DAWNLAND FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS
The Abbe Museum is excited to announce the premiere of its Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas on July 12-14, 2024, at the College of the Atlantic (COA). This unique multi-day event is an evolution of our popular Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) and Native American Festival that featured invitation-only Native arts markets and performances. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas includes those elements but will also spotlight conversations by Wabanaki and other Indigenous leaders on some of the biggest questions of our time, including climate, democracy, and food systems.
“Native arts and cultures cannot be separated from Native ways of knowing. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas continues to celebrate the Native creative economy on Wabanaki homelands while lifting up Indigenous thought leadership vital to the conversation on a healthy planet and society for us all.”
Betsy Richards (Cherokee), Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations
The Festival will be free to the public and is being supported by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Maine Office of Tourism, along with a partnership with College of the Atlantic. Among the speakers will be attorney and author Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot), James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag), and Native rights attorney Michael-Corey F. Hinton (Passamaquoddy). Musician Firefly the Hybrid (Penobscot) will also take the stage for a one-of-a-kind performance during the weekend. More than 50 leading Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada will share artwork ranging from ash baskets, beadwork, textiles, painting, fashion, and pottery representing the breadth and excellence of Indigenous art.
Known for its stunning coastal beauty and vibrant cultural scene, Bar Harbor is a significant place to the Tribal Nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy (Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot): a site of exchange and waterways that connected all of the Nations together. For many visitors, this will be an opportunity to engage Wabanaki thought leaders and artists – alongside their national counterparts for a weekend of inquiry, creativity, and celebration. We will communicate more details about the Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas, including presenter, performer, and vendor profiles, on our website in the coming weeks!
The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is FREE and open to the public.
This event is supported in part by grants from the Maine Office of Tourism and the Henry Luce Foundation along with a partnership with College of the Atlantic.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Date: July 12-14, 2024
Location: College of the Atlantic in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine
Contact: Dawn Spears, Festival Producer (dawn@abbemuseum.org | 207.288.3519 )
For event updates, please visit: https://www.dawnlandfestival.org
PROMOTIONAL IMAGERY
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
The schedule is subject to change.
FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2024
6:30 pm - Reception, Gates Auditorium
8:00 pm - Featured Performance
9:00 pm - Close
SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2024
9:00 am - Market Opens
9:30 am - Welcome
10:00 am - Market Performance
11:00 am - Panel #1
1:00 pm - Market Performance
2:00 pm - Panel #2
4:00 pm - Featured Performance
5:00 pm - Market Closes
SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2024
9:00 am - Market Opens
10:00 am - Market Performance
11:00 am - Panel #3
1:00 pm - Market Performance
2:00 pm - Panel #4
5:00 pm - Market Closes
FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS
Complete list of vendors, speakers and performers to be announced!
Artists / Vendors: More than 50 leading Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada will share artwork ranging from ash baskets, beadwork, textiles, painting, fashion, and pottery representing the breadth and excellence of Indigenous art. SAMPLE ARTIST PROFILES >
Speakers: Among the speakers will be attorney and author Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot), James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag), and Native rights attorney Michael-Corey F. Hinton (Passamaquoddy).
Performers: Musician Firefly the Hybrid (Penobscot) will also take the stage for a one-of-a-kind performance during the weekend.
DIRECTIONS TO THE FESTIVAL
College of the Atlantic - Event Partner
105 Eden St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (Map & Directions)
Native Arts Market - North Lawn
Indigenous Panels, Opening Reception, and Featured Performances - Thomas S. Gates Jr. Community Center
FESTIVAL PRESS & TOOLKIT
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE (PDF - DOWNLOAD HERE)
11 x 17 POSTER (PDF - DOWNLOAD HERE)
8.5x11 FLYER (PDF - DOWNLOAD HERE)
FACEBOOK IMAGE (DOWNLOAD HERE)
INSTAGRAM SQUARE IMAGE (DOWNLOAD HERE)
Need a file? Graphic Designer: Thierry H. Bonneville (BC – Agency) thb@bonnevilleconsulting.com | (207) 433.0212
THIS EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY THE ABBE MUSEUM
The Abbe’s mission is to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. At the core of our work are decolonizing museum practices including: collaboration with Tribal communities; privileging Native perspectives, voice, and values; a focus on dialogue; inclusion of the full measure of history; and ensuring truth-telling. This is also reflected in the Museum’s governance structure that includes a Wabanaki-majority Board and a Tribally-appointed Advisory Council, resulting in a tremendous institutional power shift. This commitment allows the museum to amplify the art, cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Wabanaki peoples in ways that serve Tribal communities and activate audiences. Through the Wabanaki Council and community consultation, we work with Wabanaki Tribal Nations to share authority for the interpretation of their living cultures and history, privileging Native voice.
The Abbe was founded in 1928 as a small trailside museum at Sieur de Monts Spring in Lafayette National Park (today Acadia National Park) with a focus on the archaeology of the Wabanaki Nations. The Abbe soon expanded its scope to include Wabanaki material culture and now features a substantial contemporary art collection. In 2001, the Museum expanded to the downtown Bar Harbor location, creating a 17,000-square-foot museum with spacious exhibition galleries, a research lab, and state-of-the-art collections storage. In 2013, the Abbe Museum became the only Smithsonian Affiliate in Maine and contributes to global conversations through work with the International Coalition for the Sites of Conscience. Learn More | Support
FESTIVAL SPONSORS - THANK YOU!
