

Teaching with Artifacts Allows for a Uniquely Abbe Experience!

2011-05-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

It’s summer, you’re hot, dirty, and sweat drips from your brow into a pit filled with dirt and shell. You look up to see the shining waters of Frenchman Bay and feel the refreshing breeze cool your skin. As your attention returns to the pit, you feel a wave of excitement as you see a bit of gray rock protruding from the soil. Carefully, you scrape the dirt away to reveal an arrowhead with a broken tip. You give a little shout of joy as you share your excitement with others over holding an item made, used, and discarded hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago!

As an educator, it’s my job to try and find creative ways to bring that same sense of wonder and excitement to children when they visit the Abbe Museum, or when we go to their classrooms. Many museums offer an exhibit tour or separate activity for school groups that visit the museum, but the Abbe Museum combines these two formats, to create school programs that allow children to interact with real and reproduction artifacts.

The Abbe offers seven school programs that teach children about the ways Wabanaki people have been living in Maine for the past 12,000 years. All of these programs include an extensive teaching collection of real and reproduction artifacts that children can touch and explore. These artifacts range from ancient stone tools, to contemporary baskets and carvings. Exhibits at the Abbe have educational components built in by design, allowing museum educators to bring school groups into that space so children can use all of their senses to learn more about the Wabanaki.

Students thrill at the opportunity to touch real artifacts, and our work leaves a lasting impression with children and teachers. Here are just a few comments from students we worked with last week:

“It was interesting to me, especially the flute made out of bird bone, that was one of the coolest days ever!”
“I liked the deer bone and I liked the part when we got to touch everything on the animal fur.”
“Thank you for sharing your artifacts. My favorite thing you showed us was the beaver tooth and the flute made out of bird bone. And the beads made out of snail shells. I liked that part because now I know they had fancy clothing."

Image 1: Arrowhead from the Ewing-Bragdon Site, 2010 Field School in Archaeology
Image 2: Shell Beads in the Abbe Museum education collection.

Translating Informational Texts for Abbe Museum Visitors & Guests

2011-05-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Abbe Brochures Now Available in French, German, Italian and Spanish

Terry Willard, Guest Services Associate

As a summer employee and volunteer at the Abbe Museum I noticed that each summer we were getting more and more international visitors to the Abbe. Many of our international visitors are from the cruise ships, visiting scientists from the Jackson Lab, or just in Acadia on vacation. One thing they all have in common is their desire to learn about the Native American Culture in the State of Maine and Dr. Robert Abbe’s role in creating the museum to preserve the Wabanaki pre–European history. It became obvious that many of our visitors had limited English language skills so reading the labels and brochures was not a good option. There had to be a better way to engage these visitors and make them feel welcome.

I have been a French teacher for 42 years and it seemed logical to translate at least the introductory brochure into as many languages as possible. I began by asking some of my language teacher colleagues in Sarasota, Florida, and then my language friends at The Villages, Florida. The following people are responsible for the work done on these translations: German: Gretl Stinnes; Spanish: Erika Moxidowler; Italian: Miriam Gebhardt and Luciana Haynes; French: Agnès Corizzi and Terry Willard. We know that these translations will make a difference to our international visitors. It is our hope that these translations will “inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations with every visit.”

Last year the Abbe Museum hosted 25,000 visitors representing every state and over 30 countries. Approximately 9.8% of our guests were international visitors. There are so many other languages that need to be done. If you have the time and the talent, please contact Astra Haldeman (astra@abbemuseum.org).

Terry Willard: BA (1969), MA (1983) and CAS (1987) at the University of Maine/Orono. Terry has taught French for 42 years: 26 years at Leavitt Area High School in Turner, Maine; 10 years for Sarasota Adult and Community Education in Sarasota, Florida and 6 years at The Villages Lifelong Learning College at The Villages, Florida.

Image 1: Terry Willard at the Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts Springs, where she welcomes guests in both English and French throughout the Summer and Fall.

Image 2: Sample of an informational text, translated into French by Terry Willard and Agnès Corizzi.

Evaluating the Sustainability of the Preservation Environment for Abbe Collections

2011-05-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

John Brown, Director of Finance & Administration

In December 2009, the Abbe entered an application for a competitive planning grant with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for evaluating the sustainability of the preservation environment for collections. In practice this means looking at our heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system (HVAC) which consumes a sizable chunk of our operating budget and leaves a significant carbon footprint. We have long had a suspicion that, in our effort to maintain a precise temperature and humidity environment, our system is often working against itself by cooling warm, humidified air in the winter and heating cool, de-humidified air in the summer.

In June of 2010 we were notified that we had been awarded $40,000 to proceed with the planning work. During the remainder of 2010, we identified professional consultants to advise on the project and obtained their commitments. We were fortunate to assemble a solid team from a diversity of disciplines that worked well together. Michael Henry is both a licensed architect and professional engineer with a specialized practice in building environments and energy management. Ron Harvey is a longtime Abbe friend and professional conservator with years of experience in materials preservation. Rounding out the team was Dave Clay who is a licensed engineer with Mechanical Services, the company that maintains our HVAC system.

The project all came together last month in several days of study and meetings at the Abbe. As a result, we obtained some immediate benefit by making adjustments to the HVAC control programming; and over the next four months we will be writing a report detailing how our system conforms to current museum best practices and remediation recommendations. This report will be the basis for a second competitive grant round for implementation including purchasing and installing equipment.

Image 1: The mechanical room of the Abbe Museum. Visitors can learn more about preservation and care of Abbe Collections in the exhibition Objects of Our Affection.

A Busy Season for Teacher Workshops at the Abbe!

2011-04-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

The spring teacher workshop season has just come to an end; since January I have conducted six teacher workshops, working with teachers from many grade levels and school districts. We launched a new focus in our training- teaching Wabanaki content thematically, encouraging teachers to break away from the standard “Indian unit.” We are also trying to stay in front of the transition to National Core Standards for assessment, moving away from the current state learning results. Our workshops are helping teachers develop new ways to include Wabanaki content into multiple disciplines, making it less stressful and time consuming, but also being more holistic and inclusive of Wabanaki content, which is more reflective of the history and identity of Maine.

The year started with a Skype workshop with five teachers from the outer Islands, which included Matinicus, Frenchboro, Swans, Isle au Haut, and Isleford. This was new ground for the Abbe Museum, both in terms of the use of technology to “beam” me out to the Islands during a blizzard, and working with several new teachers who were not familiar with the Abbe before. We were able to conduct an in-depth workshop focused on geography that was inspiring for me because I was able to think about training other teachers about how to teach Wabanaki content thematically. The teachers were inspired by the amount of new resources they learned about, and received some constructive feedback on the lessons they were developing. I am now following up with this group to do a distance learning program with the students over Skype, which will be another first for the Abbe!

I also was invited by the DownEast Educational Partnership (DEEP) to host three workshops, one in Bucksport, one in Ellsworth, and one at the Abbe. We concluded those workshops here at the Abbe last week, and all were very successful. I was introduced to new teachers, many of whom had not been teaching Wabanaki content and were introduced to the resources and the Museum for the first time.

In March, the Abbe hosted our annual teacher workshop, which featured John Banks, Penobscot, Director of Natural Resources, who discussed historic and contemporary environmental management practices of the tribe. This provided teachers with content to apply in science units, reinforcing our promotion of teaching thematically. During the afternoon session Linda Mejia from the Whale Museum, and Carrie Graham from the Dorr Museum, joined me for an overview of the collaborative program we’ve developed, looking at the theme of adaptation from multiple perspectives. The following week I was back in Bucksport doing training for the district in a full day workshop for area teachers.

So, the total of teachers we’ve reached through workshops and trainings this year exceeds 85 individuals, from schools in Hancock, Waldo, Washington, Penobscot, Knox, Somerset, and Piscataquis Counties!

Image 1: John Bear Mitchell leads a past teacher workshop at the Abbe Museum.

Introducing the Abbe Membership Lounge!

2011-04-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

John Brown, Director of Finance & Administration, has been leading an exciting project over the past few months. As we wrap up the final stages, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Abbe Membership Lounge!

Here is JB’s latest update on the Lounge:

The Membership Lounge is opening soon; we are currently obtaining furniture. The lounge is adjacent to the shop and offers members, volunteers, and friends a place to meet or relax. There is free WiFi available and complimentary coffee and tea. We will be adding display space for selected items from the Abbe's permanent collection. Books and videos will be available to enjoy while at the Museum. Members may reserve the room in advance for a quiet meeting place in downtown Bar Harbor. We value our dedicated members and hope this will provide another benefit for their vital support.

We hope that members of the Abbe Community will enjoy this new addition to the Abbe Museum. Please stop by, enjoy the new Lounge, and let us know what you think! Please check in with Guest Services for a copy of the Room Use Guidelines. The Lounge is open to all Abbe Members, Staff, Volunteers, and special guests of the Abbe Museum, which include the guests of Members, Staff, and Volunteers. The Lounge is available for use during regular open hours.

Image 1: Sneak peek of the Abbe Membership Lounge, which is still awaiting furniture, books, and other finishing touches.

College of the Atlantic Interns Enhance Layers of Time Exhibit

2011-04-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

The winter term for College of the Atlantic brought the Abbe Museum two talented interns, Rachel Heasly and Zach Whalen. Rachel worked with me in Education where she conducted a survey of similar sized and focused museums and compared the educational offerings and fees to what the Abbe has to offer. She then conducted a similar survey of Maine museums, so we could better understand where the Abbe stands in relation to other museums in the region. This was the first step in a multiple year process of evaluating, revising, and releasing a new series of programs in connection with the change to National Common Core education standards, which will be happening in Maine over the next several years.

Zach worked with Julia Clark, Curator of Collections, processing archaeological artifacts from field school. Zach also helped to photograph objects and turned out to be very helpful on several projects with his knowledge of computer graphic programs.

Zach and Rachel worked together to bring the Layers of Time exhibit up-to-date. The exhibit focuses on various archaeological excavations the Abbe has conducted since our founding in 1928, looking at the science of archaeology, what questions were being researched, and summarizing key discoveries from each location. The exhibit ended with an excavation from the Tranquility Farm site dating from 1995-1998, however the Abbe has continued to lead annual field school excavations.

Zach and Rachel worked with data recorded during the 2008-2009 field school excavation of the Ewing-Bragdon site, summarizing what questions the archaeologists were looking to answer, what was found, and highlighting certain key features and artifacts discovered. Zach’s skills and experience with graphic software allowed him to create exhibit panels that match the older panels in design and font, so the new panels are seamless with the older panels. Zach was also able to create a legend explaining the stratigraphy of a possible trash pit uncovered. Rachel helped to write the labels, and both chose the objects they wanted to put on display.

Through this project, the interns learned how to write an exhibit label, how to work with objects, and Julia taught them how to print, mount, and cut out the labels. Zach and Rachel both blogged about their experiences working with the Abbe Museum, which can be found in the blog archives from January, February, and March.

Image 1: Pot sherds from the Ewing-Bragdon site, photo taken by Zach Whalen.

Celebrating 10 Years Downtown Continues this April as we celebrate Community!

2011-04-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Astra Haldeman, Manager of Museum Services

Throughout April the Abbe Museum has focused on community, and we’d like to thank all of you who are a special part of that community. As you’ve read in the articles above, the Abbe Museum has been very busy. I want to take a moment to celebrate and highlight some of the community-orientated activities the Abbe has been able to provide over the past month.

On April 9th, David Moses Bridges hosted a birch bark workshop for children in which he taught children aged 6-12 how to etch birch bark using traditional Passamaquoddy designs, while sharing traditional Passamaquoddy stories and talking about the Passamaquoddy language. The work shop was a huge success and was attended by 58 children! Thank you to David for sharing such a wonderful experience with these young learners.

For the past three months Raney Bench, Curator of Education has been hosting a brown bag lunch series. The series of discussions complements the Abbe’s groundbreaking exhibit, Headline News: Wabanaki Sovereignty in the 21^st Century which will be on exhibit for about another month—so make sure to check it out if you haven’t done so already. Afterward, it will be available as an online exhibit. The brown bag lunch series provided a casual opportunity to discuss sovereignty in relation to the eight themes presented in Headline News: language, identity, hunting and fishing rights, gaming, environmental management, the emerald ash borer beetle, veterans, and international borders. The series has been a great success, with many interested participants at each lunch. For any one who has missed the first three lectures in the series, I encourage you to attend the concluding presentation this Thursday evening, April 21^st from 7:00-9:00 for a PowerPoint and discussion of Federal Indian Policy in which Raney will summarize several key treaties, acts of congress, court cases, and federal laws that define Indian policy today.

Other community events hosted this past month included the popular March on Mt. Desert Community Progressive Dinner, attended by over 100 members of the MDI community, and the popular teacher workshops that Raney Bench has led throughout this winter. We have also welcomed a number of school groups, and it is wonderful to give those children the opportunity to learn at the Abbe Museum. And later this month you can find Raney Bench, Curator of Education, and Zach Whalen, COA Intern, guiding fun and interactive activities as part of Jr. Ranger Day.

On April 21st, the 2011 Waponahki Student Art Show will open in the Abbe Museum’s Community Gallery. The annual Waponahki Student Art Show is a collaboration between Maine Indian Education and the Abbe Museum to celebrate the exceptional talent of the young artists growing up in the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy communities of Indian Island, Pleasant Point, and Indian Township. A huge thank you goes to K.A. McDonald Picture Framing in Bar Harbor for donating the framing of these lovely artworks, which will return home with the young artists after delighting visitors for the next few months.

Next month and throughout the summer there are a number of exciting events coming up—please visit our calendar for the complete and ever-growing list. Coming up in May is the Maine Archaeological Society Spring Meeting. The meeting is free and open to the public and all are encouraged to attend the lectures. For all those of you interested in archaeology, here is the schedule for the meeting:

10:00-11:00 Coffee and Displays, Galleries & Museum Shop open

11:00 The Archaeology of Northern Norway and the Multi-room House Project

Colin Amundsen, Independent Researcher in archaeology & zooarchaeology

11:30 Cultural Heritage Resources in Acadia National Park,

Rebecca Cole-Will, Cultural Resources Program Manager, ANP

noon-1:00 Lunch Break, Galleries & Museum Shop open

1:15 MAS business announcements

1:30 Recent Archaeology at the Abbe Museum

Julia Clark, Curator of Collections, Abbe Museum

Also in May is a fancy basket workshop led by Sarah Sockbeson. Make sure you reserve a spot soon if you are interested in attending.

Throughout May we will be focusing on the Abbe Collections as part of our celebration of 10 Years Downtown, and so we’ll be giving away a free copy of Handicrafts of the Modern Indians of Maine by Fanny Hardy Eckstrom with every purchase of $50 or more. If you’d like to revisit our monthly themes for 2011, you can find them right here.

We hope you enjoy a lovely spring, and we look forward to seeing you soon at the Abbe Museum!

Image 1: A selection of Abbe Museum Logo Items. All merchandise sporting the Abbe Museum logo is 25% OFF throughout April.

The Gabriel Women: A Family Tradition

2011-03-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

By Julia Clark, Curator of Collections

The Passamaquoddy communities of eastern Maine are the home of some of the finest Wabanaki basketmakers, and the tradition is often carried on by women in extended families. Six women of the Mitchell and Gabriel families from Indian Township have shared and passed along these traditions. Perhaps the best known basketmaker in the family was Mary Mitchell Gabriel (1908-2004), who was first Maine Native American to receive the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, in 1994. The Abbe Museum has more than 30 of Mary’s baskets in out permanent collection.

Mary Gabriel was born in 1908 on the Passamaquoddy Reservation in Indian Township, and learned to make baskets at age seven from her grandmother. The family tradition of basketmaking also was passed along to Mary Gabriel’s sisters Doris Chapman and the late Delia Mitchell (1916-2009).

Mrs. Gabriel taught her three daughters to make baskets. Sylvia Gabriel (1929-2003) and Clare Gabriel learned basketmaking from their mother when they were children. Deborah Brooks began learning basketmaking from her in 1994. While each has developed her own distinctive styles, Mary Gabriel’s daughters have excelled at the superb basketmaking artistry taught to them by their mother.

Not only have these talented women shared the tradition of ash and sweetgrass basketmaking with sisters and daughters, five of the women served as masters in the Maine Arts Commission Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program, teaching many more new apprentice basketmakers the art form. Mary’s daughter Deborah worked with the Abbe Museum to make a film documenting the process of making an ash and sweetgrass sewing basket from beginning to end. The legacy of this family of remarkable women will be felt for a long time to come in the Wabanaki basketmaking community.

Deborah Gabriel Brooks’s web site:

http://sweetgrassbasketry.org/index.html

Two films about the Gabriel women and basketmaking:

“Basket Weaving: Deborah Gabriel Brooks” was produced for the Abbe by Dobbs Productions of Bar Harbor.

“Gabriel Women: Passamaquoddy Basketmakers” focuses on the work of Mary, Sylvia and Clare Gabriel. It was produced by the Center for the Study of Lives at the University of Southern Maine.

Image 1. Mary Gabriel
Image 2. Debbie Brooks
Image 3. Clare Gabriel, 1996
Image 4. Sylvia Gabriel, 1998
Image 5. Debbie Brooks, 2002.
Image 6. Mary Gabriel,1994.
Image 7. Mary Gabriel, 1993.

Rhonda Frey: A Gift Remembered

2011-03-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

By Raney Bench, Curator of Education

As the Abbe Museum celebrates women’s history month by highlighting some influential Wabanaki women, I can’t help but think of my friend, Rhonda Frey, and the work we did together for the Abbe.

I met Rhonda early in 2007, during an interview she did about the Museum for her monthly radio program, Indigenous Voices, on WERU. A few months later, Rhonda came to an event at the Abbe. As we sat and visited, she shared her excitement at having just come from a meeting in Stockton Springs where she succeeded in getting the town to change the name of Squaw Point Rd. to something less offensive; a battle that she had been engaged in for the past year. As Rhonda talked about this process, it occurred to me that we needed to record what happened to her, because most people think racism on the level she experienced no longer persists in Maine. Rhonda was very excited to write this story down and work with me to transform it into a lesson for students.

Rhonda began to write, and as she did, she found that she could not separate her experience in Stockton Springs with those she had growing up on Indian Island during the times leading up to the Settlement Act. So, she wrote a second lesson for students, this one a personal biography of what it’s like to grow up in the face of stereotypes. Both narratives are excellent, and Rhonda presented her work with Stockton Springs to teachers and students around the state, as well as listing it on the Abbe’s website as a free lesson for teachers to download. She was hesitant to release her personal story, knowing how exposed it would make her feel, so we put that project on hold.

I was scheduled to meet with Rhonda about the lessons in February 2009 when I got a call telling me she had passed on unexpectedly. It has been such a loss for her family, the Native community, and for me personally. I’ve been fortunate to get to know her son, Jim Lolar, and he gave the Abbe permission to use the second narrative, Rhonda’s personal story, with teachers, knowing his mom would have wanted that. The two lessons are now on-line and being used in classrooms throughout the state.

Rhonda has left her mark in many places, and in many ways. She was an active member of her church and the Native community, she sang in choirs, spoke to the general public, and was a passionate advocate for Native people and rights. She was also a caring mother, grandmother, and friend, and she is sorely missed by many. I am thankful that the Abbe can carry her work forward, and her words can influence and educate future generations for years to come.

To see the lessons written by Rhonda, scroll to the bottom of the page:

http://www.abbemuseum.org/pages/education/educator-online-curriculum.html

Abbe Museum Women: Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Fannie Hardy Eckstorm

2011-03-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

By Julia Clark, Curator of Collections

Women who were passionate about Native American art, culture and traditions were drawn to the Abbe Museum over the years. Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Fannie Hardy Eckstorm are two who really stand out. Not only did each woman make important contributions in her own right, but their friendship and working relationship add another dimension to their story.

Mary Cabot Wheelwright (1878-1958) was born in Boston, the daughter of a wealthy upper class family. She had no formal anthropological education, but had a life-long interest in Native American religion and arts. In 1926, Wheelwright met Hastiin Klah, a Navajo religious leader or “singer,” and worked with him for several years to record ceremonial narratives, prayers and chants. In 1937, Wheelwright was encouraged by David Rockefeller, Sr. to found what is now the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe.

Miss Wheelwright also had homes in Northeast Harbor and on Sutton Island. Her interest in Native American arts and culture extended to the Maine tribes, as well, and she became involved with the Abbe Museum’s early efforts to collect and interpret Maine Native culture. Miss Wheelwright’s involvement with the Abbe Museum was long. She was a trustee of the Museum from 1953 until her death in 1958. Before that, she was an important donor to the Museum’s expanding ethnographic collections. In 1931, she donated 62 Maine Indian baskets to the Abbe; over the next 25 years, other, unique and important objects were acquired for the Museum.

Fannie Hardy Eckstorm (1865-1946) was born in Brewer, Maine. In contrast to Wheelwright’s upper class background, she was the daughter of fur trader and naturalist Manly Hardy. It was from her father that Eckstorm acquired a deep interest in Maine Native Americans, history and nature. Educated in the public schools of Brewer, Eckstorm eventually earned a degree from Smith College. She married the Reverend Jacob Eckstorm in 1893 and had two children. After her husband’s death in 1899, Eckstorm took up research on Maine Native languages, history and culture, and Maine history and folklore. She published numerous books and papers in scholarly journals on topics as diverse as Maine Indian place names, Maine game laws, and ballads of the Penobscot River log drivers.

By 1930, Wheelwright and Eckstorm began corresponding. Initially, their letters are professional and formal. Eckstorm located an important collection of trade silver that Wheelwright was interested in purchasing. Later, Eckstorm collected stories and legends from Passamaquoddy elder Lewey Mitchell for Wheelwright. It appears that Wheelwright financially supported much of Eckstorm’s research after 1930. Wheelwright sent Eckstorm on buying expeditions to the Passamaquoddy reservations in eastern Maine, paid Passamaquoddy informants for legends and songs; and purchased objects that came available on the Indian art market. Eventually, the two women became close friends.

When Wheelwright donated her collection of Wabanaki and other New England Native American baskets to the Abbe Museum in 1931, Eckstorm was hired to document and catalog it. That work, Handicrafts of the Modern Indians of Maine, is still a classic on the ethnographic material culture of Maine’s Wabanaki tribes. The Mary Cabot Wheelwright Collection contains some of the oldest and finest examples of Maine Indian basketry in the Abbe’s collection. Eckstorm also donated several pieces from her personal collection to the Abbe over the years.

Learn more about Fannie Hardy Eckstorm:

http://umaine.edu/folklife/exhibits/women-folklorists/fanny-hardy-eckstorm/

Learn more about the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian:

http://www.wheelwright.org/about.html

Image 1. Photo of Mary Cabot Wheelwright in the library of her family's home in Northeast Harbor, Maine, 1912. Photography by Florence Maynard. Courtesy of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.
Image 2. Photo of Fannie Hardy Eckstorm courtesy of the Maine Folklife Center.
Image 3. Fancy basket made by Molly Molasses, ca. 1862, collected by Fannie Hardy Eckstorm, and given to the Abbe Museum by Mary Cabot Wheelwright in 1931.

Celebrating 10 Years Downtown continues with Women's History Month

2011-03-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to stop by the Abbe Museum this month to visit Aunt Lu: The Story of Princess Watahwaso, on exhibit until April 4, 2011. AND to celebrate other exceptional Wabanaki Women, visit the Abbe Shop for special discounts! We're offering 10% off titles such as Women of the Dawn and Molly Spotted Elk by Bunny McBride, Princess Watahwaso: Bright Star of the Penobscot, and In the Shadow of the Eagle by Donna M. Loring. And you can enjoy 15% off art created by select Wabanaki women artists, such as Rose Anne Bernard, Donna Sanipass, Sarah Sockbeson, and Joyce Tomah. Stop in or call for more details.

2011 marks the 10^th Anniversary of the Abbe Museum's Downtown Bar Harbor location, and to celebrate this important milestone we've planned a little something special for each month. Here's a peek at our upcoming themes and promotions:

April

Community --- 25% OFF all Abbe Logo souvenirs

May

Abbe Collections --- Free copy of Handicrafts of the Modern Indians of Maine with a $50 purchase ($15 value!)

June

Young & Emerging Artists --- Discounts on Select Artists

July

Abbe Traditions --- Free copy of the Abbe Museum Publications CD, 1928-2003 with a $75 purchase ($19.95 value!)

August

Birch Bark --- Discounts on Birchbark Art & Products

September

Back to School --- Discounts on Books; Tea, Popovers,

& Archaeology Contest

October

Maine Archaeology Month --- Discounts on Select Items

November

Native American Heritage Month --- Pajama Day & other Discounts

December

Gratitude--- Midnight Madness & Year-End Clearance

Abbe intern reflects on her work

2011-03-11T10:57:00.001-08:00

As Rachel's internship at the Abbe comes to a close, she looks back at her work and experience. A special thanks goes out to both Rachel and Zach for their work this term, the exhibit they added to Layers of Time is great, as it brings that show up-to-date- some come and take a look!

When I started volunteering at the Abbe a year ago, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. Who knew that I would be interning here, helping out with the education program, and helping to expand an exhibit! It’s been a really valuable learning experience, and I know that I have gained some important skills and knowledge.

I have had the chance to learn about museums across the country that are also dedicated to the Native people of this land, many of which are creatively reaching out to their communities to help further their mission. During the majority of my lifetime, I have associated museums with fine art, hushed rooms, and un-touchable collections. I know now that this is not the case in all museums. There is a wide world of institutions that invite people to learn by asking, feeling, smelling, and creating. This tactile approach encourages active engagement and memorable visits. I am inspired to visit some of these museums I researched (the Bishop Museum in Hawaii jumps to mind…) and learn more about how to get people excited about learning something new, and to continue learning along the way myself.

It is also great to know that my involvement with the Abbe will continue past this internship. The Abbe is an important part of the MDI community, and I am lucky to be part of it. I am really looking forward to sharing what I have learned and accomplished here with friends and family. I am also looking forward to seeing where this experience will take me!

New Exhibit Case Up In "Layers of Time"

2011-03-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

By Zach Whalen, College of the Atlantic intern

On March 9th we installed a new case to the Layers of Time exhibit hall. This case is the culmination of a six week project by fellow intern Rachel Heasly and myself. We have been working with the collection of artifacts from the Ewing-Bragdon site digs from 2008 and 2009. The new case shows some of the most resent finds in the Abbe collection and illustrates how modern archeological methods can find more information about a site by looking at everything, including the smallest fish bones, to create a complete picture.

As the collections intern, I got to go through all the boxes of material found at the site and pick out what needed to go in the case for display. Having washed and cataloged a lot of the material beforehand gave me a sense of what was at the site and what story it told. I spent quite some time working with pottery from the site and refitting pieces to form a larger portion of the vessel. I also got to look at the more mundane items, like a pile of fish and bird bones that were blackened from being charred or stark white as the result of being cooked at high temperature. Learning more about the whole process of taking artifacts from the ground – cleaning them, cataloging them, and finally picking out a few to put on display – has been a wonderful experience.

We also got to design the poster that go with the case, finding pictures from the digs and writing about the site and what we have found from digging there. Getting the format just right and making sure to include all the information was a challenge but a good one that expanded the way I look at museum exhibits. The biggest challenge for me was to outline a profile of Feature One, which is shown in the side panel for the exhibit, so that everyone can see how an archeologist sees the layers of soil and shell. Over all, this project has been very rewarding and I encourage everyone to come and check it out when you are at the museum.

Updating "Layers of Time"

2011-03-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

College of the Atlantic intern Rachel Heasly submitted this post related to an exhibit she has been helping to develop with fellow intern Zach Whalen:

I just had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Arthur Spiess, PhD., Senior Archaeologist at the Maine Historic Preservation Commission who also works at the Abbe Field Schools. I have read many of his field notes while Zach and I have been planning our exhibit about the Ewing-Bragdon dig site, and I was looking forward to having the opportunity for him to look at the work we had done so far.

He is a friendly and enthusiastic guy, and he was able to offer some great feedback for the new addition to Layers of Time. Listening to him speak, I realized what a vast and expansive field archaeology is. It was only seventy years ago when Wendell Hadlock first excavated the Ewing-Bragdon site. At that time it was the bigger, easier to spot artifacts that they were searching for to answer questions about the past. Now, with advances in technology, we are able to use much more of what we find at sites to continue piecing together the history of the land.

By sifting through soil samples we are able to find things like shell beads, a piece of copper, and tiny bones. All of these were previously overlooked, but thankfully we got a second chance! The shell beads tell us there was free time for recreation. The copper indicates trade and metalworking. The bones clue us in to what was being hunted. Even the soil itself tells a story.

Archaeology brings us a little bit closer to our ancestors and helps keep the past connected to the future through the answers it provides. On the other hand, it is also interesting to think about the questions that can only be definitively answered by people who were alive thousands of years ago. Working on the Layers of Time exhibit and learning more about archaeology has been a great exercise in balancing science with mystery.

Recent Acquisition: Miniature Wigwam

2011-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

In early January, I was perusing on-line antique and auction web sites when I came upon this little gem. I like to check out these sites periodically to see what types of Wabanaki material is on the market, and to help identify gaps in our collection. This wonderful piece jumped right out at me in that respect!

As many of you know, the Abbe Museum has over 1000 ash and sweetgrass baskets in our collection, but none like this 7 inch tall vignette. I have seen some of the individual parts, and I have seen similar scenes created with birchbark. I shared photos of this particular piece with other experts in the field. While we all agreed we had never seen anything quite like it, we also agreed that it was probably Passamaquoddy or Penobscot work from the early 20^th century. I can envision a summer visitor purchasing this at a Wabanaki encampment on the coast of Maine to take home as a souvenir of their visit. And as Passamaquoddy historic preservation officer Donald Soctomah said, "What a nice weaving story."

With the generous support of trustee John Benson, the Abbe was able to acquire a new treasure for our permanent collection.

visit Flickr to view other images of recent acquisitions

New Program Initiatives at the Abbe Museum

2011-02-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

The 2011 calendar includes several new programs, themes, partnerships, and series, which have been really exciting to develop. We started the year with some in-house programs focused around our Headline News: Wabanaki Sovereignty in the 21^st Century exhibit, which includes a brown bag lunch series and an evening lecture on federal Indian policy scheduled for April. This is a new focus for the Abbe, and the lunch series is a new winter program offering. The attendance for these programs has been wonderful, and this series, as well as other winter programs, will continue to be offered for our year-round residents.

The Abbe is partnering with Acadia National Park to present a series of Wednesday cultural demonstrations at various locations in the Park. The demonstrations include musical performances, ash pounding, and birch bark canoe demonstrations. Check the Abbe Museum on-line calendar for locations and details on these programs.

Thanks to the generous support of Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, the Abbe will be able to continue our summer demonstration series, this year focused on new and emerging Wabanaki artists. There are some very talented young artists working in basketmaking, carving, and beadworking, and it's our pleasure to bring them to the Abbe and support their work.

Over the summer we will continue our Rainy Days at the Abbe program. Launched in 2010, Abbe volunteers host games, crafts, or hands-on experiences for people of all ages on rainy days, offering an alternative for people who want to be inside on a rainy day.

In the fall we are planning our third annual film series. The Abbe has the opportunity to bring films by Native film makers, or about Native issues, to the museum for a free screening and discussion, making this series very popular.

Add all this to our regular schedule of workshops, lectures, family programs, and exhibits and there is always something going on at the Abbe! For up-to-date information, times, locations, and more events, check the Abbe's on-line calendar here.

Spend Some Time With Us

2011-02-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

If you visit on a Friday morning, it is likely that you will meet Jean Rohrer, one of our dedicated Guest Services volunteers. According to Jean she enjoys volunteering at the Abbe Museum "because I meet a lot of people, learn a lot, and enjoy demonstrations." Because of dedicated volunteers like Jean, the Abbe Museum is able to offer community events and activities and spend more time with visiting guests, answering their many questions and engaging in interesting conversations.

Many of the events here at the Abbe Museum are volunteer-powered, including our next two events Craft Day at the Abbe Museum and March on Mount Desert. Volunteers also make new program initiatives possible, such as Rainy Days at the Abbe. Last year volunteers logged over 1,000 hours at the Abbe Museum leading activities, greeting visitors in Guest Services, conducting tours and educational programs, inventorying the library, helping in the offices, working in the archaeology lab, writing artist biographies, preparing hors d'oeuvres, and acting as hosts and hostesses at events.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the dedicated volunteers who help to make the Abbe Museum such a special place. As we celebrate our 10th Year in Downtown Bar Harbor we are grateful for all the hard work that got us to where we are today. Thank you!

There is always something happening at the Abbe Museum, and there is always a way that you can help! If you are interested in learning more about volunteering at the Abbe, please visit here. Benefits of volunteering at the Abbe Museum include earning experience in the museums field, the opportunity to become involved more closely with a community-oriented non-profit, and, as a thank you, $1 in Abbe Bucks for every hour you volunteer with the Abbe (Abbe Bucks are redeemable in the Abbe Shop). Together we can find a way to match your skills and interests with our needs.

Abbe intern Rachel Heasly reports on a workshop

2011-02-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

College of the Atlantic student Rachel Heasly is interning with Raney Bench this term, working on education projects and a small exhibit. Recently Rachel attended a teacher workshop in Bucksport, and filed this summary:

There is nothing particularly exciting about Bucksport in February (and I’m writing that as a Bar Harbor resident), but when you haven’t been off of MDI in weeks, the idea of leaving the island for a new town, even if it is just as quiet, is oddly appealing.

So when Raney told me she was going to be leading a teacher’s workshop in Bucksport, I jumped at the chance to tag along.

The workshop was attended by elementary school teachers from Bucksport, who taught Pre-K through fourth grade. This meant that Raney focused her presentation on more kid-friendly resources, such as CDs, sheet music, and picture books. However, she certainly did not stop there. All the resources covered ranged from totally kid friendly to more teacher and adult appropriate. She also went over four valuable websites that featured a lot of free content including lesson plans and curricula.

After the presentation, many of the teachers confessed that they had not begun teaching their students about the Wabanaki, and that they appreciated the opportunity to see just how easy it can be to jump in and start.

I cannot say I was surprised to hear that none of them had started teaching about the Wabanaki, despite the state requirement that all teachers must do so. I grew up in the Portland public school system, and not one lesson in any of my classes, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, even touched upon the Wabanaki. It was not until a class trip to the Abbe Museum while I was at College of the Atlantic that I even learned what the term “Wabanaki” meant.

During my time in Bar Harbor I have been privileged to learn more about the Native people of Maine by becoming involved with the Abbe. And now that I am an intern here, I am learning first-hand how important it is that all students in this state be educated about the 12,000 years of history the Wabanaki have here, as well as the very palpable presence they still have in this state.

The first time I came to the Abbe I immediately felt eager to learn about the four Native tribes of Maine. And it seemed to me that the teachers of Bucksport were feeling the same kind of excitement. With all the resources available to them, why wouldn’t they be? Perhaps a Wabanaki unit could be just the thing to brighten a student’s dull winter day.

Archeology: from an intern’s point of view

2011-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

My name in Zach Whalen, and I am a College of the Atlantic student who is interning at the Abbe this winter. I have been working with the archeological collection from the 2009 field school at the Ewing Bragdon site. The work so far as has consisted of lots of washing bags and bags of stone flakes, pottery shards, shells, and bones. Once a bag is cleaned, it is then cataloged; re-bagged, and put in file box to be accessed later.

Most of the work is cleaning garbage, albeit 1000 year old garbage, but still it’s the leftovers and scraps that were discarded as waste. Now it gives us a window into the way life was lived back then by seeing what was eaten, what was made, and what was discarded. By looking at the old bones, we can see what kind of animals were eaten or lived in the area. By looking at the temper in the pottery, we can see what resources they were using and date how long ago they were there. Looking at the stone flakes and broken tools, we can see the types of stone they had and methods that were used to make tools.

There is so much that can be learned from sorting through the trash, and it makes me think about what an archeologist will find in 1000 years when they look at our trash? But that question also worries me. The people who lived here before us lived with the land and used what was here to live their life, and it is only because of the shell middens’s preserving qualities that anything is left. Whereas, if you look at our landfills in a 1000 years’ time very little will have changed – the plastic, Styrofoam, and glass will all still be there waiting for the new archeology intern to wash and short it…

Celebrate 250! Community Dinner

2011-01-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

Last night I spoke during a variety show that launched a year long celebration of the 250th anniversary of Somes and Richardson sailing into Somes Sound and settling in the area. The event was organized by dedicated volunteers from the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, and many other Island non-profit groups and area residents. It was a great event, with over 300 people in attendance- going to show that there really are people living here in the winter, and we're looking for fun things to do! Here are some highlights from my talk:

- Concepts of land ownership are cultural. Wabanaki people practiced shared use of land and resources, and initially, they agreed to share these resources with Europeans. Europeans wanted individual title to land for exclusive use - thus conflict ensued. There are many other, and more complex reasons, why conflict over land occurred, but the realization that land ownership is cultural can help us understand history in new ways.

- We have archaeological evidence that Native people were living on the coast during the winter and the summer. Generally, people have believed that Native people were living on the coast in the summer and moving inland for the winter. This is certainly true after European contact, but evidence from the hinges of clam shells says otherwise. Clam shell hinges grow rings like trees, two each year, one in the summer and one in the winter. By looking at these rings, we can tell when the clams were harvested- and many were collected and processed in the winter.

- There are historic records that also indicate winter habitation by Wabanaki people on Mount Desert Island. In the 1840s, Adelma Somes wrote in her journals of Penobscot encampments on many of the fresh water ponds and lakes on the Island, and that in the winter the tribe put on performances for the residents that were well attended. Her diary, and more information about this relationship, will be explored in our new exhibit Indians and Rusticators which opens July 8, 2011.

Hope to see you all at the Abbe- our next program is Thursday January 20 from 12:00-1:00- a brown bag lunch and learn series on sovereignty- for more information go to our website calendar of events at www.abbemuseum.org.

New blog about this year's Field School!

2010-08-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Follow Abbe Field School participant Hannah Wellman's blog about goings-on of this year's field school on Tranquility Farm. Check it out!

Abbe Museum hosts 4th Annual Community Open House and Cultural Connections Program Series

2010-06-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Bar Harbor, ME - June 13, 2010 – The Abbe Museum is hosting our 4th annual Community Open House, a day that includes free admission to both our locations, and demonstrations, activities, and crafts at the museum in downtown Bar Harbor.

Whether looking for an opportunity to explore the museum and browse the newest exhibits, Headline News: Wabanaki Sovereignty in the 21st Century and the 2010 Waponahki Student Art Show, or looking for a Sunday outing the whole family can enjoy, make sure to mark the calendar for June 13th. Stay the whole day or plan a visit around any of the unique programs available at the downtown Bar Harbor location:

--From 10:00 to 12:00, nationally renowned drum group Rez Dog Singers will kick-off the fun with their spirited pow wow style music in the court yard of the museum. The group’s energetic performances always enliven the Abbe Museum, where they have performed multiple times. Rez Dog Singers musical group is comprised of young men from Native American communities throughout New England.

--From 1:00-5:00, as part of our Cultural Connections series, funded in part by Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, Butch Phillips, Penobscot, will be presenting the art of building a birch bark canoe with a video and canoe display. Butch Phillips will display both his finished canoe and examples of the materials he needed to construct it, and will be available to discuss the process with visitors in an informal manner. A video on the process of building a canoe will be presented as well, so visitors can see first hand how this ancient craft has been revitalized.

--From 1:00-3:00, museum volunteers will offer hands on activities to engage visitors of all ages, including crafts, artifact exploration, and storytelling.

Visitors are also welcome to explore the original Abbe Museum, located at Sieur de Monts Springs in Acadia National Park. This historic location has been welcoming visitors since 1928. For more information call Raney Bench at 288-3519.

The mission of the Abbe Museum is to inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations with every visit. The Abbe has a collection of over 50,000 archeological, historic and contemporary objects including stone and bone tools, pottery, beadwork, carved root clubs, birch bark canoes, and supporting collections of photographs, maps, and archival documents. It holds the largest and best-documented collection of Maine Native American basketry in any museum. Its collections conservation program is recognized nationally as a model for museums.

Contact Person: Raney Bench, Curator of Education
Abbe Museum
288-3519
educator@abbemuseum.org
26 Mount Desert St.
Bar Harbor, ME 04609

###

Enroll in the Abbe Museum Archaeology Field School Today!

2010-05-26T07:54:00.001-07:00

The Abbe Museum, well known for conducting outstanding archaeology programs, is offering its annual archaeological field school the week of August 1-6, 2010. Participants will work with Maine State Archeologist Dr. Arthur Spiess on the Tranquility Farm coastal shell midden site in Gouldsboro, Maine. Field school participants will conduct excavations, practice mapping the site, and learn about the analysis of artifacts.

The 2010 excavation will build on previous discoveries at the site, including a house floor and hearth feature that date to about 1200 years ago. Burned plant remains from the hearth include raspberry, chenopodium, smartweed, wild rye and dewberry. A variety of pottery, stone tools and bone tools, as well as food bone remains, are plentiful at the Tranquility Farm site.

Fieldwork will be complimented by lab sessions and lectures to give participants a broad understanding of archaeology and Maine's Native American heritage.

Participation in the field school is open to the public and no previous archaeological experience is necessary, but enrollment is limited. The cost is $350 for Abbe Museum members and $400 for non-members. Participants will be responsible for their own lodging and food.

Scholarships are available to Maine Native Americans and high school or college students from Maine, with preference given to residents of Hancock, Washington, Penobscot and Aroostook Counties. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and includes a stipend towards lodging and meals. Applications for the scholarship must be received by June 15, 2010.

Scholarship applications and registration information are available on the Abbe Museum’s web site at www.abbemuseum.org, or by calling the museum at (207) 288-3519. You must be 17 or older to participate.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

Contact information:
Julia Clark, Curator of CollectionS
collections@abbemuseum.org
Abbe Museum
26 Mount Desert Street
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
(207) 288-3519
www.abbemuseum.org

Jackson Lab Family Fun Night at the Abbe Museum

2010-05-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum is proud to announce a Jackson Lab Family Fun Night at the Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor. On Thursday, May 13from 4:30 – 6:30 Jackson Lab employees and their guests are invited to a special, free evening at the Abbe Museum. Participants will enjoy hands on craft stations, refreshments, a 10% discount in the Abbe Museum shop and a special discount on an Abbe Museum membership. Take advantage of this opportunity to view our ground breaking exhibit, Headline News: Wabanaki Sovereignty in the 21^st Century, and our ever popular 2010 Waponahki Student Art Show.

Join Us this Saturday at Learn an Ancient Wabanaki Game!

2010-02-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.wabi.tv/news/9931/penobscot-tribe-elder-passing-along-tribal-heritage

Do you have 8 Minutes to help the Abbe?

2010-02-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon!

The Abbe Museum, in partnership with other museums across the country, is launching a study to find out what you expect and want from museums so that we can serve you even better.

Would you be willing to share about 8 minutes of your time to help us with this important survey? Our museum will greatly benefit from this study by having access to the overall results as well as the results from our visitors. We’ll be using the results to make our museum more interesting, relevant, and even fun for you and your family.

In exchange, Reach Advisors, the audience research firm administering the survey, will be selecting some of the participants to win gifts ranging from museum memberships to gift certificates to Amazon.com.

Your individual information will absolutely be kept confidential and will not be shared or used for any solicitations.

To take the survey, click on (or copy URL and insert into browser):
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A55PEXG2V

If you have any problems with the survey, please feel free to e-mail Susie Wilkening, of Reach Advisors, at Susie@reachadvisors.com. She is happy to help you out.

Thank you for supporting not only the Abbe Museum, but museums across the country!

Best wishes,
Your Friends at the Abbe Museum

Charting a New Path - The Abbe Museum Strategic Plan

2010-02-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Over the past two years, the Abbe Museum has been in a period of leadership transition and the organization is poised to move into a new chapter of the Museum’s story. Learn more...

Abbe Invites All to Holiday Open House

2009-12-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

The Abbe Museum is excited to announce our upcoming Holiday Open House, to be held at our downtown Bar Harbor location. Please join us on Sunday, December 13th from 1:00 – 4:00 for a free visit to the Museum. Many exciting family oriented activities are planned for this day to celebrate our community, the holiday season and Wabanaki culture. Take part in “craft” stations where you can participate in hands on projects These projects will include weaving a star ornament, making a natural stained glass window ornament and beading a wigwam, just to name a few. Visitors will also enjoy a variety of games as well as goodies and refreshments.

The Holiday Open House is also a perfect opportunity to see our exhibit, Twisted Path: Contemporary Native American Artists Walking in Two Worlds, before it closes later this month. Visitors will also want to stop in the Abbe Museum Shop, where everything is 20% off with a selection of books at 40% off. For more information about the Abbe Museum Holiday Open House, the Museum, or the gift shop sale, call 288-3519.

Dinner and a Movie Helps Sustain Community Programs

2009-11-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

The Abbe Museum is proud to announce Dine & Donate, a fundraising opportunity with Guinness & Porcelli’s! On Thursday December 3 from 4:30 to close, diners can take their evening meal at Guinness & Porcelli’s in Bar Harbor and 100% of the profit from the night will be donated to the Abbe Museum.

Owner, Michael Boland is a long time supporter of the Abbe and a former board member of the museum. He has had a long standing commitment to preserving the environment and supporting the local economy through sustainable and eco-friendly buying and operation practices at all of his restaurants including Guinness & Porcelli's. Past president of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce for 5 years but still active in many different environmental causes, Michael continues to mix a love of business, tourism and sustainability and is excited to participate in Dine & Donate with the Abbe.

Through exhibitions, educational programs, research, collections, and collaborative partnerships, the Abbe Museum seeks to remember past life ways, consider the present, and educate the public about the Wabanaki, Maine’s first people. The Abbe works closely with Maine educators to help them fulfill their academic requirements for teaching school children about Maine culture and history. Through Abbe-produced lesson plans, field trips, and teacher education, the stable of programming has become integral to the educational experience of children here in Maine. Participation in this unique fundraiser will promote all that the Abbe does toward fulfilling this important classroom role and so much more.

Combining Irish Hospitality with the Flavors of Italy, located in downtown Bar Harbor, Guinness & Porcelli’s features the finest in Italian cuisine including classics like Lobster fra Diavlo, Pasta Bolognese, Saffron Seafood Risotto, Chicken Piccata and Osso Bucco. For dessert, indulge in Tiramisu or locally made Gelato. Also enjoy their Award Winning All-Italian wine list including over 200 wines from all over Italy. Their menu changes with the seasons to ensure they offer you the freshest ingredients available.

As an extra bonus, after dinner at Guinness & Porcelli’s you can watch a free movie at the Abbe! From 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the Museum will screen a local documentary that explores the Penobscot tribe’s connection to their river of the same name, and the importance of maintaining its health not just for their people, but for all of Maine. Following the movie their will be a discussion. Film details are available at www.abbemuseum.org.

To participate in Dine & Donate simply call 288-0030 and make your dinner reservation for the evening of December 3, 2009. For more information about Guinness & Porcelli's, located at 191 Main Street visit www.guinnessporcellis.com

To learn more about the Abbe Museum and how you can become involved in its mission and programs visit www.abbemuseum.org or call 288-3519.

Stories Shared Through Art Help Renew Native Communities

2009-11-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Abbe Museum invites the public to a discussion panel comprised of contemporary Native American artists from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday November 14th. As part of the Museum’s exhibition Twisted Path: Contemporary Native American Artists Walking in Two Worlds, the panel will be moderated by Darren Ranco, Penobscot scholar and professor at the University of Maine, Orono who states “the discussion will explore the many ways that traditional and contemporary Native art forms represent and shape who we are as Native people.”

Panel artists Watie Akins, Penobscot, Rick Hunt, Abenaki, Lenny Novak, Abenaki, Jennifer Neptune, Penobscot and George Longfish, Seneca/Tuscarora represent indigenous people from the Northeast. They will discuss the ways they use art to express their personal and collective journeys in re-connecting with traditions, communicating untold stories, and healing our communities. Ranco notes “In particular, we will explore notions of cultural sovereignty, whereby we use art as Native people to structure our own norms and values in structuring our collective futures."

Rick Hunt, curator of Twisted Path relates that “Drawing, for me, is a way to meditate and pray. It is by pen on paper that I am able to be right there in the moment. If the purpose of art is to inspire, then I hope the viewer will simply experience and feel my art. If it talks to you then I hope that a positive dialogue is created.”

The Twisted Path Discussion Panel is free, open to the public and made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Food Fuels the Body, Soul, and a Community Icon

2009-11-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

The Abbe Museum is proud to announce a “nourishing” fundraising opportunity with Café Bluefish! On November 3, 4, and 5 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., diners can take their evening meal at Café Bluefish in Bar Harbor and 30% of the bill will be donated to the Abbe Museum.

Chef/Owner Bobbie Lynn Hutchins, a fourth generation native of Mount Desert Island, is a supporter of the Abbe’s mission and its programs. Hutchins is also executive director of United World Citizens, based here in Bar Harbor. “I have enjoyed the Abbe museum since I was a child, the dioramas at the Sieur de Mont Springs location always fascinated me. I love history and promoting awareness of and respect for other cultures is one of United World Citizen’s primary goals.”

Through exhibitions, educational programs, research, collections, and collaborative partnerships, the Abbe Museum seeks to remember past lifeways, consider the present, and educate the public about the Wabanaki, Maine’s first people. The Abbe works closely with Maine educators to help them fulfill their academic requirements for teaching school children about Maine culture and history. Through Abbe-produced lesson plans, field trips, and teacher education, the stable of programming has become integral to the educational experience of children here in Maine. Participation in this unique fundraiser will promote all that the Abbe does toward fulfilling this important classroom role and so much more.

Although, the United World Citizens has donated to many local causes, it’s major focus has always been on raising awareness of global issues and helping children in developing countries but Hutchins points out that because the Wabanaki are Maine’s first peoples, “Their connection to the land and each other should be of interest and concern to all of us. When I visit the Abbe, I am inspired by the Native American stories, traditions, and art and I am reminded how the diversity of culture right here in Maine enriches our daily lives.”

One of the area's premier fine dining establishments, Café Bluefish has been serving "creative unique cuisine" in downtown Bar Harbor since 1990. Seafood specialties include the famous lobster strudel, recently featured on the FOOD NETWORK'S Roker on the Road.

As an extra bonus, on the evening of November 5, you can have dinner at Café Bluefish and watch a movie at the Abbe! From 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the Museum will screen two films that address cultural and religious appropriation, with a discussion to follow. Film details are available at www.abbemuseum.org.

To participate in this fundraiser simply call 288-3696 and make your dinner reservation for the evening of November 3, 4 or 5, 2009. Upon arriving at Café Bluefish, tell your server that you are dining in support of the Abbe Museum fundraiser. Even the wait staff at the Bluefish are participating in the event and have volunteered 15% of their tips for the evening to go to the Abbe.

For more information about Café Bluefish, located at 122 Cottage Street, visit www.cafebluefishbarharbor.com and for UWC, please visit www.unitedworldcitizens.org. To learn more about the Abbe Museum and how you can become involved in its mission and programs visit www.abbemuseum.org or call 288-3519.

Native American Film Series Explores Identity Issues

2009-10-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum is pleased to present the second film in a three part series, funded by the National Endowment of the Arts. Thursday November 5th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the Museum will screen two films that address cultural and religious appropriation, with a discussion to follow. This program is free and open to the public.

White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men is an award-winning documentary that deals with the popularization and commercialization of Native American spiritual traditions by Non-Indians. Important questions are asked of those seeking to commercially exploit Tribal rituals and sacred ceremonies...and those vested with safeguarding sacred ways. The film represents a wide range of voices from Native communities, and speaks to issues of cultural appropriation with humor, righteous anger and thoughtful insight.

Image from White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men, 1996

Invisible examines the history of relations between the Anglo and Native American communities in the northeast. The tribal people of Maine often feel invisible and to many Non-Indians in the state, they do not exist. Many of those who do know of the Indians presence are unaware of both their history and their present circumstances. Through the voices of persons telling their stories, Invisible looks at some of the underlying reasons for the racism so deeply embedded in white American culture and how that racism continues to shape Native American reality today. It then asks how we can begin to change our own racism and confront the invisible racism that still lies beneath much of Anglo American society.

Following these short documentaries there will be a discussion session hosted by Raney Bench, Abbe Museum Education Coordinator and James E. Francis, Penobscot Tribal Historian and Invisible producer.

Look Twice Evokes New Thoughts About History

2009-10-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 9th, 2009, Bar Harbor, Maine – The Abbe Museum is pleased to announce a new exhibit, titled Look Twice: The Waponahki in Image and Verse, by Maliseet artist/writer Mihku Paul Anderson. A wide variety of images depicting Maine's tribal history exist and are seldom seen except by researchers and scholars in the field. In addition, the general public is rarely given a broader cultural context in which to view them. Providing contemporary poetry, juxtaposed with historic imagery, Look Twice will simultaneously alter and reframe the context of those images. The effect mediates the historical gaze of a marginalized people. The prose that accompanies each image is one method of bringing history into the present moment, supporting another possible view of that history. The connection between past and present is then strengthened and new ways of understanding history result.

Exhibit designer and writer Anderson is a member of Kingsclear First Nation, N.B., Canada and a graduate student in the Stonecoast MFA program. Mikhu says "I created Look Twice with

the goal of redirecting the visitor's objective gaze at Waponahki life and history in this region. The river motif reflects the importance of these waterways to my people, and is symbolic of time-flow, history and memory as they function to both create and maintain identity." Mihku artfully combines her original writings, colorful graphics, and historic photography in a way that evokes new thoughts about the history of Waponahki people, the people of the Maliseet, Mik’maq, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes.

This exhibit will hang in the Community Gallery of the Abbe Museum until April 2010. An artist’s opening reception will be on October 9^th from 5:00 – 7:00pm, highlighted by a short poetry reading by Mihku.

Abbe Museum Partners with Tribes to Promote Wabanaki Tourism in Maine

2009-09-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

This summer, the Abbe Museum has partnered with 4 Directions Development Corporation to produce an exhibit about the Wabanaki tribes in Maine. This exhibit is on display at the Maine Heritage Village in Wiscasset which is a popular stop for tourists as they travel the famous Route 1. On display are panels representing the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Penobscot and Micmac. Each panel gives an overview of each tribe in Maine. There is also a "Wabanaki Territory" panel which is an large map of the state showing where each reservation is located and how one can get there. It also shows "Native" points of interest including the Abbe Museum. With similar missions to promote Wabanaki heritage and culture, the Abbe Museum and 4 Directions have developed this exhibit to educate visitors about Native Americans in Maine. It is the first step in a broad plan overseen by former Penobscot Tribal Representative Donna Loring to promote Wabanaki Tourism in Maine and beyond.

Free Childrens Workshop at the Abbe Museum- Sat, Sept 12th

2009-09-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Abbe Museum invites you to participate in our Free Children's Design Workshop called Patterns in Nature. Join us Saturday, September 12th from 10:00am to Noon at the Abbe Museum's Downtown Bar Harbor location. Children will observe several patterns from nature and see how artists and architects have used them for inspiration. They will learn a drawing technique based on the design of a chambered Nautilus shell. Space is limited. Please pre-register by calling Raney Bench at 288-3519. For ages 8 and older.

Abbe Museum Hosts Native American Drum Group

2009-08-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

August 29, 2009, Bar Harbor, Maine – On Saturday, August 29, 2009 the Abbe Museum will host Rez Dog Singers, a Native American drum group well known throughout the pow-wow circuit. Performances locations and times are as follows:
• 10:00 am to 12:00 performance at the Abbe Museum, Sieur de Monts Springs in Acadia (in case of bad weather, this 10 to 12 performance will be moved to the Abbe Museum’s downtown location)
• 2:00pm to 4:00 performance at the Abbe Museum downtown at 26 Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor, across from the Village Green park.

Rez Dog Singers is made up of young men from Native American communities throughout New England. This award winning, energetic group’s commanding vocals are enhanced by the deep rhythm of their powerful drum. The Abbe Museum and Rez Dog Singers invite you to share in their performance and engage them with questions between songs. This performance is free with admission to the Abbe Museum.

Storytelling Mural Project Timelapse

2009-08-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 7th, Laughing Couple Duo Rick Hunt and Carolyn Black entertained and educated visitors at the Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor. Both from the Abenaki tribe of Vermont, Carolyn told stories of Abenaki legend from long ago, as Rick illustrated them on large mural panels. These panels are now on display in the classroom on the bottom level of the museum. Throughout the day, we captured images of the mural in progress and blended them together in this time lapse animation for you to enjoy. This performance was sponsored in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.