Events at Member Institutions

Museum L-A is thrilled to announce a new gallery exhibit opening this fall that explores the Franco-American experience through a new medium: cartoons.  The exhibit, "Beau-frog: The Art of Peter Archambault," will display the artwork and political cartoons of Peter Archambault, a native of Madawaska, Maine.  His artwork, featured monthly in a Franco-American publication at the University of Maine at Orono, Le F.A.R.O.G. Forum, provided rich political commentary, an investigation into immigration practices, and an exploration of the Franco-american culture in Maine and New England.

Archambault created a character called "Beau-frog" as a way to reclaim the common slur generally directed toward francophone and French heritage people during this era.  The daily exploits of the frog truly illustrate the trials and tribulations of a minority figure coming to terms with their personal and cultural identity while surrounded by the pressures of an Anglophone majority.  Despite this work being created for the Franco-American students on the Orono campus, the cultural exploration found in Archambault's cartoon drawings can speak to the experiences of the people in our community of Lewiston-Auburn, a place deeply affected by French-Canadian immigration since the 1850s.  While on display in the Museum L-A gallery, his work gives visitors the chance to explore these themes of immigration and cultural identity through the unique medium of cartoons, and allows them to come up with their own interpretations and conclusions about the meaning behind the art.

September 8 –.”Hiram Hometown” and other vintage videos of Hiram life, including Raymond Cotton's movies of  the 1930s -blueberry farming, fire dept., logging, coon hunt, school plays and more. Great Ossipee Museum of Hiram Historical Society, 20 Historical Ridge (off Main Street, rte 117), Hiram ME 04041. FMI 2076254762

Volunteer reenactors at Castine's historic Fort George will demonstrate what life was like when British Crown troops protected the American Loyalists. Visit FriendsofCastineForts.com for information on events and entertainment.

Are Your Ready to Dance?

Imagine a beautiful evening under a starry, moonlit sky, and you and your guests are rockin’ with the music of the locally renowned GOOD & PLENTY band with the sounds of the 70’s and 80’s to enjoy! Band members include: Denny Breau, Billy Belskis, Kathy Haley, Benny Rae Jones, David Kelly, Debbie Morin, Larry Peterson, and Bette Sanborn.

Start the evening by enjoying fine dining at local restaurants that are partnering with Museum L-A to offer discounts or themed specialty drinks or meals to enhance your Dance Party experience.  At the Dance Party, follow your fabulous dinner with scrumptious desserts  crafted by culinary arts students from The Green Ladle!

Stay tuned as details of this big, bold and audacious event unfold!

REGISTER TODAY!  Visit www.museumla.org or call 207-333-3881!
 

Do you have any heirlooms that have been passed down in your family from generation to generation? Perhaps you have your grandmother’s wedding dress, or your great-uncle’s scrapbooks, or your mother’s baby pictures. Items like these can be decades old and hold a precious place in your heart and in your home. After they have been passed to you, it is your responsibility to protect them so they can be enjoyed by further generations. Do you know how to care for them?

Museum L-A is hosting the “Family Heirloom Preservation Workshop” to teach the general public about the ways that they can care for their precious documents, photos, or objects and stop the damage caused by common environmental threats. Emma Sieh, Collections and Exhibits Coordinator for Museum L-A, will be joined by conservation experts from the Northeast Document Conservation Center and the Maine State Museum to provide information and tips on how to maintain and store your own collections.

This event will be held in the Museum L-A gallery on Saturday, August 25^th from 10:00 – 3:00. Tickets are $50 per person and include access to the full day of activities, free catalogs and informational booklets, as well as a lunch catered by Fishbones American Grill. When you purchase your tickets, your name will also be entered into a raffle to win a door prize of preservation supplies donated by Gaylord Archival and University Products valued at $100! There are only 40 spots available for this workshop, so please visit Museum L-A’s website at www.museumla.org to register!

This meeting followed by a talk and light refreshments is free and open to the public. Castine summer resident and well-known writer, Lee Smith, will give a talk entitled "Believe It or Not! Fact...or Fiction?" The event takes place in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 86 Court St., Castine. For further information, please visit castinehistoricalsociety.org or call the Castine Historical Society at (207) 326-4118.

Few know the story of how the Appalachian Trail was envisioned and built.  The most famous footpath in the world could easily have been an unfulfilled vision lost to the ages in an architectural journal if not for a number of fortunate events.  The idea proposed by Benton MacKaye in 1921 had lost steam by 1928.  It took the irrepressible drive of a young man from Maine named Myron Avery to see the project to completion.  The story is a fascinating study of personalities set against the financial challenges posed by The Great Depression, the unprecedented rise of automobile ownership and the need to build a network of trail advocates through 14 states and beyond.  Yet the completion of the trail also caused an irreparable rift between MacKaye (the dreamer) and Avery (the doer). 

The KHS presenter, Jeffrey Ryan, is a Maine based author, speaker and photographer, and has a contagious passion for exploring the outdoors, particularly on foot.  Jeff has hiked thousands of miles including his first “trip of a lifetime”, a 6-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.  In 1985, he began “section hiking” the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend (a journey that would take years to complete and inspired his first book, Appalachian Odyssey: A 28-year hike on America’s trail).  His AT experiences inspired him to learn about the dynamic relationship between Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery that culminated in the creation and completion of the legendary trail.  His second book, Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail (published by Appalachian Mountain Club Books) was released in 2018. 

The Kennebec Historical Society’s August Presentation is co-sponsored by the Maine State Library and free to the public (donations gladly accepted).  The presentation will take place on Wednesday, August 15, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. at the Maine State Library located at 230 State Street in Augusta.   

Tour and discussion led by curator Paige Lilly in the Castine Historical Society's Abbott School Gallery. Free with light refreshments served. For further information, please visit castinehistoricalsociety.org or call the Castine Historical Society at (207) 326-4118.

August 1 – Sean Turley, apple columnist for the Portland Press Herald, says every heirloom apple has a story. Great Ossipee Museum of Hiram Historical Society, 20 Historical Ridge, Hiram ME (off Main Street, Rte 117) FMI 2076254762

Easy and awesome DIY projects from Museum L-A and tasty beer from Baxter Brewing Co.

Make your own DIY Alcohol Ink Plates

$30 fee includes four dessert-size glass plates, tutorial, and a free beer!

Reserve your spot at www.museumla.org!