Maine Humanities Council
Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book

January - May, 2006 ~~~ Hinckley

Between January and May 2006, the Central Kennebec Heritage Council sponsor three hands-on workshops for its member museums along the Kennebec-Chaudière Heritage Corridor. The three programs have been designed to address diverse aspects of exhibit preparation, from label writing to acid-free materials to affordable mounts and displays. Although the workshops are intended mainly for an audience of museum staff and volunteers, they will be open to the public. If you are interested in attending, please contact Deborah Staber at the L.C. Bates Museum in Hinckley, (207) 238-4250 or lcbates@gwh.org.

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January - December, 2006 ~~~ Orono

The Orono Historical Society will host a monthly public lecture series as part of the bicentennial celebration of the town. The lectures will take place on the third Thursday of every month for the rest of the year. January's speakers, David Sanger and Harold Borns, addressed the prehistory of the Orono area. In February, Roxanne Soucier of the Bangor Daily News spoke about early family life. The March lecture featured two women, Sally Jacobs and Nancy Smith, with direct links to Orono's history. All lectures are free and open to the public in the Town's Council Chambers. For other lecture topics and details, please contact the Orono Historical Society at (207) 866-4270.

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April - May, 2006 ~~~ York

On April 10, 2006, the town of York embarked on its second York Reads! One Book, One Community project. This year's featured title is Monica Wood's Ernie's Ark. Several community institutions-York Schools, York Public Library, and York Adult and Community Education-have coordinated to disseminate the book and offer extensive programming for those who are reading it. Upcoming events include a presentation by the author on May 5, a showing of the film "Empire Falls" on May 7, a welcome and orientation session for seasonal workers on May 20, and a presentation by York resident and Maine historian Neil Rolde on May 24. Please contact project director Elizabeth Crawford Reisz at 363-7887 or ereisz@yorkschools.org for details.

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May 3, 2006 ~~~ Ellsworth

The Hancock County Cultural Network has planned a Brown Bag Artist Series for the first Wednesday of every month (with the exception of August) from April 2006 through March 2007. The intent is to encourage a varied audience to see behind the scenes of an organization or an artist's work. Speakers will begin at noon and present for thirty minutes, then invite the audience to join in a discussion. The first speaker, on April 5 at the Unitarian Church in Ellsworth, was Robert Shetterly, a painter from Brooksville who discussed how his art relates to current affairs. On May 3 at the Ellsworth Public Library, Stuart Kestenbaum, director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, will read his poetry. Classical vocalists Marcia and Peter Sly will perform at the Unitarian Church in Ellsworth on June 7, introducing and contextualizing each piece. On July 5, Ellen Werner, Executive Director of Kneisel Hall in Blue Hill, will speak about the Hall's history. For details and future lecture dates, please contact Carolyn Hecker at (207) 348-2535.

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June 2 - 4, 2006 ~~~ Farmington

"Maine's Place in the Environmental Imagination" is a conference devoted to the ways in which Maine has figured in the nation's environmental consciousness, and the ways practicing writers think of the state as a symbol, myth, image, and setting in their work. The University of Maine at Farmington serves as host and sponsor; the Association for Literature and Environment will co-sponsor. During the three-day conference, three events will be open to the public. The keynote address on June 2, 2006, at 7 p.m., will be delivered by University of Southern Maine professor Kent Ryden. On Saturday, June 3, Northeast Historic Films will be screening films on Maine logging, while a panel of writers (including Wes McNair and Bob Kimber) will speak at 4 p.m. For details or to register, please contact Michael Burke, (207) 778-7205 or mdburke@maine.edu.

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June 3, 2006 ~~~ Chebeague Island

"Creating Community: The Hamilton Connection" is an exhibit and lecture series at the Chebeague Island Historical Society that follows the evolution of the island community through the entrepreneurial endeavors of its largest extended family. 250 years ago, Ambrose Hamilton settled Chebeague Island. His relatives and descendents would go on to play key roles in the stone slooping industry, the hotel/boarding house era, and small island businesses. Historical documents on display at the Museum of Chebeague History starting June 3 will include photographs, genealogical records, personal diaries, brochures, newspaper articles, land deeds, and business ledgers. An extended Hamilton family reunion is scheduled for July. The museum is open daily from 1-4:30; for more information, please call (207) 846-5237.

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June 7 & 9, 2006 ~~~ Vinalhaven

During the 2006 Seal Bay Festival, composers and instrumentalists will interact with Vinalhaven residents in workshops that explore the creative links between verbal narrative, visual imagery, physical movement, and music composition. The workshops will use musical improvisation as a starting point for discussion and discovery. The residents who will participate are middle-school students from Vinalhaven and North Haven schools and visual artists at Vinalhaven's Arts & Recreation Center. The workshops will take place on June 7 and 9, 2006; for a full schedule, please visit www.sealbayfestival.org.

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June 8, 2006 ~~~ Bethel

The Bethel Historical Society marks its 40th anniversary in 2006 with a series of lectures that celebrate life in New England. On June 8, Earle Shettleworth, Jr. will give a talk entitled "A Painter's Progress: The Life, Work, and Travels of Harrison Bird Brown of Portland, Maine." On August 11, David Watters will address "New England's Legacy: Memory and Identity in an American Region." Two days later, Thomas Hubka will explore "Maine's Connected Farm Buildings: The Uncommon Architecture of Common Farmers." On October 12, James Kiepper will speak about the life of "Styles Bridges: Yankee Senator." Finally, on November 9, Kent Ryden will ddress "Landscape and Figures: Nature and Culture in New England." For details, please visit the Society on Broad Street in Bethel or call (207) 824-2908.

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June 11, 2006 ~~~ Peaks Island

Sacred At Any Cost, an exhibit focusing on the contributions and sacrifices made by the men and women of the Fifth Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, will be on view at the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum (located at 45 Seashore Avenue on Peaks Island) from June through November, 2006. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Regiment’s battle flag, which survived the Regiment’s three-year term of service without being captured and became a point of pride among the veterans. The grand opening of the exhibit will take place on June 11, when the flag (currently being treated by a professional textile conservateur) is returned to the museum. For information and exhibit hours, please contact the museum at (207) 766-5514 or fifthmaine@juno.com.

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June 12-17, 2006 ~~~ South Berwick

Two beloved authors will soon come alive for audiences in Maine through Chautauqua presentations by Betty Jean Steinhouer. Steinhouer, a favorite scholar of the Florida Humanities Council, first visited Maine in 1990 to portray Willa Cather. She has since presented to Maine audiences as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Gertrude Stein, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and various homeless characters drawn from literature. Steinhouer returns this June to reprise two of her most popular renditions, Sarah Orne Jewett and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

7pm  June 12  Scarborough Public Library  AN EVENING WITH SARAH ORNE JEWETT
7pm  June 13  Southwest Harbor Public Library  MEET LAURA INGALLS WILDER
7pm  June 14  South Berwick Public Library  AN EVENING WITH SARAH ORNE JEWETT
6pm  June 15  Rice Memorial Library, Kittery  MEET LAURA INGALLS WILDER
7pm  June 16  Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick  MISS JEWETT & MRS STOWE: A LITERARY FRIENDSHIP

 

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June 25, 2006 ~~~ Freeport

The Freeport Historical Society's new exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the attack on Thomas Means and his family. The "Means Massacre" took place in 1756, but oral traditions quickly proliferated around the event and remain in the community consciousness today. Through the exhibition, Freeport residents will be able to study the significance of this incident from both the Scots-Irish and the Native American perspective, within the context of the French and Indian Wars. A symposium offering three lectures will begin at 2 p.m. on June 25, at the First Parish Congregational Church, followed by a reception and exhibit opening across the street at Harrington House. In addition, an archaeologist will be excavating at what is believed to be the site of the Thomas Means homestead. The exhibition will remain on view at the Harrington House, 45 Main Street, through November. For further details, please visit www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org.