Events at Member Institutions

On Tuesday, July 24th, Museum L-A is offering a Craft Adventures Day Camp from 9 am to 2 pm. The camp is open to kids age 8-13. The camp is limited to the first 20 kids who sign up. 

What can you expect from the day? Museum L-A's educators will lead children through three separate hands-on craft activities throughout the day: make your own glove stuffed animal, create origami creatures, and weave your own bracelet or bookmark! All projects can be taken home, including origami instruction booklets so that kids can share what they've learned with family and friends. 

In addition to craft activities, Museum educators will also lead kids through guided explorations of the summer exhibit, The Lost Art of Handiwork, and Museum L-A's permanent exhibit in the historic Bates Mill. They will learn how crafts and handiwork shaped the cities and experience the history first-hand! 

$55 per child program fee includes materials and a choice of lunch provided by E. Claire & Pastries. 

LUNCH OPTIONS:

Baked Mac & Cheese

Chicken Tenders with Waffle Fries

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Contact Kate Webber, Director of Education & Outreach, at 207-333-3881 or email kwebber@museumla.org.

The Wall That Heals, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Gardiner, Maine and will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public.  The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and bears the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.

Gardiner will be among the first to host the new, larger exhibit which includes a three-quarter scale Wall replica that is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. With the new replica at this size, visitors will be able to experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in D.C.  For the first time in the history of The Wall That Heals, visitors will be able to do name rubbings of individual service member’s names on The Wall.

“We are thrilled to share the new The Wall That Heals exhibit with the public this year. Through The Wall That Heals, we are able to return the names home to communities across the country and allow Vietnam veterans and their family members who cannot make it to Washington, D.C. the opportunity to see The Wall.  It gives communities a teaching moment for younger generations on why we should honor those who have served and sacrificed so much,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Fund (VVMF).

Billie Ellis, our presenter, has been promoting and making presentations about The Wall That Heals since September 2017.  She and her husband, Robert Egloff, are committed to educating the public about The Wall and the Vietnam war era.  They believe that bringing The Wall to those unable to make the trip to Washington D.C. is extremely important.  Billie and her husband reside in Chelsea. 

 The Kennebec Historical Society’s July Presentation is co-sponsored by the Christ Episcopal Church and free to the public.  Billie Ellis will be presenting The Wall That Heals on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. at the Christ Episcopal Church located at 2 Dresden Avenue in Gardiner.  

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.

July 14 – Sally Williams tells the dramatic untold story of the Barker family of Barker Pond – success, tragedy, adventure, crime. Hear about twin daughter Mary Jane Barker who married at 16 and went from finishing school to log cabin in the west. Great Ossipee Museum of Hiram Historical Society, 20 Historical Ridge, Hiram, ME 04041. FMI 2076254762

Tomlin Coggeshall, grandson of former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, will deliver a lecture entitled "Molly Dewson and Frances Perkins:  Two Powerful Women." This free lecture will take place at the Delano Auditorium on the campus of Maine Maritime Academy, Castine. For further information, please visit castinehistoricalsociety.org or call the Castine Historical Society at (207) 326-4118.

Join the party at Brew with a View, Historic New England’s first fundraiser for Wiscasset’s own Castle Tucker. Enjoy a summer evening of local beer and spectacular river views, and help save one of Maine's historical treasures. Sample American farmhouse beers from Maine's own Oxbow Brewing Company, along with wine and soft drinks. Sarah's Cafe will provide delicious hors d'oeuvres featuring local ingredients, including lobster. Take an after-hours look inside one of the best examples of a Victorian home in the United States.  Your support will go directly to preserving and maintaining this beloved Wiscasset landmark. Tickets range from $30 - $100 with increased tax-deductible contributions at each level. Buy online at http://shop.historicnewengland.org/CAT-BREW-MTX-30-11006/or call 207-882-7169. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. 

Join the Historical Society as it kicks off the season, tour the exhibits, and enjoy light refreshments. This free event will be held at the Castine Historical Society's Abbott School Gallery. For further information, please visit castinehistoricalsociety.org or call the Castine Historical Society at (207) 326-4118.

A show and tell on the treasures owned by area historical societies, the Wilson Museum and the Castine Historical Society. This free event will be held at the Castine Historical Society's Mitchell Room in the Abbott School. For further information on the event, please visit castinehistoricalsociety.org or call the Castine Historical Society at (207) 326-4118.

Did you know that Lewiston’s famous Basilica is crooked? Once you hear this talk, you’ll never see the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in the same way!

Alice Bisson-Barnes is returning to her hometown of Lewiston to share the hidden story of the Basilica’s construction, focusing on the contributions of architect Noel Coumont who has been blamed for the bend in the building.

Her talk, "Peter, Paul and Noel: Why Lewiston's Basilica is Bent," will be held at Museum L-A on Tuesday, June 19th, 6:30-7:30 pm. It is free and open to the public.

“Who else do you know built a crooked church?”  Bisson-Barnes asks. “I know a genius who did right there in Lewiston. The man was maligned but he was a genius.” She will share stories about how the Dominicans worked, their battles with the bishops, their humanity, and their enormous contributions to the Twin Cities.

Bisson-Barnes now lives in California and has retired from her career as a civilian contracting officer with the United States Navy. She is thrilled to come back to her hometown and share a story that means so much to her.  “Historians continuously erroneously write that he was fired because the church is bent,” she says. “I show, using historic photos, how Noel built the church precisely where it is now because that was where the Dominicans wanted it way back in 1906.” 

Bisson-Barnes will offer a lively and informative presentation with a playful spirit. “I am bringing with me from California something that has never been seen before by humans anywhere—not even by myself!” she says.  Join us on June 19th to figure out the mystery.

Museum L-A is located in the Bates Mill Complex at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine.  Its hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm.  Special tour requests and large group tours outside of these hours are available by appointment.

For more information, please contact info@museumla.org or call 207-333-3881.

This summer, Museum L-A is honoring artisans throughout Maine in its new gallery exhibit “The Lost Art of Handiwork”.  For years, Museum L-A has been collecting the history of the ancestors of our community, preserving the mementos of their hard work, ingenuity, and creativity. Many of the pieces in the collection are handcrafted items, including an embroidered baptism set, hand forged golf clubs as well as personally designed wood, stone and metal weaving hooks. These represent a traditional history of making things in our community that has almost been forgotten.

The public is invited to attend the free opening reception for the exhibit on Wednesday, June 13 from 5:30-7:00 pm. Throughout the evening, visitors will be able to meet and talk with the crafters about their work that is on display as well as watch demonstrations of real-time weaving and embroidery by local groups and community members. 

“The Lost Art of Handiwork” will be on display in the Museum L-A gallery from June 14 – September 15. Throughout the duration of the exhibit, crafting events and workshops hosted by Museum L-A will be available for the public to attend.