Abbe Museum Park Series Returns for 2013!
Each year this partnership allows the Abbe to extend our outreach to more people, and we are able to work with new artists. New demonstrators for 2013 include Eldon Hanning, Micmac, who in July will demonstrate how to pound brown ash logs into strips to make baskets. Eldon specializes in strong work baskets, and makes the popover baskets used by the Jordan Pond House Restaurant. His technique for pounding ash into strips is different than the technique used by Butch Jacobs, who will also demonstrate ash pounding in August. In addition, Dawna Meader-York will be making and beading moccasins, and Little Eagles Drum group is a youth drum group dedicated to teaching traditional Passamaquoddy songs to children.
Fashion Design workshop with LEON
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| Sketches of LEON's designs. |
Basketmaking workshop with Pam Cunningham
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| Pam leads participants in a workshop. |
Abbe Museum recipient of grant from the MetLife Foundation
The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation and administered by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), is used to strengthen the connections between museums nationwide and their communities. The grants allow exhibitors to enhance current program offerings or to create a new program suited to the topic of the SITES exhibition they will be hosting. Grants up to $5,000 are awarded based on criteria that each exhibitor must meet. For more information on Smithsonian Community Grants, visit the SITES website.
"This is an excellent opportunity to encourage our exhibitors to engage their audiences in new and exciting ways," said Anna R. Cohn, SITES director. "We are pleased with this tremendous show of support from MetLife Foundation and we recognize the impact that their support will have for museums and their visitors."
Abbe Museum programming made possible in part by this grant include the panel discussion that took place on June 6 on the topic of blood quantum debates among the Wabanaki tribes and the genealogy workshop that took place on June 22, hosted by the Northeast Harbor public library. Upcoming events include the presentation on July 10 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm by Gabrielle Tayac (Piscataway), curator of IndiVisible and John Dennis, Micmac scholar exploring themes of displacement, adoption and citizenship throughout the histories of African-Native Americans and Acadian/Wabanaki communities. The conversation between the presenters and the audience will look at how the struggles of African-Native Americans relate to the Wabanaki tribes of Maine, and how their stories are much more similar than they may seem. Both African American and Acadian people who moved to the Americas were displaced from their homes after creating new communities here. Faced with new challenges and new realities African American and Acadians had to decide whether or not they wanted to join a foreign community, become adopted into Native American tribes, or move again. The descendants of those who were adopted into Native communities have since struggled to maintain tribal membership and identity. The presenters will share stories from diverse communities, linking the history of New England to the southeast in new and interesting ways.
Gathering Gala - Paddle Raise to support Education
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| Abbe Museum Educator, Raney Bench leading an activity. |
- Through lesson plan development and 16 free workshops and enhanced online resources, Abbe educators will lead 800 Maine school teachers through comprehensive training, relieving the teacher’s burden of this unfunded mandate, the Wabanaki Initiative (LD 291).
- Connecting with 800 teachers means a direct impact of more than 10,000 Maine students who will benefit from their teachers’ increased comfort and competence in teaching Wabanaki content.
- Ultimately all active learners in this project will benefit when stereotypes are diminished and critical thinking skills are developed, which leads to a more respectful and informed society.
Canoe Building at the Abbe Museum
David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy,
works on a canoe.
For the first time in almost 100 years, a birchbark canoe will be built on Mount Desert Island! From August 12 - September 6, 2013, master canoe builders David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, and Steve Cayard will spend almost a month at the Abbe building a 16 foot traditional bark canoe, joined by Passamaquoddy apprentice Tobias Gabriel Francis. Visitors to the Abbe will be able to watch the process of building the frame, shaping the bark, bending and placing the ribs, and lashing it all together with roots from the spruce tree. Using primarily hand tools, the canoe will be made almost entirely of traditionally available materials and etched with traditional Passamaquoddy designs.
David Moses Bridges works on a canoe.
Building birchbark canoes is a skill that was nearly lost in Maine. For over a decade, David and Steve have worked together to revitalize this art form, and have taught others in Wabanaki communities how to make the boats as well. Visitors will be able to ask questions about the tradition of canoe making in Maine, the process of revitalizing this skill, how the materials were gathered and prepared, and learn more about the important role these boats play in Wabanaki history and identity. This program is offered in connection with Wabanaki Guides, an exhibit that chronicles the history of guiding visitors to Maine from the time of European contact to present, and features two birchbark canoes. Free with museum admission, this canoe build program is made possible by a gift from Donna and David Reis.
For the first time in almost 100 years, a birchbark canoe will be built on Mount Desert Island! Master canoe builders David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, and Steve Cayard will spend almost a month at the Abbe building a 16 foot traditional bark canoe, joined by Passamaquoddy apprentice Tobias Gabriel Francis. Visitors to the Abbe will be able to watch the process of building the frame, shaping the bark, bending and placing the ribs, and lashing it all together with roots from the spruce tree. Using primarily hand tools, the canoe will be made almost entirely of traditionally available materials and etched with traditional Passamaquoddy designs - See more at: http://www.abbemuseum.org/calendar/august.html#sthash.tLwCoT1l.dpuf
A Birchbark Canoe for the Gathering Gala
The Abbe Museum's annual Gathering Gala, on July 17 this year, is not-to-be-missed, with a silent and live auction, cocktails, dinner and dancing, all in the beautiful surroundings of the Bar Harbor Club. The auctions are always filled with fine art and exciting experiences. Of note, this year, we are featuring a birchbark canoe, constructed by David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, and Steve Cayard especially for this benefit auction. They have built a number of birchbark canoes together over the years. The process of making this 16' canoe began this spring. David and Steve harvested the birchbark and other materials by hand, and then carefully pieced the canoe together. The sides of the canoe are artfully decorated with beautiful etchings depicting stars and the traditional double curves. The canoe will be on display in the Abbe over the upcoming weeks, leading up to the Gala, before making its way to its ultimate home after the auction.
Images of the canoe in process:
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| David & Steve harvesting birchback for the canoe. |
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| David works on the canoe's etchings. |
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The canoe sits in its shavings. |
The Gala starts at 5:00 pm with cocktails and a silent auction, followed by dinner at 7:00 pm and a live auction. After dinner, stay and dance to live music by the Shane Ellis Band with Big Dee.
Tickets are $150 each and include the entire evening with dinner choices of filet mignon, crab-stuffed haddock or carnival squash. Please call the Abbe Museum to make your reservation at
207-288-3519 or email hannah@abbemuseum.org.
We hope to see you this year at the Gathering Gala! The silent and live auctions will feature original artwork from over 50 artists. A paddle raise during the live auction will support a matching grant for Abbe education programs statewide. You can find this year's gala auction items currently on display in the museum's Davis Gallery and online.
Controvery Surrounding Disney's "The Lone Ranger"
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| Johnny Depp as "Tonto" |
Armie Hammer Apparently Talked to Some Natives Who Love Lone Ranger
Disney's Tonto Offensive to Some in Upcoming "Lone Ranger" Film
Disney Will Donate Revenue From "Lone Ranger"Premiere to American Indian College Fund
Disney Store Offers Tonto Halloween Costume
Farewell Astra!
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| Astra at the Gathering Gala, photo by Rogier van Bakel |
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| Astra and Lou's boat, the Evelyn |
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| We will miss you, Astra! |
20th Annual Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market
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| Girls dancing at the festival, photo by Anna Travers |
A busy time at the Abbe - lots to see and do!
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|
Jimi Hendrix, The
Royal Albert Hall, London, February 18, 1969.
Photo by Graham F.
Page, courtesy Experience Music Project
and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of
Fame.
Part of the IndiVisible exhibit. |
Whether it is at the Native American Festival, the Gathering Gala, an upcoming workshop or performance, or in one of our exhibits, we hope to see you this summer at the Abbe!
Ash & Sweetgrass Basket workshop with Molly Neptune
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| Molly works with a student in a prior workshop. |
Registration required. $120 for Abbe Museum Members, $160 for Non-members (includes one year Abbe Museum Membership)
Funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Writing about Family History Workshop
On Tuesday, July 9 from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm join Christina Baker Kline, author of the NY Times bestseller Orphan Train for a unique opportunity to lean about the process of delving into family history through writing."The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words," the writer William Gass once said. This two and a half hour workshop is about changing your own world—stories you grew up with, family stories that link to larger historical moments, your personal experiences—into words on the page. Maybe you've kept a private journal and dream of shaping it into a memoir. Maybe you have an idea for a short story or a novel based on events in your past. Or maybe you want to write about your family history and don't yet know the form. Whether you're at the idea stage or further along, this workshop will arm you with inspiration, strategies, guidance, and prompts for writing as you begin the process of transforming your family stories into resonant, evocative prose.
This workshop is free, but space is limited and registration is required. Please contact Curator of Education, Raney Bench, to register: raney@abbemuseum.org or 207-288-3519.
Volunteer at the Abbe Museum!
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| Volunteers work on an activity at the annual Holiday Open House. |
Johannah is now in charge of the volunteer program and she is excited to work with each volunteer to highlight and utilize their unique talents and interests. If you are interested in volunteering you can read more and download an application online, or contact Johannah at johannah@abbemuseum.org or at 207-288-3519.
Thanking our volunteers!
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| Refreshments elegantly provided by the Culinary Arts Committee |
• Access to the Membership Lounge
• Invitation to the Winter Gathering, a gratitude event for Gathering Gala Artists, Sponsors, and Abbe Volunteers
• Abbe Bucks – Abbe Bucks are awarded at the rate of $1 per volunteer hour, and can be used in the Abbe Shop like cash. To receive Abbe Bucks, volunteers must track their hours and tasks via a volunteer timesheet.
• Free Admission to the Abbe Museum
• Experience within the museum field, and recommendation letters by request
• The specialized training necessary to complete your responsibilities as a volunteer
• Additional learning opportunities and continuing education that help our volunteers fulfill and support the mission of the Abbe Museum.
Ballots are out
Beading Workshop for Teens!
On Saturday, June 15 from 12:00 - 4:00 pm,
Abbe Educator George Neptune will offer a beading workshop designed
specifically for teens. Native people
across North America are well known for taking an introduced material and incorporating
it into their oldest traditions. Perhaps the most known example is the use of
glass beads; after trading with European visitors, fine lines of brightly
colored glass beads joined designs of bone and shell on the traditional regalia
of many tribes. In this workshop, participants will make their own pair of
beaded feather earrings. The program is free and open to the public, but space
is limited. Please contact George to reserve your space at either 207-288-3519 or george@abbemuseum.org. Abbe Museum Named Maine’s First Smithsonian Affiliate
Harold Closter and Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko
The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine has been accepted as a Smithsonian Affiliate. This affiliation establishes a long-term partnership between the Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. There are currently 179 Smithsonian Affiliates in 42 states, Puerto Rico and Panama. The Abbe Museum is Maine’s first affiliate.
“Becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate will support exciting collaborations between our organizations, while dramatically expanding the Abbe Museum’s visibility in the market place and in Maine’s cultural community,” says Abbe CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. “Collaborative projects are key to the Abbe’s strategic direction. The Smithsonian is an incredible institution with tremendous scope in reach and resources. We are thrilled to share those resources with our community and members.”
The partnership will provide the Abbe Museum access to the Smithsonian Institution’s many resources, including its 136 million object collections, scholarships, and educational opportunities for staff, traveling exhibits, and membership benefits. Additionally, the Abbe and the Smithsonian will begin to pursue collaborations with one another, spreading the work of both cultural institutions.
“The Abbe Museum,” noted Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations, “is well-recognized for its outstanding collections, first-class exhibits, professional staff and commitment to education. With a mission that so thoroughly matches the work of the Smithsonian, we are honored to welcome the Abbe Museum into the family of Smithsonian Affiliates and look forward to working with this impressive organization to help preserve the rich heritage of Maine and share the inspiring stories of its people.”
Collaboration with the Smithsonian is something in which the Abbe Museum already has experience. When Abbe’s downtown location opened, the Museum borrowed three collection items for the exhibit Four Molly’s: Women of the Dawn, guest curated by Bunny McBride.
On May 23rd, the Smithsonian traveling exhibit IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas will go on display in the Abbe where it will remain through August 4th. The exhibit comes to the Abbe through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and explores the intersection of American Indian and African American cultures. The exhibit shares historical and contemporary stories of peoples and communities whose shared histories are woven into the fabric of American identity, but whose presence has long been invisible to many in the U.S. IndiVisible was developed by the National Museum of the American Indian with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Abbe has long enjoyed a relationship with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), particularly working together in the development of educational programming.
Finally, a current Abbe Board Member, member of the Passamaquoddy tribe and renowned Native artist, David Moses Bridges, has worked extensively with the Smithsonian Institution as a researcher, consultant, and educator.
“I was very excited to learn of our relationship with the Smithsonian,” says Moses Bridges. “I have always been impressed by the Smithsonian’s commitment to include Native people as the caretakers and interpreters of the collections they oversee. By recognizing the family connection between objects and communities they have set a new standard of museum relationship with indigenous people. The Affiliations program allows the Abbe Museum and its visitors access to the greatest collection of Indigenous art in the world. Anyone who has stepped inside the Smithsonian will understand that the Abbe Museum’s new affiliation with the Smithsonian is surely something to be excited about.”
Smithsonian Affiliations, established in 1996, is a national outreach program that develops collaborative partnerships with museums and educational and cultural organizations to share Smithsonian Institution resources with citizens in their own communities. The program works with Affiliates to enrich communities with Smithsonian scholars, public programs, and professional development opportunities. Affiliate partner organizations demonstrate excellence in their work and commitment to the Smithsonian emphasis on heritage, preservation, and education.
Media availability: Abbe staff members and Smithsonian staff members are available for interviews. Please contact Johannah Blackman: johannah@abbemuseum.org, 207-288-3519.
Abbe Museum named Maine's first Smithsonian Affiliate!
The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine has been accepted as a Smithsonian Affiliate. This affiliation establishes a long-term partnership between the museum and the Smithsonian Institution. There are currently 179 Smithsonian Affiliates in 42 states, Puerto Rico and Panama. The Abbe Museum is Maine’s first affiliate.
“Becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate will support exciting collaborations between our organizations, while dramatically expanding the Abbe Museum’s visibility in the market place and in Maine’s cultural community,” says Abbe CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. “Collaborative projects are key to the Abbe’s strategic direction. The Smithsonian is an incredible institution with tremendous scope in reach and resources. We are thrilled to share those resources with our community and members.”
The partnership will provide the Abbe Museum access to the Smithsonian Institution’s many resources, including its 136 million object collections, scholarships and educational opportunities for staff, traveling exhibits and membership benefits. Additionally, the Abbe and the Smithsonian will begin to pursue collaborations with one another, spreading the work of both cultural institutions.
“The Abbe Museum,” noted Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations, “is well-recognized for its outstanding collections, first-class exhibits, professional staff and commitment to education. With a mission that so thoroughly matches the work of the Smithsonian, we are honored to welcome the Abbe Museum into the family of Smithsonian Affiliates and look forward to working with this impressive organization to help preserve the rich heritage of Maine and share the inspiring stories of its people.”
Collaboration with the Smithsonian is something in which the Abbe Museum already has experience. When Abbe’s downtown location opened, the museum borrowed three collection items for the exhibit
Four Molly’s: Women of the Dawn
, guest curated by Bunny McBride.
On May 23rd, the Smithsonian traveling exhibit
IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas
will go on display in the Abbe where it will remain through August 4
th
. The exhibit comes to the Abbe through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and explores the intersection of American Indian and African American cultures. The exhibit shares historical and contemporary stories of peoples and communities whose shared histories are woven into the fabric of American identity, but whose presence has long been invisible to many in the U.S.
IndiVisible
was developed by the National Museum of the American Indian with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Abbe has long enjoyed a relationship with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), particularly working together in the development of educational programming.
Finally, a current Abbe Board Member, member of the Passamaquoddy tribe and renowned Native artist, David Moses Bridges, has worked extensively with the Smithsonian Institution as a researcher, consultant and educator. “I was very excited to learn of our relationship with the Smithsonian,” says Moses Bridges. “I have always been impressed by the Smithsonian’s commitment to include Native people as the caretakers and interpreters of the collections they oversee. By recognizing the family connection between objects and communities they have set a new standard of museum relationship with indigenous people. The Affiliations program allows the Abbe Museum and its visitors access to the greatest collection of Indigenous art in the world. Anyone who has stepped inside the Smithsonian will understand that the Abbe Museum’s new affiliation with the Smithsonian is surely something to be excited about.”
Smithsonian Affiliations, established in 1996, is a national outreach program that develops collaborative partnerships with museums and educational and cultural organizations to share Smithsonian Institution resources with citizens in their own communities. The program works with Affiliates to enrich communities with Smithsonian scholars, public programs, and professional development opportunities. Affiliate partner organizations demonstrate excellence in their work and commitment to the Smithsonian emphasis on heritage, preservation and education.
Welcome, Allison!
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| Allison began her work with the Abbe as the exhibit coordinator for Wabanaki Guides. She is pictured here at the exhibit opening, alongside Curator of Education, Raney Bench, who was one of the co-curators for this exhibit. Wabanaki Guides will be on view until December of 2013. |
As mentioned, Allison will manage the Abbe Museum's shop and guest services program, and create design-work that will give the Abbe a consistent aesthetic online, onsite, and in print. Allison began working with the Abbe Museum as a contracted exhibit coordinator earlier this year, and will continue to work with the coordination, design, and fabrication of Abbe exhibits. Allison will carry her design and retail expertise into the Abbe Shop and orientation areas of the Abbe Museum--so get ready to be greeted with a whole new look! Stop in throughout the year to see what's new!
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| Johannah Blackman |
If you would like to welcome Allison to the Abbe Team, send her an email at allison@abbemuseum.org or call 207-288-3519.
Wabanaki Placenames Tour
For example, can you guess which place is named Putuwewiw? Putuwewiw means "it blows water," and tour guests will have a short stop to enjoy this place while listening to whale stories and other relevant legends. Not sure which well known place this might be? Come along with us on June 1 to find out!
The tour will focus on Wabanaki Place Names on Mount Desert Island, traveling to and visiting several of the places mentioned in the tour. Each name has a unique meaning for the place that it represents, and on the tour you will learn about the names' meanings and significance for the Wabanaki people. At each stop, you will hear Passamaquoddy and Penobscot legends that relate to that stop, and learn about each place in a historical context. Join Museum Educator and Passamaquoddy Tribal Member George Neptune in this special tour, co-sponsored by Oli's Trolley. Contact George Neptune, Abbe Museum Educator for reservations at george@abbemuseum.org or 207-288-3519.Space is limited, and tickets for this special 3-hour tour are $30 per person ($20 for Abbe Museum Members). The tour will take place on Saturday, June 1 and will promptly depart from the Downtown Abbe Museum at 10:00 AM to return at 1:00 PM.