Maine Archives & Museums upcoming events

Building Together: Co-Creating Meaningful Community Engagement (09 Apr 2026)

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

How do we move beyond assuming what our communities need, to truly understand and respond to their interests? Join Educational Programs Manager Aimee Keithan (Greater Portland Landmarks), Curator Kate Webber (Frances Perkins Center), Mayfield Museum Curator Kim Smith (Presque Isle Historical Society), and Curator of Education Christiana Becker (Abbe Museum) for a collaborative workshop where we'll work through these questions together.

We'll offer a framework for thinking about community-centered programming, then flesh it out with your experiences and ideas. Together, we'll explore how to identify what your communities actually want from your institution, develop creative programs that respond to these needs, and figure out what success really looks like. Through discussion and hands-on exercises, we'll learn from each other's challenges and successes.

Whether you're just starting to think about community partnerships or looking to strengthen existing relationships, you'll leave with practical approaches shaped by the collective wisdom in the room—strategies you can adapt and use in your own work.

About the Presenters:

Aimée Keithan is Educational Programs Manager at Greater Portland Landmarks. A native Mainer, she holds a PhD in Historic Buildings Conservation from the University of York, UK. Her research focuses on uncovering unrecorded histories through examining American and British buildings.

She previously held roles as Executive Director at Boothbay Region Historical Society and Museum Manager at Pejepscot History Center, as well as working at historic house museums and archives in America and Britian. She has completed research fellowships at George Washington's Mount Vernon and the Preservation Society of Newport County, RI. She enjoys sharing her research academically and through public lectures.

Kate Webber is Curator at the Frances Perkins Center. She has an M.A. in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program with a focus on public programming and education. She is a graduate of Bates College, where she studied Anthropology with a concentration in Environment, Place, and History. Kate currently serves on the board of the Maine Association of Archives and Museums.

Kate has fifteen years’ experience in community outreach, public history, and humanities work. She previously worked as the Director of Education & Outreach at Lewiston’s Museum L-A and Communications & Development Assistant with the Maine Humanities Council. She spent two years on Swan’s Island as a Historical Preservation Fellow with the Island Institute, where she wrote a weekly newspaper column, joined a band and knitting club, and published a book based on local oral history.

Kimberly Smith holds a Diploma in Non-Profit Management from Shenandoah University and a Master’s of Science in Business Administration from Husson University. She has served as the de facto Executive Director of Presque Isle Historical Society since 2008, currently serves as the Executive Director of Presque Isle Community Development Association and as the chair of Aroostook County Tourism. Kim has been recognized by Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce as Citizen of the Year 2008, by Presque Isle Rotary with a Paul Harris Fellowship and with a Service Above Self Award, an Excellence Award from the New England Museum Association, and with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the President's Council of Service and Civic Participation.

In her role with Presque Isle Historical Society, Kim curates all exhibits for the Maysville Museum, has researched and created 15 different types of tours and over 100 historical PowerPoint presentations.

Kim is a published author and has had the honor of being a Presenting Scholar at both the Deerfield-Wellesley Symposium and the Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife. She has been an adjunct professor for the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Northern Maine Community College. In addition, she has served on numerous boards such as Maine Archives & Museums, Maine Historical Society, Presque Isle Air Museum, Seniors Achieving Greater Education, Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, 1st Night Virginia, Virginia Festivals & Events Association, and South Florida March of Dimes.

Christiana Becker is the Curator of Education at the Abbe Museum. In 2018, Christiana received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art with a concentration in printmaking from the University of Maine as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education. In 2022, Christiana received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Intermedia at the University of Maine. Becker's teaching experiences include: a teaching assistant/residential tutor for the Mashpee Wampanoag Native Tribal Scholars Program, student teaching at Orono High School and James F. Doughty Middle School, and working for the Indian Island School's Summer Academy program. Some of her accomplishments while working at the Abbe Museum include being a facilitator at the Allen Island Summer 2023 Retreat: Implementing Wabanaki Studies through the Arts, being a panelist on Side x Side's webinar: Museums and their Resources, and offering a screening of the documentary, “We Are the Warriors” at the College of the Atlantic along with being a member of the Q&A panel.

Growing up on Alenape Menehan (Indian Island) gave Becker firsthand experience with her culture like drumming, dancing, the Panawahpskek language and storytelling. Her love of art began while she attended Indian Island School. Some of her earliest artwork was selected to be part of the Waponhaki Student Art Show sponsored by the Abbe Museum.

Now, as Christiana engages in her art practice, her first steps often include exploring, researching and learning more about her Penobscot heritage as well as the history, culture, and sociopolitical pressures that affect all North American Indigenous peoples. This initial exploration stage of her artmaking leads into using those research topics as a springboard to creating art. Most recently, Becker has painted a mural at the Maine Discovery Museum in downtown Bangor. Other recent accomplishments include: leading a loom beading demonstration at Colby College's Museum of Art 2023 Fall Open House, offering a presentation and Zoom recording of her artwork and educational experience at the University of Maine at Machias Wabanaki Voices series in 2024, being a panelist focused on Indigenous and Non-Indigenous educators sharing their personal Wabanaki Studies journeys for MCSTOYA (Maine County and State Teacher of the Year Association) Connects with Indigenous Reads in 2024, and being a panelist for Historic New England's Historic Wαpάnαhkəyαk panel discussion at Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum in 2024.

Homeschool Programming Roundtable Discussion (15 Apr 2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Join MAM for a casual conversation sharing tips and tricks for offering programming to homeschool families. With homeschooling on the rise in Maine, many of our organizations are seeing greater demand from this unique demographic. Whether you're a seasoned pro or have never hosted a homeschool program, we would love to have you at our virtual table.

The conversation will be facilitated by Kate Webber, an past educator at the Maine State Museum, now Curator at the Frances Perkins Center. We will have two featured guests offering short presentations on their programming models at Maine libraries: Samantha Cote, Children's Librarian at Windham Public Library, and Sarah Lesko, Director at Ellsworth Public Library.

This is a free event for MAM members. Not a member yet? Join here.

Disaster Preparedness & Response (24 Apr 2026)

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Spend a day in Skowhegan and join colleagues from around the state for an in-person, hands on workshop at the Margaret Chase Smith Library. You will learn the skills you and your institution need to be prepared for disaster.

Over the course of a three hour workshop you will:

Learn the basics tools for writing a disaster plan and what materials you need for institutional disaster kits
Learn about resources available via MAM's partner organization North East Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)
Take part in a hands-on wet salvage activity

Time permitting, attendees will participate in disaster simulation and formulate their own response plans

About the Presenters:
Nicole Potter, Curator of Collections at the Margaret Chase Smith Library, holds an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University School of Information Studies. Nicole’s specialization is cultural heritage preservation. Previously she worked at cultural institutions in New York, New Mexico, and Alaska, including ones preserving the legacies of other noteworthy Americans such as artist Georgia O'Keefe and author Ernest Hemingway. Nicole serves on the Board of Directors of MAM.

John Taylor is the Museum Assistant & Communications Manager at the Margaret Chase Smith Library. He is the state coordinator for National History Day (NHD) in Maine and represents New England on the NHD Executive Council of Coordinators. He also assists in educational programming, emergency planning, and the creation, installation, and maintenance of museum exhibits. John is a past member of the Board of Directors of MAM and served as the organization's last Interim Executive Director.

Jesse Keel is based in Northeast Document Conservation Center’s Andover, MA office and provides preservation consultations, training programs, assessments, and disaster advice to a variety of cultural heritage organizations nationwide. Since joining NEDCC in 2023, she has performed preservation assessments and custom consultations for museums, historical societies, historic homes, and universities both large and small in addition to presenting over 25 hours of training on topics ranging from digital preservation to disaster preparedness. Jesse currently serves as education chair and member-at-large on the Society of American Archivists Preservation Section Steering Committee and as the Web Administrator for New England Archivists. Jesse is a certified digital archives specialist and has earned an MA in English from the University of Vermont and an MLIS with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons University.

MAM members receive discounted rates for workshops. Please login to your account to ensure your discount is applied. Trouble logging in? Email info@mainemuseums.org.

MAM Member Check In (13 May 2026)

Wed, 13 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Join Executive Director Lucy Hannington and your fellow MAM members for a casual conversation about the state of museums and archives in Maine today. This will be a chance for you to connect with your peers in other institutions around the state, express your concerns and goals for the coming year, and say what you hope MAM can do for you (types of programs, advocacy efforts, etc.). MAM is made stronger by its members, so we hope you'll join us!

This conversation will not be recorded.

This is a free event for MAM members. Not a member yet? Join here.

Development & Fundraising Roundtable Discussion (11 Jun 2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Join MAM for a casual conversation sharing tips and tricks for what kind of fundraising is best for your institution. With so much competition for funds, it can be daunting to know what approach will work best for you. Whether you're great at getting grants and membership, or brand new to fundraising, we would love to have you at our virtual table.

The conversation will be facilitated by Lucy Hannington, Executive Director of MAM. We will have three guests offering short presentations on their areas of expertise: Katie Orlando, Executive Director of the Seashore Trolley Museum (annual appeals), Sarah Lentz of the Maine Philanthropy Center (foundation grants), and Kristy Griffin Executive Director of the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum (federal grants).

This is a free event for MAM members. Not a member yet? Join here.