This annual exhibit provides Waponahki youth a chance to share their creativity and feelings with the people of Maine and beyond. Native children have a unique culture and outlook on life from which to draw inspiration and the pride in their heritage is clearly evident in the works of art that make up this exhibition. From whimsical to spiritual, simple to serious, the opportunity to be creative and to share that with the public gives these students a chance to express themselves in a way that they feel comfortable with.
As Beth Clifford, Curriculum Coordinator for Maine Indian Education affirms, “The Waponahki Student Art Show provides the students of Maine Indian Education with an opportunity unlike any other. Imagine the look on the students’ faces when they step into the Abbe Museum to see, for the first time, their own artwork framed and/or displayed as it would be in any museum setting! The sense of pride and feelings of accomplishment are beyond description…the exhibition and reception hosted by the Abbe Museum lives on in the memories of the children for many, many years.”
Headline News: Wabanaki Sovereignty in the 21st Century is a ground breaking exhibit inspired by news headlines of the past twenty years.
Through a combination of actual news headlines and first person voice of Wabanaki leaders, the exhibit will explore eight topics frequently covered in the news.
A wide array of objects will compliment the story and foster greater understanding of Wabanaki issues.
We all know that museums are the caretakers of a wide variety of objects, archives, and art. This exhibit looks at how museums care for their collections, and protect them from the affects of agents of deterioration such as light, humidity, fire and pests. At the same time, museum staff must balance the needs of an object with the educational mission of the museum. At the end of the day, however, the museum staff love their collections and are tasked with protecting them from the myriad threats they face.
Objects of Our Affection focuses on the effects of,
Air Pollution, Pests, Water Damage, Light, Mechanical Damage, Fire, Patina, Humidity and Temperature.
In 2007, Arthur and Nita Wood of Brooklin, Maine donated a significant portion of their archaeological collection to the Abbe Museum, consisting of stone and bone tools, arrowheads, and pottery fragments. Amateur collectors for several decades, the Woods gathered up well over a thousand Native American objects from Naskeag Point.