Indians and Rusticators: Wabanakis and Summer Visitors on Mount Desert Island 1840s-1920s highlights the role that Mount Desert Island played in the cultural and economic survival of Wabanakis (the collective name for Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Indians). Offering a focused look at the seasonal interactions of Wabanakis and summer rusticators (summer residents from the large urban areas of the Northeast), 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. The stories told and research presented is the work of Bunny McBride, MA and Dr. Harald Prins, highly regarded scholars and authors of Wabanaki history. They are serving as guest curators for the project. Click the image for more info!
Image courtesy of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission
An invitational contemporary art show featuring Native artists from the Northeast.
Rick Hunt, Abenaki, Guest Curator
Featured Artists:
Rhonda Besaw,
Abenaki, Beadwork website
George Neptune,
Passamaquoddy, Basketry
Max Romero,
Mi’kmaq & Laguna/Taos Pueblo, Installation
Leon Sockbeson,
Passamaquoddy, Couture
Sarah Sockbeson,
Penobscot, Painting & Basketry
Exhibit Reception, Friday October 21, 2011 4:00-6:00
Learn more about the exhibit and the artists >
Made possible in part by:
and the Fisher Charitable Foundation
How did people live in the past?
What can we know about their lives and history from the archaeological record?
This exhibit follows archaeological research conducted by the Abbe Museum starting in 1928, and considers how excavations at various sites have tried to answer these questions. Through a combination of artifacts, images and text, you can explore the questions that were asked and what we have learned during eight decades of archaeological investigations. Layers of Time also features a variety of hands-on, interactive activities for children and families, letting visitors step into the role of the archaeologist to ask and answer intriguing questions.
The Abbe Museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts made by Wabanaki people, some are thousands of years old, and others were created by artists this year. These items inspire our staff, visitors, and volunteers, and often excite people to want to learn more. Engagement and passion for the mission of the Abbe, and the art and culture of Wabanaki people has brought the Museum many friends.
In the Words of Our Friends is an on-going exhibit that features an item, or collection of items, that have inspired our volunteers, trustees, and friends. In their words, each person explains why they are inspired by the Abbe and the artifacts on display. We will rotate new artifacts into the case every couple of months. If you’re interested in participating, ask how at the front desk.
Visit the original Abbe Museum, built as a trailside museum in 1928. The exhibits focus on the archaeology of Maine, and are reminiscent of the way the museum would have looked when it originally opened. See how bone and stone tools and pottery were made, explore artifacts from the museum's early collections, and find examples of artifacts from many towns around eastern Maine.
An introductory exhibit gives you a brief history of the Abbe Museum, and is complimented by a giant map of Mount Desert Island and the surrounding area, made by museum founder Robert Abbe. A visitor favorite, four dioramas depict life on Mount Desert Island before the arrival of Europeans.
The Abbe at Sieur de Monts Spring is open daily 10-5 from late May through early October.