Abbe Museum presents the DAWNLAND FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS (July 12-14, 2024), College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME. Native Arts Market, Indigenous Thought Leadership, and featured performances!
While we are in the midst of the winter season, there are still opportunities to visit the Abbe Museum's Downtown location on select days! During the upcoming school vacation weeks this February and April, we will be opening our doors to come peruse our exhibits and join us for crafts, guided family tours, and a storytelling program with our friend Abby Morrow from the Jesup Memorial Library. Storytelling is free and open to the public; all additional programs are free with Museum admission.
Come visit us for April Community Days from 10 am to 2 pm on April 17 and 18!
Schedule
10:00 am - Museum Opens
All Day - Wabanaki Modern Exhibit Activity
10:30 - Storytime with Abby Morrow from the Jesup Memorial Library
11:30 - Interactive Tour with our Curator of Education, Christiana Becker
1:30 - Stop Selling Admission Tickets
2:00 - Museum Closes
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
While we are in the midst of the winter season, there are still opportunities to visit the Abbe Museum's Downtown location on select days! During the upcoming school vacation weeks this February and April, we will be opening our doors to come peruse our exhibits and join us for crafts, guided family tours, and a storytelling program with our friend Abby Morrow from the Jesup Memorial Library. Storytelling is free and open to the public; all additional programs are free with Museum admission.
Come visit us for April Community Days from 10 am to 2 pm on April 17 and 18!
Schedule
10:00 am - Museum Opens
All Day - Wabanaki Modern Exhibit Activity
10:30 - Storytime with Abby Morrow from the Jesup Memorial Library
11:30 - Interactive Tour with our Curator of Education, Christiana Becker
1:30 - Stop Selling Admission Tickets
2:00 - Museum Closes
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
While we are in the midst of the winter season, there are still opportunities to visit the Abbe Museum's Downtown location on select days! During the upcoming school vacation weeks this February and April, we will be opening our doors to come peruse our exhibits and engage in storytelling programs, crafts, and guided family tours. All programs are free with Museum admission.
Come visit us for our first Community Days from 10 am to 2 pm on February 21 and 22. And a huge thank you to our February Community Day Partner, the Southwest Harbor Public Library!
Schedule:
10:00 am - Museum Opens
All Day - Wabanaki Modern Exhibit Activity
10:30 - Storytime with Ms. Chrissy from the Southwest Harbor Public Library
11:30 - Interactive Tour with our Curator of Education, Christiana Becker
1:00 pm - Storytime with Ms. Chrissy from the Southwest Harbor Public Library
1:30 - Stop Selling Admission Tickets
2:00 - Museum Closes
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
While we are in the midst of the winter season, there are still opportunities to visit the Abbe Museum's Downtown location on select days! During the upcoming school vacation weeks this February and April, we will be opening our doors to come peruse our exhibits and engage in storytelling programs, crafts, and guided family tours. Come visit us for our first Community Days from 10 am to 2 pm on February 21 and 22. And a huge thank you to our February Community Day Partner, the Southwest Harbor Public Library!
Schedule:
10:00 am - Museum Opens
All Day - Wabanaki Modern Exhibit Activity
10:30 - Storytime with Ms. Chrissy from the Southwest Harbor Public Library
11:30 - Interactive Tour with our Curator of Education, Christiana Becker
1:00 pm - Storytime with Ms. Chrissy from the Southwest Harbor Public Library
1:30 - Stop Selling Admission Tickets
2:00 - Museum Closes
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
Organizations on Mount Desert Island and surrounding communities (The 1932 Criterion Theatre, Abbe Museum, College of the Atlantic, Friends of Acadia, Healthy Acadia, The Jackson Laboratory) have come together to once again to produce INDIGENOUS 2023 a series of events the week before Indigenous Peoples’ Day that celebrates and honors the sovereignty, resilience, and invaluable contributions of Indigenous people, by facilitating learning, engagement, and allyship. Learn more and RSVP through the button below. Thank you for your support!
Experience 1
Strengthening Relationships with Cultural Competency
Elizabeth Neptune, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk
Sunday, October 1st | 1 - 5 pm
Gates Community Center, College of the Atlantic
Experience 2
Cultural Humility: Coffee Time with Elizabeth Neptune
Wednesday, October 4th | 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm | via Zoom
Experience 3
Our Bodies Carry our Personal Stories and the Stories of Our Ancestors
Donna Decontie-Brown, Penobscot Nation
Friday, October 6th | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Gates Community Center, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St, Bar Harbor
Experience 4
FIREFLY Concert with Special Guest Performers
Firefly (Jason Brown), Penobscot Nation
Saturday, October 7th | Doors Open 7:00 pm - Showtime 8:00 pm
Criterion Theatre, 35 Cottage St, Bar Harbor
Experience 5
Free Admission to the Abbe Museum
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, October 9th | 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Downtown Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
5:00 - 7:00 pm
26 Mount Desert Street | Bar Harbor, Maine
Enjoy food and beverages alongside the Abbe trustees, council, and staff while we update you on the museum and introduce our newest trustees.
Following these updates, we will be joined by Sherri Mitchell, Penobscot Nation, who will be discussing the current efforts to assert Wabanaki sovereignty and cultural maturity.
If you have any questions or would like to RSVP, please don’t hesitate to reach out to events@abbemuseum.org or 207-288-3519. This event is free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September.
Chris Sockalexis, Penobscot, is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Penobscot Nation. Chris has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Maine with his primary focus being on Maine Archaeology. A flintknapper with knowledge of the ancient art and technique of stone and bone tool production, Chris is currently conducting research for his Masters of Science degree at the University of Maine Climate Change Institute. An Abbe Museum board member, he is also an avid canoe/kayak paddler who loves being out in the Maine woods and on the waterways that his ancestors have traveled for thousands of years.
All "Cultural Connections in the Park" programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with the Abbe Museum, and are free and open to the public.
Photo by rogier van bakel
The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September.
Dwayne Tomah, Passamaquoddy, will be hosting a talk and storytelling program regarding his work with the Passamaquoddy wax cylinders, which are the earliest known field recordings of Native Americans. These recordings, preserved on wax cylinders in 1890, include Passamaquoddy narratives, vocabulary, number lists, and songs. The Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Library of Congress have worked on restoring, digitizing, and revitalizing these recordings as digital repatriation.
All of these programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with the Abbe Museum, and are free and open to the public.
The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September.
The Burnurwurbskek singers, a men’s drum group from the Penobscot Indian Nation at Indian Island, ME, will perform on the Jordan Pond House lawn, 11 am to 1 pm, Wed Aug 16.
This group has been performing traditional Wabanaki songs for audiences across Maine and other states for many years. This is a cultural demonstration that will
All of these programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with the Abbe Museum, and are free and open to the public.
Photo by rogier van bakel
The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September.
Sarah Sockbeson is one of several basketmakers who take Wabanaki traditions to a new level with their contemporary styles. A citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation, Sarah apprenticed with basketmaker Jennifer Neptune and combines contemporary elements such as painting and bone carving into her work. Known for her vivid color combinations and beautiful landscape paintings, Sarah will demonstrate the various steps within her artistic process.
All of these programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with the Acadia National Park, and are free and open to the public.
The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September.
The Burnurwurbskek singers are a men’s drum group from the Penobscot Indian Nation at Indian Island, Maine. This group has been performing traditional Wabanaki songs for audiences across Maine and other states for many years. This performance on top of Wapuwoc, or the “white mountain of the first light,” is a cultural demonstration that will captivate audience members of all ages.
All Cultural Connections programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with the Acadia National Park, and are free and open to the public.
In addition to a park pass, vehicle reservations are needed to access the Cadillac Summit Road for this program. You can make a vehicle reservation here:www.recreation.gov
Photo by HB Mertz
After a 3-year hiatus, the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) returns to Bar Harbor’s Village Green for the weekend of June 2 – 4, 2023. This multifaceted event will feature more than 50 Native artists working in forms ranging from baskets and pottery to jewelry and sculpture - along with performances, demonstrations, and educational programs.
“We’re delighted that AMIM is re-emerging from the necessary closures of the past few years to once again illuminate Wabanaki artistic excellence and support tribal creative economies,” says Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations Betsy Richards (Cherokee Nation).
Photo by HB Mertz
After a 3-year hiatus, the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) returns to Bar Harbor’s Village Green for the weekend of June 2 – 4, 2023. This multifaceted event will feature more than 50 Native artists working in forms ranging from baskets and pottery to jewelry and sculpture - along with performances, demonstrations, and educational programs.
“We’re delighted that AMIM is re-emerging from the necessary closures of the past few years to once again illuminate Wabanaki artistic excellence and support tribal creative economies,” says Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations Betsy Richards (Cherokee Nation).
While our season may be over, we are still welcoming visitors to our Downtown location on select days throughout the Winter Season! The fourth day you can come visit is Saturday, April 8th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Admission tickets will not be sold after 1 pm.
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
While our season may be over, we are still welcoming visitors to our Downtown location on select days throughout the Winter Season! The third day you can come visit is Saturday, March 11th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Admission tickets will not be sold after 1 pm.
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
While our season may be over, we are still welcoming visitors to our Downtown location on select days throughout the Winter Season! The second day you can come visit is Saturday, February 11th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Admission tickets will not be sold after 1 pm.
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
While our season may be over, we are still welcoming visitors to our Downtown location on select days throughout the Winter Season! The first day you can come visit is Saturday, January 14th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Admission tickets will not be sold after 1 pm.
As a reminder, we are continuing to accept School Groups by appointment. Just visit abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and submit a request.
When: Sunday, October 30th - Doors Open at 7:30 pm - Show Starts at 8:00 pm
Where: Abbe Museum Backyard, 26 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, ME
Tickets: $25 for General Public - $20 for Abbe Museum Members* - Payment Optional for Tribal Community Members
A suite for Indigenous resistance, the new album from Wabanaki bassist, composer, and songwriter Mali Obomsawin flies in the face of Western tropes that insist Indigenous cultures are monolithic, trapped in time. Instead, Obomsawin highlights centuries of clever adaptation and resistance that have fueled the art and culture of Wabanaki people. Written as a compositional suite, the album Sweet Tooth, coming October 28, 2022 on Out of Your Head Records, blends Wabanaki stories and songs passed down in Obomsawin’s own family with tunes addressing contemporary Indigenous life, colonization, continuity, love and rage. It’s at once intimately personal, featuring field recordings of relatives at Odanak First Nation, but also conveys a larger story of the Wabanaki people, stretching across the domain of their confederacy from Eastern Canada to Southern New England. In three movements, Obomsawin’s powerful compositions honor the Indigenous ability to shape great art from the harshest fires of colonialism. The compositions reveal threads that bind together blues, jazz, hymns, folk songs, and Native cultures, and foreground the breadth and continuity of Indigenous contributions to these genres. “Telling Indigenous stories through the language of jazz is not a new phenomenon,” Obomsawin explains. “My people have had to innovate endlessly to get our stories heard - learning to express ourselves in French, English, Abenaki… but sometimes words fail us, and we must use sound. Sweet Tooth is a testament to this.” Sweet Tooth is a celebration of Indigenous innovation, and an ingeniously envisioned debut for this composer-bandleader.
The backyard entrance is located behind the museum, off School Street. There is NO ON-SITE PARKING, please review the Town of Bar Harbor’s parking information. If you have accessibility concerns, please contact the museum in advance. This is an outdoor event, please come dressed warmly. Limited general admission seating will be provided, and both seated and standing areas will be covered in case of inclement weather. All tickets are non-refundable. Advance sales end on Friday, October 29th at 11:59 pm. Day-of-show tickets will be available at the door.
*Abbe Museum Members will be emailed a coupon code in advance of the show. If you have just purchased a membership, please check your email receipt.
Keynote and Panel - The Wabanaki Studies Law 21 Years After Implementation. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, October 10, 2022 at 10am. Livestream on the Wabanaki Alliance Youtube Channel.
Join us on Indigenous People’s Day to celebrate the release of a new report, “Wabanaki Studies Law: 21 Years After Implementation.” The Wabanaki Studies Law was passed in 2001 and requires every school in the state to implement Maine Native American studies into its curriculum.
The digital event will feature a keynote by the Wabanaki Studies Law author and sponsor, Hon. Donna Loring, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation and former representative of that nation to the Maine House of Representatives. Followed by a panel discussion featuring report co-authors Abbe Museum, ACLU of Maine, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, and Wabanaki Alliance.
Sponsors: Abbe Museum, Wabanaki Alliance, ACLU of Maine, and Maine Indian-Tribal State Commission.
Join us for the second annual INDIGENOUS 2022 with FIREFLY. This performance, hosted by the Abbe Museum is in celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day and features the powerful vocals of Firefly with special guest Humble G, a renowned classical and hip hop violinist and vocalist.
SPONSORED BY: The Jackson Laboratory | Healthy Acadia | College of the Atlantic | Abbe Museum
This event is free to attend. There is NO ON-SITE PARKING, please review the Town of Bar Harbor’s parking information. This event will be held outdoors; please dress warmly. No video recording will be permitted. For updates, please check in on Facebook.
This Author Talk is a free, public event hosted by the Jesup Library.
A New York Times, The Boston Globe, Vulture, Boston.com, Daily Beast, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, LitHub, Book Riot and WBUR Best Book of Summer. A Most Anticipated Book of the Year at LitHub, Book Riot, and Paste
Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy.
In twelve striking, luminescent stories, author Morgan Talty―with searing humor, abiding compassion, and deep insight―breathes life into tales of family and a community as they struggle with a painful past and an uncertain future. A boy unearths a jar that holds an old curse, which sets into motion his family’s unraveling; a man, while trying to swindle some pot from a dealer, discovers a friend passed out in the woods, his hair frozen into the snow; a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s projects the past onto her grandson; and two friends, inspired by Antiques Roadshow, attempt to rob the tribal museum for valuable root clubs.
A collection that examines the consequences and merits of inheritance, Night of the Living Rez is an unforgettable portrayal of an Indigenous community and marks the arrival of a standout talent in contemporary fiction.
Kick off the Abbe’s 2022 season with the Burnurwurbskek Singers, a men’s drum group from the Penobscot Nation at Indian Island, Maine. This group has been performing traditional Wabanaki songs for audiences across Maine and other states for many years. This engaging performance features music and dancing that will captivate audience members of all ages.
Cost: Free with Admission
Location: Abbe Museum Downtown - 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor
Join Penobscot Nation archeologist and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Chris Sockalexis, as he shares knowledge about Penobscot archeology. As an Indigenous archeologist, Chris' work is shifting the archeological perspective to include Penobscot understandings of landscape, traditions, and continuity.
About the Indigenous Methodologies Series: These virtual sessions will highlight the ongoing work of Native researchers and scholars. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from Indigenous people working in fields such as Ethno-botany, Educational Studies, History, and Anthropology.
New Location: Abbe Museum Downtown, 26 Mount Desert Street / Bar Harbor, ME
Jennifer Pictou is from Mi’kmaq Nation in Presque Isle, Maine and is a storyteller, artist, and educator. In her work, Jennifer bridges her studies of history, oral traditions, and culture together for a tour company she owns locally. Jennifer invites visitors to hear traditional Mi’kmaq stories some of which will be spooky to mark the season and learn more about Mi’kmaq history and culture.
The Cultural Connections in the Park programs are offered in partnership with Acadia National Park, and are free and open to the public.
We are pleased that the Burnurwurbskek Singers will be joining us again this season to celebrate Cultural Connections in the Park. The Burnurwurbskek Singers, a men’s drum group from the Penobscot Nation at Indian Island, have been performing traditional Wabanaki songs for audiences across Maine and other states for decades. This engaging performance features music and dancing that will captivate audience members of all ages.
Location: Sieur De Monts Field (behind the Nature Center), Acadia National Park
All Cultural Connections in the Park programs are offered in partnership with Acadia National Park, and are free and open to the public.
The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on occasional Wednesdays from late June through October. Please check the Abbe Museum website for upcoming programs.
Rain Location: Abbe Museum, downtown
Join skilled Mi'kmaq artist Melissa Peter-Paul, as she presents her portfolio of work and her artistic journey. Melissa is a citizen of Abegweit First Nation, located on Epekwitk (PEI.) Growing up, Melissa was immersed in cultural teachings and was surrounded by a family of basket makers. She began her artistic expression at a young age, making regalia and beadwork, and is skilled in both traditional and contemporary styles. Melissa’s exposure to other Mi’kmaq artforms led her to quillwork, a traditional skill in which the ancestors of her maternal grandfather excelled.
This program will be hosted virtually via Zoom Webinar. Sign up through the button below.
Questions? Contact Starr at starr@abbemuseum.org
Photos by Noah Altvater (Passamaquoddy)
Gather with Passamaquoddy visual artist and Harvard Graduate of Education student Nolan Altvater to explore how visual art can be used as a tool for community capacity building, political will, and intellectual self-determination in the Dawnland. Nolan highlights that the Wabanaki have used visual art as a storytelling tool for relationally, accountability, and governance through the use of wampum and the wikhikon (birch bark carvings/writing). Through this perspective, we can see that by coming to know the process of how these tools were used, we are gifted with a framework to revise the dominant cultural narratives and resist colonization through creativity today while working towards building reciprocal relationships in our homelands; as we have always done.
This program will be hosted virtually via Zoom Webinar. Sign up through the button below.
Questions? Contact Starr at starr@abbemuseum.org
