There's never a dull moment...

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

Raney Bench, Curator of Education

The fact that the Abbe Museum is closed to the general public over the month of January has little impact on the day-to-day work of the education and exhibition departments.  In education, I am still available to teach school children, both here at the Abbe by appointment, or traveling to classrooms in schools throughout the state.  This month I will be training two new educators in preparation for spring field trips, to help us accommodate students during our busiest months of May and June.  I will also be working with schools on Mount Desert Island and Deer Isle, as well as 10 outer Islands, on programming related to the Big Read and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  In preparation, I will create a new program on stereotypes about Native Americans, seeking their source and reasons why they endure through the characterization of Injun Joe. 

The Abbe continues to offer programs for adults and families throughout the winter, and January is a time to plan for upcoming summer programs.  The annual Brown Bag Lunch series will kick off on January 19th, focusing on "what happened next" after the exhibit Indians and Rusticators leaves off Island history in 1920.  Historian Bill Haviland will speak about the Wabanaki and their role on the cost of Maine after the end of the encampment era, and additional lectures will be held in February and March.

Today we found Raney busy in her office, researching for
some upcoming presentations and programs.

And, knowing that in a year, Indians and Rusticators will come down, we are preparing the next exhibit Wabanaki Guides.  I am working with tribal historians from the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy communities, developing the budget and exhibit plan, and starting the research phase of this exhibit, which will open in February 2013.  All in all, January is a satisfying month in which we can focus on upcoming projects and host events that connect us to our year-round community.