Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

3 IN 3



Did you know that THREE of the Abbe Museum's current exhibitions will be closed within the next THREE months?!?

Make sure to visit before they’re gone!!!


2012 Waponahki Student Art Show 
On View Through September 22



The Waponahki Student Art Show brings together a wonderful variety of art created by Passamaquoddy and Penobscot students from early childhood education through high school.  Using a wide array of media, these young artists incorporate traditional beliefs and values with the modern, multi-cultural world around them.  A collaboration of Maine Indian Education and the Abbe Museum, with special thanks to K.A. McDonald Custom Picture Framing, Bar Harbor.




Transcending Traditions: The Next Generation and Maine Indian Basketry
 On View Through December 29

Ganessa Bryant basket, photo courtesy of the Hudson Museum
 

Transcending Traditions features five contemporary Maine Indian basketmakers representing the next generation: Jeremy Frey, Ganessa Bryant, Sarah Sockbeson, George Neptune and Eric “Otter” Bacon.  This project explores the new directions that these innovative artists are taking the tradition in the face of environmental and economic challenges.  This exhibit was created as a collaboration between the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and the Hudson Museum, supported by a grant from the National Museum of the American Indian’s Indigenous Contemporary Arts Program. 




Indians & Rusticator: Wabanakis & Summer Visitors on Mt. Desert Island 1840s-1920s
On View Through December 29



Indians and Rusticators 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 profiles 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 served as guest curators for the project. 
Indians & Rusticators is the winner of a 2012 Leadership in History Award.  Learn more here.
 

Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Abbe Museum Welcomes New Trustees




Abbe Museum Members enjoyed a lovely evening at the
Annual Meeting, held this year at Nannau Woods thanks to
the generosity of hosts Carey & Claudia Turnbull.
Read the 2011 Annual Report presented that evening.
At its Annual Meeting held on August 15, 2012, the Abbe Museum officially added three new members of its Board of Trustees: Mr. David Moses Bridges, Ms. Ann Cox Halkett and Mr. Douglas Sharpe. 

“We are excited to welcome our incoming class,” said CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko.  “Our new members bring talents and new perspectives that will complement and strengthen our Board.  As a 21st century museum, we are building a Board that is reflective of our community, our organizational needs, and our mission.  It is a pleasure to work alongside the Abbe Trustees as we strengthen the Abbe Museum presence locally and statewide.”

Mr. Bridges is a Passamaquoddy artist, educator and community advocate, who has been immersed in the traditional culture of his community for his entire life. He carries on his family’s tradition of birch bark canoe construction and has been sharing his knowledge with children and adults through Abbe educational programs for twenty years.  Since 1992 David has focused on the preservation of Wabanaki material culture working with museums, schools and tribal groups as a consultant, conservator, and project leader. As a founder of Nulankeyutmonen N'Kihtahkumikumonen, he works as an activist and advocate for the preservation of indigenous homelands in Canada, the U.S. and South America.  He lives in Bar Harbor with his family.

Ms. Halkett lives in Bar Harbor and is the development and public relations writer at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. Her childhood in New York City was brightened by summers spent at Tranquility Farm on Frenchman Bay in Gouldsboro, the site of several of the Abbe’s archaeological digs and field schools. Her affection for Maine led her to move to Portland after college and then raise her four children in Cherryfield. In addition to her work in development, she has been an organic blueberry grower, family planning counselor, newspaper columnist, and freelance writer. She has served on the boards of the Downeast Food Co-op, the Downeast AIDS Network, and the Narraguagus Nursery School, and on the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Southwest Harbor.  Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English come from Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Sharpe grew up in Rhode Island and has spent many summers in Sorrento and on Mount Desert Island. He has been closely involved with the Abbe Museum for many years helping to support its initiatives and directions, and is a regular participant in the Abbe’s archaeological field school.  A graduate of Brown University, his professional career was as a Systems Engineer and he worked in the software industry for 20 years with Raytheon, IBM & Lotus Development Corporation.  Recently retired, he is now focused on managing family business efforts and performing several volunteer positions.  He has non-profit board experience with the South Kent School in CT, the Foundation for Free Flight, and the Sharpe Family Foundation.  He lives with his family in Concord, MA.   

The Abbe Museum Trustees as of August 15, 2012 are: Sandra K. Wilcox, President, Barbara E. McCloud, Vice President, William Haviland, Secretary, Jeff Dalrymple, Treasurer, Christina Baker, John Benson, David Moses Bridges, Richard Cleary, Linda K. Dunn, Ann Cox Halkett, Margaret Kelley, Kessie Watters Kimball, Rick Phillips-Doyle, Darren J. Ranco, Douglas Sharpe, Arthur E. Speiss, and Honorary Trustee, Alice Wellman.

Abbe full-time staff include: Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, CEO, John Brown, Director of Finance and Administration, Raney Bench, Curator of Education, Julia Clark, Curator of Collections, Astra Haldeman, Manager of Museum Services and Hannah Whalen, Director of Development.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

An Intern's Perspective About Working at the Abbe



I’m Dan Shorette, and I’m going to be a freshman at the University of Maine in the fall. I’ll be studying anthropology/archaeology as a major and Native American Studies as a minor. When I was a kid growing up in Massachusetts, I always enjoyed coming to MDI. I particularly enjoyed going to the Abbe Museum because of the unique subject it addressed: Native American culture in Maine. So when I had the chance to do a summer internship right out of high school, I took it.

Intern Dan Shorette at the 2012 Field School,
ready to screen for artifacts!
This summer I worked with both Raney Bench, Curator of Education, and Julia Clark, Curator of Collections, with a variety of projects. Raney had me transcribe a panel discussion that the Abbe Museum had hosted not long ago entitled “Emotional Politics.” Honestly, that was one of the more memorable experiences I had here because I was listening to the voices of Native scholars and leaders and hearing their opinions. I learned a great deal about what they thought about the dams in the rivers; what they wanted to change; what they wanted to teach. The experience was life-changing, especially since I’m going to be studying this sort of stuff in the fall.

As for my work with Julia it was split between a few different tasks that involved handling some donated artifacts as well as preparing and participating in field school. The donated artifacts were part of the Feher Collection, and I mainly cataloged and did data entry for those artifacts, meaning I listed them and then put that information into the computer. The most enjoyable of all my summer projects was, however, field school: along with a whole group of people I got to go out and participate in an archaeological dig. It was very enjoyable because of experience I gained from both last year’s and this year’s field school. It is always great to get out and work with some great people.

One of the most memorable parts of my internship was working out at the Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts with Guest Services Associates Jane Clifton and Roger Marks. Working in Guest Services at Sieur de Monts, I realized how distant I kind of was from socializing with people face to face. I learned how to go about trying to talk to people in a way that wouldn’t be taken as an insult. I also learned of some of my own biases, and how I need to live with a truly open mind.

The Abbe Museum would like to thank Dan for all his hard work this summer.  During this internship Dan donated over 350 hours of service to the Abbe Museum, completing projects in Education, Collections, Guest Services and Events.  Many of our visitors and members may have had the opportunity to meet Dan this year as he worked at Sieur de Monts, helped at the Downtown location, or assisted during special events such as the Native American Festival and Gathering Gala.  When not working with our visitors and guests, Dan was diligently at work transcribing at his desk or processing collections in our archaeology lab.  We are grateful for Dan’s help, and wish him the best of luck as he begins his academic career at the University of Maine this fall.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

CLYNK - Community Cash for the Abbe!

Did you know that your returnables can benefit the Abbe?  The Abbe Museum is part of CLYNK's Community Cash Program, so it is easy to do two good deeds at once--recycle & support the Abbe!

Supporting the Abbe Museum through CLYNK is easy!  If you already use CLYNK, visit the kiosk at participating Hannaford Stores, and follow the on-screen directions to print bag tags for the Abbe Museum (choose "Community Cash" and search "Abbe Museum").  Or stop by the Abbe Museum during our regular open hours and ask for pre-printed bag tags and CLYNK bags.

Every little bit adds up, and CLYNK is an easy way to make a difference!  The Abbe Museum would like to thank all those who have supported the Museum through CLYNK, such as Julie Malloy and her family, who last month donated over 16 bags of returnables to benefit the Abbe! 

How do all these donations add up?  Check out our current stats to see how we are doing:

Click to enlarge. 
CLYNK Community Cash Stats are available from the CLYNK website.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

The 2012 Gala: One for the Record Books!

By Hannah Whalen, Director of Development


The Abbe Museum is pleased to report the most successful Gathering Gala it has had since it began hosting this annual event at the Bar Harbor Club.  Through ticket sales, sponsorships, outright gifts, auction purchases, and a special paddle raise, the Abbe received over $110,000 of generous support.  64 auction artists and experience donors, 20 sponsors and 250 guests (including the Abbe Underground young friends group) made the evening possible. 
“The Gala was a resounding success with many records set,” declared Abbe CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko the day after the Gala.  She went on to say, “the staff and I are over the moon today and are so grateful for all of this incredible support.”

The evening of July 18 started at 5:00pm with cocktails, beer donated by Atlantic Brewing Company, passed hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction.

“The silent auction had about fifty things,” said Ellen Gilmore, Abbe Volunteer, “and there was a wide variety including a number of experiences that guests could bid on.”

One notable item was an ash and sweetgrass collar basket, woven by master basketmaker, Molly Neptune Parker, Passamaquoddy, one of nine artists in the country to receive the 2012 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. The auction experiences included a VIP tour of the National Museum of the American Indian and lunch at the renowned Mitsitam Café.

After the close of the silent auction, guests made their way into the ballroom for dinner.  Tables were elegantly decorated with green overlays and unique birch bark and floral centerpieces created and donated by Lindy Stretch of Fox Fields Flowers.  Bottles of Estate Riverstone, Chardonnay and Estate Los Osos, Merlot donated by J.Lohr Vineyards and Wines were open on the tables.

During dinner, auctioneer, (and former Abbe board member) Senator Dennis Damon, led guests through the live auction.  Part-way through, Abbe Team members, Nora Miller and Astra Haldeman, joined Senator Damon to introduce the “Greening the Abbe” Initiative and paddle raise.

 “The Abbe Museum is the sum of many parts and what makes the Museum relevant are those individuals, like all of you who attend or lead our programs, engage with our exhibits, come to the Gala, and support our mission,” said Ms. Haldeman, she went on to say, “You are the reason the Abbe Museum exists, and you have the ability to facilitate our transformation into a more sustainable organization and that is why we are relying on you tonight.”

The Greening paddle raise inspired more than $30K in gifts, which will allow the Abbe to start the greening process immediately.  The first phase of the Greening Initiative will address lighting, humidification, UV reduction and mechanical systems software.

This model birch bark canoe by Butch Phillips
was a popular live auction item at the 2012 Gala.
As dessert arrived, so did the final items up for bid, a hand-painted paddle by Eric Hopkins, a decorative wooden paddle by Joe Tracy and lastly, a two-foot model birchbark canoe made by Butch Phillips, Penobscot. All three items spurred lively bidding, especially Phillip’s canoe, as it is the first and only 2 foot canoe that he has built or will ever build.

When asked how he felt about what it meant to see his canoe generate such enthusiastic support, Mr. Phillips said,  “I am overwhelmed and satisfied that I had a small part in contributing to the success of the Gala for the Abbe.” 

He added, “It was more than I expected and it really shows what can happen when you have such dedicated friends of the Abbe who have an appreciation for art.” 

After the auction things got even livelier with live music, dancing and the arrival of the Abbe Underground.

“It was a great night for the Abbe, the energy in the room was palpable,” said Board President, Sandy Wilcox.  “We are so grateful to our old friends and new friends for attending the Gala and making it such a wonderful success. I am also grateful for the hard work of all of the artists who donated their time and talent, to the experience donors, to our generous sponsors and to all of our Gala volunteers, especially our 2012 Gala Committee.”
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Other News & Events for August

There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this summer is no exception!  Please visit our online calendar regularly for more details and updates.
Throughout August there will be two
educational programs each week.  Check our
online calendar for complete listings.

Up next are basket demonstrations by Fred Tomah (July 27), George Neptune (August 1), and a basket workshop led by David Moses Bridges (August 2 & 3).  We hope you can join us!

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!

NEWS

Maine Attraction: Ambitious Cultural Tourism Initiative Puts Wabanaki on the Map read about it on Indian Country Today Media Network


Tribal Leaders & State Officials Form Commission to Prevent Child Abuse read and watch on WABI TV5

Kolodny's In Search of First Contact Reviews History, and Then Some read about it on Indian Country Today Media Network

Penobscot Nation Program Aims to Promote Breast-Feeding as Step Toward Improving Health read and watch on BangorDailyNews.com

Passamaquoddy Nation Seeks to Free Alewives on the St. Croix River read about it on Indian Country Today Media Network


Passamaquoddy Tribal Members to Share 10.2 Million read about it on BangorDailyNews.com

Abbe Wins Prestigious Award on fenceviewer


Click Here to Check Out the News Links Posted In "Other News & Events for July"

EVENTS

Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance Events
Next Up: September 21, 22, 23, 2012 Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, ME
Visit members of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance at the Common Ground Country Fair in the Native American Arts Area. Brown ash and sweetgrass basketry, traditional arts, drumming and demonstrations throughout the weekend. For more information, contact Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association at 207-568-4142 or online at www.mofga.org


47th Annual Sipayik Indian Day Celebration: Friday, August 10 - Sunday, August 12, 2012
This annual event begins with a canoe trip from Indian Township on Thursday, August 9.  Opening ceremonies take place at noon on Friday, at Split Rock, Pleasant Point.  The Indian Day Celebration features a full weekend of events, live music, vendors, and other activities.  It concludes with a Grand Finale of Traditional Dancing and Drumming on Sunday at 2:00 pm followed by a community meal.  All events are drug and alcohol free, and all are welcome.  For more information, call 207.853.2600

Aroostook Band of Micmacs Mawiomi of Tribes 2012: Friday, August 17 - Sunday, August 19, 2012
A'pjilasi - Welcome.  You are cordially invited to join the Aroostook Band of Micmacs in celebration of the Mawiomi of Tribes.  Join in tradition through song, dance, food and ceremonies.  For more information, download the poster, visit the website, email or call 207.764.1972.  Please note that this is a drug and alcohol free event.  No admission fee.  Location: Spruce Haven, Doyle Road, Caribou, Maine 


Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Basketmaking Demos & Workshops

Fred Tomah, Photo by Anna Travers
In the next week, the Abbe Museum will be hosting two basket demonstrations and one two-day workshop. 
We hope that you can join us for one of these exciting programs!


Friday, July 27: Ash Fancy Basket Demonstration

11:00 - 3:00, Included with Regular Admission

Fred Tomah, Maliseet, will be demonstrating his unique style of basketmaking using ash splints.  Fred’s characteristic style differs from other Wabanaki basketmakers, and his work is truly one of a kind.  His baskets are in the collections of the Abbe Museum and the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian.  Fred will have completed baskets on display, and will be working on a basket throughout the day.  Tools and raw materials will be on display as well.  This demonstration will occur at the Downtown Abbe Museum, and is included with regular admission to the museum.  This program is made possible by the support of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and Maine Arts Commission.


Wednesday, August 1: Ash Basketmaking Demonstration
11:00 - 3:00, FREE

George Neptune
George Neptune, Passamaquoddy, is a young basketmaker who comes from a prominent basketmaking family.  He learned from his grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker, and has been weaving most of his life.  George has created a signature style that includes sculptural elements of woven birds, nests, branches, and flowers.  This demonstration will occur outside the Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts Spring and is free and open to the public.  In the event of inclement weather, the demonstration will take place in the Orientation Gallery of the Downtown Abbe Museum.  Please call the Abbe that day if you have questions about weather: 207-288-3519.  This program is presented in partnership with Acadia National Park.



Thursday & Friday, August 2 & 3:  Birch Bark Basket & Etching Workshop
10:00 - 4:00, Both Days.  Registration required.  Abbe members: $75. Non-members: $120 (includes individual membership to the Abbe Museum). 

Participants will work with artist and canoe builder David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, to make a folded birch bark basket and then etch the basket using David’s stencils, or create designs of their own.  Folded birch bark baskets were used to store food and other items, and have been made for centuries by the Wabanaki.  Participants will learn how to fold the bark and lash it together using the roots from a spruce tree, and make a lid for the basket. On the second day, participants will finish work on their baskets and then etch designs into them.  For more information, or to register, please call (207) 288-3519 or email Raney. 
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

2012 Field School Scholarship Awarded to Kate Pontbriand


Kate Pontbriand working on mapping the wreck
at the Seal Cove Shipwreck Project. NPS Photo.
The 2012 Abbe Museum Archaeological Field School Scholarship has been awarded to Kate Pontbriand of Gouldsboro. Ms. Pontbriand is a 2012 graduate of Mount Desert Island High School with plans to attend Franklin Pierce University in the fall. “I love learning about cultures of the past,” she says, and looks forward to “learning field skills to see if archaeology is really what I want to pursue in the future.” Ms. Pontbriand has worked at the Acadia National Park Visitor Center and in the Cultural Resources department at the Park, and served as a junior intern at Schoodic Arts for All for several seasons. In 2011, she participated in the Seal Cove Shipwreck Project with ANP, assisting with background research and mapping the shipwreck site.

The Abbe Museum’s annual archaeological field school takes place in August 2012. 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. Fieldwork wis complimented by lab sessions and lectures to give participants a broad understanding of archaeology and Maine's Native American heritage.

The 2012 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.

While the 2012 field school is already full, please visit the Abbe Museum’s website to learn more, and for information about attending future field school programs.  And visit our blog in September for news from this year's field school!

Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Abbe Museum Awarded Major IMLS Grant

During last week's Gathering Gala, Abbe CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, shared exciting news with the audience.  Gala guests were the first to hear that the Abbe has been awarded a major grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the federal funding agency that supports museums.  An excerpt from her remarks is included here...stay tuned as this new initiative develops!

It has been a year since our last Gala and much has happened between July 2011 and July 2012.  Since we last met in these surroundings, the Abbe Museum welcomed nearly 25,000 visitors from around the world.  We provided educational programming for 3,000 school children from over 50 schools across Maine.  And, more than 100 Maine teachers received support and training to fulfill the unfunded state mandate, LD291, requiring Wabanaki education in the classroom at all grade levels.

 
It’s this last part I want to talk a little more about.  And you are the first to hear this news.  Just yesterday (7/17/12) we received a call from Senator Susan Collins office – we have been awarded a $144,000 grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to help us seriously make a difference in the lives of Maine students and teachers.  This three year grant program will send Abbe educators across the state to train teachers in classroom content to meet the LD291 mandate.  In their letter of support for the application, the Maine Dept. of Education stated, “with the Abbe Museum’s undisputed reputation and its strong partnerships with all of the Wabanaki tribes, the…teacher education program promises to enhance and elevate the teaching and learning of Wabanaki studies in Maine schools.”  We couldn’t be more thrilled about this transformative gift that will not only improve the Abbe’s performance, but will transform the lives of Maine students and educators and re-frame the classroom conversation about Maine’s first nations and peoples.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Other News & Events for July

There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this summer is no exception!  Please visit our online calendar regularly for more details and updates.

Butch Jacobs, Passamaquoddy
Up next is the Transcending Traditions exhibit reception, Friday, July 6th from 4-6, followed by the annual Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market on Saturday, July 7th from 10-4.  Shortly thereafter the first of the Wednesday programs in Acadia National Park will begin--on July 11th Butch Jacobs, Passamaquoddy, will kick-off the series with an ash pounding demonstration at Sieur de Monts Spring.

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!

NEWS

State, Wabanaki Tribes to sign mandate, look into history of harmful child welfare practices in the Bangor Daily News

Maine Signs Historic "Truth and Reconciliation" Agreement with Indian Tribes on MPBN

Celebrating Maine's Wabanaki Peoples on Boston.com

A Damned Dam on the Penobscot River on NPR

Dam Removal Launches Penobscot River Restoration read about it and watch videos on Indian Country Today Media Network

Passamaquoddy Push for Restoration of Alewife Spawning Grounds in the Bangor Daily News

Passamaquoddy Basketmaker Honored by National Endowment of the Arts in the Bangor Daily News

Public-Private Partnership Helps Fund Sustainability Project with Tribes in the Bangor Daily News

EVENTS

Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance Events
Next Up: The Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market in Bar Harbor, July 7th from 10:00-4:00
Schedule of Activities for the Festival


Tribes of the Dawnland Culture and Heritage Days: 3rd Annual Wabanaki Cultural Arts & Heritage Days Celebration Saturday July 21, and Sunday July 22, 2012
Featuring cultural crafts from the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Micmac Tribes, including ash splint, sweetgrass and birchbark baskets, flutes, jewelry, wood carvings, dolls, art and books.  Also presenting demonstrations of basketmaking, ash pounding, beadworking, drum making, birchbark canoe and paddle making, and storytelling.  Enjoy dancing, drumming and singing.  Free and open to the public.  Location: Passamaquoddy Tribal Lands, Indian Township US Route 1, North of Princeton, Maine.

47th Annual Sipayik Indian Day Celebration: Friday, August 10 - Sunday, August 12, 2012
This annual event begins with a canoe trip from Indian Township on Thursday, August 9.  Opening ceremonies take place at noon on Friday, at Split Rock, Pleasant Point.  The Indian Day Celebration features a full weekend of events, live music, vendors, and other activities.  It concludes with a Grand Finale of Traditional Dancing and Drumming on Sunday at 2:00 pm followed by a community meal.  All events are drug and alcohol free, and all are welcome.  For more information, call 207.853.2600

Aroostook Band of Micmacs Mawiomi of Tribes 2012: Friday, August 17 - Sunday, August 19, 2012
A'pjilasi - Welcome.  You are cordially invited to join the Aroostook Band of Micmacs in celebration of the Mawiomi of Tribes.  Join in tradition through song, dance, food and ceremonies.  For more information, download the poster, visit the website, email or call 207.764.1972.  Please note that this is a drug and alcohol free event.  No admission fee.  Location: Spruce Haven, Doyle Road, Caribou, Maine 


Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

You are invited to the Gathering Gala!

Please join us for a festive night of food, drink, fellowship, and philanthropy at the Abbe's Gathering Gala benefit auction.  The 2012 Gathering Gala will take place at the Bar Harbor Club from 5:00 - 11:00 on Wednesday, July 18th.  Please RSVP to Astra by July 6 with your choice of Stuffed Haddock, Prime Rib, or Vegetarian Carnival Squash.  Tickets are $150 per person, and payment can be made via Visa or Mastercard by calling 207.288.3519 or checks made payable to the Abbe Museum can be sent to PO Box 286 Bar Harbor, Maine 04609.  If you'd prefer to pay for your ticket at the door, please let us know.  To view photos from last year's event, please click here.

The Gathering Gala is the Abbe Museum's annual fund raising dinner and auction to support the Abbe Museum's initiatives and mission to inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations with every visit.  At this year's Gala guests will enjoy cocktails and a silent auction from 5:00-6:45, a delicious seated dinner and live auction from 7:00-8:30, and dancing to the music of Jones'n from 8:30-11:00.  To learn more about the Gathering Gala, please click here.

Items available during this year's silent and live auctions can be previewed online via the following links.  If you cannot join us for this year's Gala and would like to be an absentee bidder, please contact Nora.


Below is a small sampling of some of this year's beautiful items:

Decorative Canoe Paddle, by Joe Tracy
Lamoine Beach, Maine; August 9, 2011, by Jennifer Stein Booher
Where Shall I Be, by Ashley Bryan
Cromwell Brook and Dorr Mountain, by Jean Forbes
Web, Lenny Novak
Collar Basket, Molly Neptune Parker
Model Birch Bark Canoe, Butch Phillips
Stoneware, by Gull Rock Pottery

Vernal Pools, quilted wall hanging by Ellie Pancoe
Handknit wool men's sweater, by Sandra Wilcox
Vine Necklace, by Lisa Hall

Western Maine Getaway, Donated by John Collier & Susan Ferrante Collier
High Tea for Twelve on the Harbor at Cranberry Hill Inn

And much, much more!  
Thank you to everyone who donated items for this year's auction!






Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Abbe Museum Wins 2012 AASLH Award of Merit

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that the Abbe Museum is the recipient of an Award of Merit from the AASLH Leadership in History Awards for the exhibit Indians and Rusticators: Wabanakis and Summer Visitors on Mount Desert Island 1840s-1920s. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 67th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.

Indians and Rusticators is an immersive exhibit exploring the unique relationship between the first summer tourists visiting Mount Desert Island, called rusticators, and the Wabanaki. Living in encampments through the summer season, Wabanaki people traveled to Bar Harbor to offer their services as guides and entertainers, and also sold souvenirs of traditional baskets made to appeal to a wide array of people. The exhibit features a 19’ birch bark canoe purchased on a ship coming to Bar Harbor in 1878, baskets made from ash and sweet grass and birch bark, steam ship and rusticator artifacts, and hands-on activities for all ages. The exhibit will remain at the Abbe in downtown Bar Harbor through December.

This year, AASLH is proud to confer fifty-nine national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, books, and organizations. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2012 AASLH Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, October 5, 2012. The banquet is supported by a generous contribution from the History Channel.

The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also brings public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203, or go to www.aaslh.org.

The American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH provides leadership, service, and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful in American society. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, and monthly newsletter. The association also sponsors regional and national training workshops and an annual meeting.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Ash & Sweetgrass Fancy Basket Workshop

with Molly Neptune Parker, Passamaquoddy

Molly Neptune Parker weaving.
On Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14, 2012, come to the Abbe Museum to learn how to make an ash and sweetgrass fancy basket with nationally acclaimed basketmaker artist, Molly Neptune Parker, Passamaquoddy. In this two day workshop, Molly will take students through the process of weaving an ash and sweetgrass basket.  First, participants will choose a basket mold from Molly’s collection.  She will then instruct how to weave the dyed or natural brown ash around the mold.  To finish off their creations, participants will learn how to make the decorative, colorful curls and weave sweetgrass.  Participants will leave with a beautiful basket of their own creation, and memories to last a lifetime! This workshop spans two days, 10:00-4:00 each day.  Both days are necessary to complete a finished fancy basket, but it is possible to make a basic basket if only participating in one day of the workshop.

Recently it was announced that Molly has been awarded the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, (the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts). Molly has been making baskets for over half a century; during the 1950s when traditional basketmaking experienced a decline in Maine, Molly was one of a handful of Wabanaki artists who carried on the centuries-old art form.  Molly has been a leader in preserving and passing along her knowledge of basketmaking.

 “Basketmaking, for me, is about innovation and creativity within the context of traditional art form,” she says.

Molly is the past president of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, and has mentored a number of young basketmakers, including nationally-acclaimed basketmaker Jeremy Frey, Passamaquoddy ( Frey received the 2011 Best of Show award at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market and at the Santa Fe Indian Market) as well as her grandson, George Neptune, Passamaquoddy.  All three currently have work on display at the Abbe Museum in the exhibit entitled, Transcending Traditions: The Next Generation of Maine Indian Basketry. 

Molly’s workshop will take place at the Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street.  It fills quickly and pre- registration is required.  Abbe Members: $75/one day, $120/both days.  Non-members: $115/one day, $160/both days (includes individual membership to the Abbe Museum). The cost of materials is included in the price.  *Please note that it may not be possible to create a lid and decorative elements if only participating in one day of the workshop.

For more information or to register for this workshop, please call or email Raney Bench, Curator of Education, at 207.288.3519.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Native American Festival & Basketmakers Market

Saturday, July 7, 2012, 

10:00am - 4:00pm

View this year's schedule of events here.

Each summer brings the annual Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market, now in its second decade. Save the date for the 2012 festival on Saturday, July 7 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. A collaboration between the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and the Abbe Museum, this nationally renowned "Indian Market" features exquisite hand crafted Wabanaki ash and sweet grass baskets, wood and stone carvings, jewelry, beadwork, and dolls as well as other hand crafted items representing the beauty and culture of the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot people of Maine and the Maritimes.


Maine's first inhabitants can be traced back to over 12,000 years ago with many ancient village sites discovered along its coastal waters. In more recent history, the ancestors of today's Native artists traveled to summer encampments, set up in villages like Bar Harbor, and sold their wares to seasonal residents and tourists. In the spirit of that tradition, the Native American Festival fosters cultural connections between the Wabanaki and people from around the nation and the world.


Spend a beautiful day outside in this unique oceanside setting generously provided by the College of the Atlantic enjoying Native American singing, dancing, storytelling, demonstrations and food. The Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and the Abbe Museum are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Wabanaki culture and arts, traditional and contemporary.

Take advantage of easy access to the College of the Atlantic on the FREE Island Explorer green electric buses which leave from many locations around the town; including most hotels, motels and campgrounds.

This Festival is free and open to the public.

Download the Festival Poster.



During the Festival, both Abbe Museum locations will have special hours:

Downtown Abbe Museum and Shop: 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Admission: $6 (Adults), $2 (Children 6-15)
Price includes admission to Sieur de Monts location

Sieur de Monts Abbe Museum and Shop: 12:00 - 5:00 pm

Admission: $3 (Adults), $1 (Children 6-15)

For more information call the Abbe Museum at 207-288-3519 or visit the Festival on Facebook!
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Transcending Traditions Exhibit Reception




The Abbe is excited to share with our guests a wonderful exhibit that has traveled to us from the Hudson Museum. Transcending Traditions: The Next Generation and Maine Indian Basketry features five contemporary Maine Indian basketmakers who represent the next generation: Jeremy Frey, Ganessa Bryant, Sarah Sockbeson, George Neptune and Eric “Otter” Bacon. Please join us for a special reception to celebrate this exhibit on Friday, July 6 from 4:00-6:00 PM.  The reception is free and open to the public, and will take place at the Downtown Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street.

Each of these artists was commissioned to create a masterwork for the exhibit section that showcases their work. This piece along with other baskets made by the artist from private and institutional collections traces how his or her work has evolved. Each exhibit section also features a basket made by the person who taught them how to make baskets. Transcending Traditions explores the new directions that these innovative artists are taking the tradition in the face of environmental and economic challenges.

This exhibit was created as a collaboration between the Hudson Museum and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, and is supported by the National Museum of American Indian’s Indigenous Contemporary Art Program.

Click here to visit the online catalog for the exhibit. 

Here are some images from this beautiful exhibit:

Eric Otter Bacon

Jeremy Frey

Jeremy Frey

Sarah Sockbeson

Ganessa Bryant

George Neptune
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Welcome Summer, Welcome Abbe Summer Programs!

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

Molly Neptune Parker, who recently received a
National Heritage Fellowship Award, will be
leading a weaving workshop this July.
 Throughout the year the Abbe offers a wide array of public programs designed for all ages and interests, but the summer season offers demonstrations, concerts, and workshops every week!  The Abbe is thrilled to continue its partnership with Acadia National Park and co-host Cultural Connections demonstrations in the Park every Wednesday through early September.  Each week will feature a Wabanaki artist or musician demonstrating his or her craft at different locations in the Park.  Please visit here for a detailed calendar and locations.

In addition to the Park programs, the Abbe is also hosting a series of demonstrations at our downtown location.  Offered in connection with our award-winning exhibit Indians and Rusticators the theme for this years series is Enduring Legacies.  As the exhibit makes clear, the Wabanaki have a long history of creating and selling art and experiences on Mount Desert Island that continues to this day.  Many of the crafts that became important during Bar Harbors gilded age in the late 1800s remain important to Wabanaki people today.  Ash and sweetgrass basketmaking, music, beading, and bark work will all be demonstrated at the Abbe once a month through the summer and fall.  These programs are underwritten by Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, and through funding from the Maine Arts Commission, and details can be found on our website.

Finally, summer at the Abbe offers a unique experience to come and learn traditional crafts from master artists in our popular workshop series.  Each year we offer workshops with master basketmakers and artists where participants can learn to work with traditional materials, create a work of art of their own to keep, and make a lifetime of memories and friendships to cherish.  Molly Neptune Parker, Passamaquoddy, will be teaching her two day workshop on ash and sweetgrass baskets.  Molly has recently been recognized for her contributions in advancing and preserving the art of basketry by the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Award.  All workshops require pre-registration, for more information refer to our on-line calendar, or call Raney Bench at 288-3519.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Birch Bark Canoe Lecture


Photo by Darel Gabriel Bridges
Thursday, June 14th from 7:00pm – 8:30pm David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, will present a lecture at the Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor, about the entire process of making a birch bark canoe; from the hunt for the perfect birch tree, to the launching of the finished product. He will bring along his own personal 14 foot canoe and tools, to show the details of what goes into making a birch bark canoe. Recently, Bridges led a major project to build a 23 foot long ocean canoe for the Passamaquoddy in Calais. This particular canoe was based on an ocean canoe held in the collections of the Maine State Museum; it is designed to actually have a sail. Bridges will present a slide show of this project as part of the lecture.

Bridges, along with being a renowned birch bark artist of international acclaim, was trained as a boat builder, which he did for several years before learning how to make birch bark canoes.  He learned how to build a birch bark canoe from Steve Cayard, a renowned non-native canoe maker.  Bridge’s grandfather was a canoe maker, but he died before he was able to pass along his knowledge to David.  David inherited his grandfather’s tools, which are what he uses to build his own birchbark canoes and to teach new generations of Wabanaki this highly-specialized craft.

This lecture is free and open to the public.
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Abbe Collections Hit the Road


One of the ways that the Abbe Museum provides access to its collections is to loan pieces from the collection to other museums for use in exhibits and research. At this moment, several pieces from the Abbe’s permanent collection are at or on their way to borrowers for exhibit.

Jeremy Frey’s large urchin basket with braided sweetgrass is on loan to the Museum of Arts & Design for their exhibit Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3, which will run at the museum in New York from June 26 - October 21, 2012, and will then travel to a variety of other museums across the U.S. and Canada.

Jeremy Frey

Tim Shay’s “Penobscot Deer Clown” will be spending the summer at the Hudson Museum, as part of their exhibit Carved In Stone: Sculpture from Around the World. It is accompanied by a fish effigy excavated at the N’tolonapemk Site in Washington County, an ancestral Passamaquoddy village on Meddybemps Lake.

Fish Effigy

Tim Shay

Sarah Sockbeson’s wonderful fancy basket with a painted lid recently featured in the Twisted Path II exhibit is on its way to the Boston Children’s Museum to be included in their upcoming exhibit, Native Arts, which runs from June 7 - September 9, 2012 and accompanies their wonderful exhibit about Native communities in New England, Native Voices.

Sarah Sockbeson


Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Transcending Traditions is now open!


The Abbe is excited to share with our guests a wonderful exhibit that has traveled to us from the Hudson Museum. Transcending Traditions: The Next Generation and Maine Indian Basketry features five contemporary Maine Indian basketmakers who represent the next generation: Jeremy Frey, Ganessa Bryant, Sarah Sockbeson, George Neptune and Eric “Otter” Bacon.

Each of these artists was commissioned to create a masterwork for the exhibit section that showcases their work. This piece along with other baskets made by the artist from private and institutional collections traces how his or her work has evolved. Each exhibit section also features a basket made by the person who taught them how to make baskets. Transcending Traditions explores the new directions that these innovative artists are taking the tradition in the face of environmental and economic challenges.

This exhibit was created as a collaboration between the Hudson Museum and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, and is supported by the National Museum of American Indian’s Indigenous Contemporary Art Program.

Click here to visit the online catalog for the exhibit. 

Here are some images from this beautiful exhibit:

Eric Otter Bacon

Jeremy Frey

Jeremy Frey

Sarah Sockbeson

Ganessa Bryant

George Neptune
Read More
Abbe Museum Abbe Museum

Other News & Events for June

There is always something happening at the Abbe, and this summer is no exception.  Visit our online calendar for more information about upcoming programs and workshops.

Next up is the Spring Garden Tour at the WP Stewart Estate on June 2 and 9, with a basket demonstration at the gardens by Sarah Sockbeson on June 2nd.  Shortly after is a birch bark canoe lecture by David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM on Thursday, June 14. 


David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, will give a talk about the process of making a birch bark canoe, and his training in becoming a master builder.  David will bring his personal 14 foot canoe and some of the tools he uses to make canoes.  He will also show a slide show of a recent project he led to build a 23 foot long ocean canoe for the Passamaquoddy.

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!


Wabanaki Tales, Contemporary Setting, in Debut Play in the Bangor Daily News

Goodbye "Redskins": Maine is Free of Offensive Names in High Schools in Indian Country Today


Film Places the "Invisible" Front and Center in Fenceviewer

Maine Maliseet Rep Seeks new Office where Vote Counts in MPBN

Penobscot Author Publishes Children's Book about Baskets, Culture, Family in the Bangor Daily News.  Kunu's Basket by Lee DeCora Francis, this wonderful new book, is now available in the Abbe Shop!

Abbe Hosts Panel Talk on Emotional  Politics in Fenceviewer


Estate's Extensive Gardens Open for Tour in Fenceviewer

Exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum Native Voices: New England Tribal Families

Exhibit at the Hudson Museum Transcending Traditions: The Next Generation and Maine Indian Basketry on exhibit through May 2012 before traveling to the Abbe Museum.

MIBA Events
Next Up: The Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market in Bar Harbor on July 7th

Tribes of the Dawn Land Cultural and Heritage Days for 2012
Read More