Events at Member Institutions

If you scroll through Pinterest or Instagram, you might presume that women make 2022 home design choices. It may be true today, but it was not true in the post-Revolutionary War era. Women had little input, if any, when prominent historic homes rose in the new country. The founding fathers built and created interiors to reflect their personal interests and status in the world.

Noted Architectural Designer and Design Historian, Annie Coggan will share how Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Monticello, were designed, and furnished. Some like, Henry, Franklin and Washington were quite persnickety. Each had his own influences and added his own flair. In person, July 7, 2022. 5:30pm Donations welcomed.  info@knoxmuseum.org 207-354-8062

The Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center continues its Wabanaki Voices Speaker Series with Maria Girouard of Penobscot Nation on Thursday, June 23, at 7pm at Tewksbury Hall - located behind the Federated Church on the island in Skowhegan.  She will present, "The Original Meaning and Intent of the Maine Indian Land Claims”. Masks are required for in-person attendance.

For those who prefer to attend by Zoom, register at msad54.maineadulted.org. 

Maria Girouard of Penobscot Nation is an historian with a particular expertise in the Maine Indian Land Claims. She earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Maine in part from her thesis entitled: The Original Meaning and Intent of the Maine Indian Land Claims: Penobscot Perspectives. Maria is a long standing community organizer, environmental steward, and educator. She speaks extensively on topics such as the Maine Indian Land Claims, Penobscot cultural connections to Katahdin, history of the Penobscot River, and food justice.  She is a co-founder of the Sunlight Media Collective and of The Peoples' Garden, a community garden located on Indian Island. Maria currently serves as the executive director of Wabanaki REACH, a non-profit organization dedicated to truth, healing, and change. 

FMI: contact Skowhegan History House at (207) 474-6632

Colonial Herb Garden Tea Tasting at the 18^th century reproduction  Tate House Garden

1270 Westbrook Street, Portland, ME 

June 23 @ 6:00 pm    Rain date June 26 @ 3:00 pm

Colleen Griffin, resident of Stroudwater Neighborhood, will offer a program focused on how European colonists used the herb garden for culinary and medicinal purposes.  Her talk will also include information about how the Wabanaki people used particular plants such as the needles of white pine trees to benefit health.

The presentation will be followed by a tasting of three natural and herb teas: white pine tea, lemon balm-lavender tea, and dandelion root tea, supplemented with fresh herbed butter cookies. Participants are encouraged to bring along a teacup for the tasting (BYOTC).

Presenter Colleen Griffin has a degree in horticulture and a passion for herbal medicine. She has taken several courses in growing, drying, and preparing medicinal herbs, and is a registered horticultural therapist practicing in Southern Maine.  She is currently an independent contractor working with the Dempsey Center for Quality Cancer Care and is a volunteer for the University of Maine’s Master Gardener program.  She formerly worked with the Bonny Eagle School district running a greenhouse program for special needs students in grades 6-12. 

Cost is $15 for the general public and $12 for Tate House Museum members. Advance ticket purchase is required and can be obtained by visiting tatehouse.org.

The program is limited to 25 people and tickets will not be sold at the door.

The Skowhegan History House continues its Wabanaki Voices Speaker Series, featuring John Bear Mitchell on May 19, 2022 at 7:00pm.  A citizen of the Penobscot Nation from Indian Island in Maine, John Bear Mitchell is a Lecturer of Wabanaki Studies and Multicultural Studies at the University of Maine in Orono, where he also serves as the Native American Waiver and Educational Program Coordinator. He will speak about “Wabanaki Storytelling: History and Lessons.”

The talk takes place at Tewksbury Hall, located on Weston Avenue behind the Federated Church on the island in Skowhegan. Masks are required for in-person attendees.

This presentation will also be broadcast on Zoom. To register, visit: http://skowheganhistoryhouse.org/speaker-series/

The Skowhegan History House presents the second of the Wabanaki Voices Speaker Series at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, with Darren Ranco at Tewksbury Hall on Weston Avenue, behind the Federated Church on Island Avenue in Skowhegan.  Ranco, a Penobscot Tribal member, is an associate professor of anthropology and coordinator of Native American research at the University of Maine at Orono. He will discuss “Our Indian Distinction: Wabanaki Diplomacy, Treaties, and Colonial Legacies of the Maine Frontier.”

Masks are required for in-person attendees. 

Those who prefer to attend by Zoom can register online here:

https://msad54.maineadulted.org/course/wabanaki-voices-speaker-series/

After registering, a confirmation containing information about joining the meeting will be emailed.  

The Skowhegan History House presents the Wabanaki Voices Speaker Series, beginning with James Francis, Penobscot Tribal Historian.

Mr. Francis will talk about sense of place, the relationship between natural resources, place names, and the Wabanaki world view. 

The first talk will be held on April 21, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in Tewksbury Hall, which is located behind the Federated Church on the island in Skowhegan.  Masks are required for in-person attendees.

This presentation will also be broadcast on Zoom.  Register in advance for the Zoom call using the following link:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sc--spjMqHtL-hnW4bT2nxHZ5ZuOpTsxq

Join the First Amendment Museum for a free, virtual event on Thursday, April 14th at 7 pm on Zoom as they host artist Linda Vallejo.

She will be describing her new exhibit “Brown Belongings”, which represents ten years of concentrated work on visualizing what it means to be a person of color in the United States. These works reflect what she calls her “brown intellectual property”—the experiences, knowledge, and feelings she has gathered over more than four decades of study in Chicano/a and American indigenous communities.

To register for Zoom - click here.

To learn more about this event - click here.

Jane's Walk Information Session

Tuesday, April 12 at 12pm

Learn more about this statewide festival of walking conversations, including instructions for how to submit and lead a walk. We look forward to seeing you there!

Register Here

What is Jane’s Walk? Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May, in more than 200 cities and towns around the globe. Jane's Walk ME will be held on Saturday, May 7.

Who was Jane Jacobs? 

Jane Jacobs was a community activist and writer who lived from 1916-2006. She is best known for galvanizing New Yorkers to stop a highway from being built in her neighborhood. She believed in the power of individuals to influence the places they live. Today, her principles represent the participatory planning approaches that have been embraced in communities around the world.

Who can lead a Jane’s Walk? 

You can! Anyone is welcome to lead a Jane’s Walk. Whether you are affiliated with an organization or an impassioned individual, Jane’s Walk is an opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with your community.

Join the First Amendment Museum on Zoom on Wednesday March 16th at 7 pm as we screen the documentary film TRUTH TELLERS: Artist Robert Shetterly’s Journey to Uphold Our Founding Ideals.

A special virtual screening and conversation with Artist and Activist Robert Shetterly about the new documentary, TRUTH TELLERS, a film that delves into the lives of courageous Americans fighting for social, environmental and economic justice. Shetterly has painted 255 portraits of Americans, past and present, who had the moral courage to confront the pressing issues of their time. Shetterly’s art and activism is a history lesson in what it means to be a citizen of our democracy.

Register for this free, virtual event here.

Maine Preservation is excited to be collaborating with Friends of Congress Square Park, Greater Portland Landmarks, Maine Downtown Center, and Portland Downtown to bring Jane's Walk to communities across Maine on Saturday, May 7.

What is Jane’s Walk? 

Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May, in more than 200 cities and towns around the globe. 

Who was Jane Jacobs? 

Jane Jacobs was a community activist and writer who lived from 1916-2006. She is best known for galvanizing New Yorkers to stop a highway from being built in her neighborhood. She believed in the power of individuals to influence the places they live. Today, her principles represent the participatory planning approaches that have been embraced in communities around the world. 

Who can lead a Jane’s Walk? 

You can! Anyone is welcome to lead a Jane’s Walk. Whether you are affiliated with an organization or an impassioned individual, Jane’s Walk is an opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with your community.

Click here to learn more about Jane's Walk ME!