April - October, 2005 ~~~ Bethel

"Barn Again! Celebrating an American Icon is an exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Building Museum, with assistance from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Barn Again!" will be on display at the Bethel Historical Society from August 19 through October 22, 2005 (it has already visited Saco and Lille). To strengthen the local impact of the exhibit, each site has sponsored public programs. On September 9, architectural historian Christi Mitchell, of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, will give presentations on the history of Maine barns. On October 8, a lecture by William Bunting will precede a festive barn dance. Bunting is the author of A Day's Work, a two-volume collection of historic Maine photographs (Tilbury House). Exhibit and event details are online at www.mainehumanities.org/programs/barnagain.html.

Back to the Top

May - October, 2005 ~~~ Hinckley

On May 15, a retrospective exhibit of the life and works of renowned author, illustrator, and field biologist Bernd Heinrich opened at the L.C. Bates Museum. Heinrich has an enduring connection to Maine: he is an alumnus of the Good Will-Hinckley Homes for Boys and Girls, and he currently does much of his research and writing at a farm in the mountains of western Maine. The exhibit includes eight cases of historic documents, photographs, objects, watercolors, text panels, and drawings. In addition, a catalog prepared by the exhibit curator, William Lipke, features an essay written by Heinrich for this project. A children's program on four Wednesdays in July and school visits throughout the year will make the exhibit accessible to all ages. Bernd Heinrich appear at the museum on May 31 and July 8 and 9. The exhibit closes on October 15, 2005. The L.C. Bates Museum is located on Route 201 in Hinckley. For details, please call (207) 238-4250.

Back to the Top

May - October, 2005 ~~~ Lubec

The Association to Promote and Protect the Lubec Environment (APPLE) was formed to help visitors to Washington County interpret the historical, cultural, and ecological highlights of the area. Starting this summer, APPLE will offer guided historical tours of Lubec and Campobello, employing local people as guides. Area historical societies have contributed their resources to the development of these tours, which will run from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Contact Ruta Jordans, (207) 733-2385 or rutaj@ptc-me.net, to learn how to join a tour.

Back to the Top

June - October, 2005 ~~~ Liberty

The Davistown Museum in Liberty celebrates its fifth year with its first special exhibition, "What Needs to be Retrieved: The Marriage of Tools, Art, and History," between June 25 and October 10, 2005. The exhibition juxtaposes contemporary Maine art with historically significant tools, including those collected by museum founder/curator Skip Brack. A catalog containing essays, photographs of the pieces, information on the artists, and the Philip Booth poem from which the title is taken, is available at the museum or via mail order. For details, please visit www.davistownmuseum.org or call (207) 288-5126.

Back to the Top

June - December, 2005 ~~~ Freeport

The Freeport Historical Society is celebrating 30 years as stewards of Pettengill Farm, a nineteenth-century salt-water farm located on the estuary of the Harraseeket River. The celebration, A Window Through Time: Pettengill Farm & The Soul of New England, includes an exhibit with a catalog, two workshops, and an open house. The exhibit combines contemporary black and white photographs of the farm, taken by fine art photographer John G. Kelley, with historic images and artifacts selected from the Society's collections. It opened on June 15 with a reception and book-signing, and will remain on display through December. Exhibit hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10-2:30 p.m. and Wednesday 10-7 p.m.

August - October, 2005 ~~~ Ogunquit

"Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Associated Press Archives," an exhibition of 121 black and white photographs, will be on view at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art from August 29 through October 15, 2005. Among the photographs are the well-known picture of a sailor and a nurse kissing in Times Square on VJ Day and the Pulitzer Prize-winning picture of the Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi. In addition to the photographs, the museum will present special events including education programs, photography workshops, and public lectures. The museum is located at 543 Shore Road in Ogunquit. For details, call 646-4909 or visit www.ogunquitmuseum.org.

Back to the Top

August - December, 2005 ~~~ Farmington

The Remnant Trust is an educational foundation with a growing collection of original and first edition works dealing with the topics of liberty and dignity. True to their guiding mission that "great ideas belong to everyone," the Trust loans the collection on the condition that all materials be available for the public to read and touch. This fall, the University of Maine at Farmington's Mantor Library brings 48 documents from the Remnant Trust to New England for the first time. The exhibition, entitled "Reading Revolutions: Great Minds, Great Thoughts," includes a copy of the Magna Carta, a first edition of Emerson's 1841 Essays (including "Self-Reliance"), and a first English edition of Plato's Republic (1763). A lecture series consisting of 14 presentations by University faculty and administrators will begin at 7 p.m. on August 31 and continue on Wednesday nights throughout the semester. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Mantor Library at (207) 778-7210 or visit hua.umf.maine.edu/Reading_Revolutions.

Back to the Top

August 25 - October 26, 2005 ~~~ Saco

"Simple Gifts: Alfred Shakers 1787-1931" is a collaborative exhibition of more than 100 artifacts from the Alfred Shaker Community, presented by the Saco Museum and the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Museum. To accompany the exhibition, experts will deliver a series of talks on topics such as Shaker decorative arts, religion, cooking, and the Shakers' role in the American Revolution. The programs will take place on ten consecutive Thursday evenings, beginning on August 25; the exhibition runs from August 11 through October 30, 2005, at the Saco Museum on Main Street in Saco. For more information or a detailed schedule of events, please contact the museum at (207) 283-3861.

Back to the Top

September 28, 2005 ~~~ Portland

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Tate House, the Tate House Museum and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Maine will present a symposium in decorative arts on Wednesday, September 28, 2005. The program seeks insight on what influenced decorative arts in the northeast American colonies during the Tates' early years in their Falmouth home, 1755-1776. Three speakers are scheduled to appear: Dr. Draper Hunt, Alexandra Rollins, and Jane Nylander (president of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities). Video footage of the symposium, along with speaker transcripts and a written summary of the proceedings, will be archived at the Tate House for public perusal and use in future educational programs. For more information, contact the museum at (207) 774-6177.

Back to the Top

October 1, 2005 ~~~ Wayne

This summer, the Kennebec Land Trust will offer three Saturday morning painting field trips to trust properties as part of their lyceum and plein-air painting programs. Participants, both beginners and experienced painters, will have the opportunity to work with guest artists in various media. On July 23, Marc Poirier will be at the Vaughan Homestead, overlooking the Kennebec River in Hallowell. On October 1, Lois Strickland will be at the Gott Pasture Preserve, at Wilson Pond in Wayne. The Kennebec Land Trust will hold an art exhibit featuring participants' paintings at Slate's Restaurant in Hallowell in March 2006. For registration and additional information, please contact the Kennebec Land Trust (207) 377-2848 or e-mail kennebeclt@ctel.net.

Back to the Top

October 7 - 9, 2005 ~~~ Belfast

The first annual Belfast Poetry Festival, organized by Festivo, will provide a venue for poets-from nationally recognized poets to regional high school poets-to gather, expand their craft, and share their work. The three-day festival begins on October 7, 2005, at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast; all programs are free and open to the public. Events include readings by Baron Wormser (Maine's Poet Laureate), Charles Simic, Anne Marie Macari, Robert Duffy, Gary Lawless, Elizabeth Tibbetts, and Alicia Ostriker; a workshop with Annie Finch; the presentation of the first Festivo Prize for Poetry; and an evening of live jazz and open microphone readings. For a full schedule, please visit www.festivo.org or call festival organizer Troy Michael Casa at (207) 974-9333.

Back to the Top