The Brick Store Museum has been celebrating local history, art and culture since 1936.
Read on for more information about what’s ahead.
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What Will May Bring?
As we all wait and learn how best to protect ourselves and one another, there are so many ways to stay involved and engaged. Perhaps not in the ways we want, but at least in the ways we need.
Sharing is not only a human trait, but it’s one that spans most of the world’s living beings. Sharing is at the core of who we are and how we operate. That hasn’t stopped, it’s just different now.
Last month, we sent you a list of ten programs to explore. Below, here are some more (and a couple reminders!) all designed to bring us closer together and celebrate our shared bonds of history, art and culture.
The Museum is planning to open once again, watching closely the directives from state and federal officials with knowledge of how to operate safely. We will be in touch with you as soon as we know specific opening details. Until then, do not hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can help you.
We’ll see you soon at the Museum –
Kathryn, Leanne, Alex, Jeannine, Julianna and Cynthia.
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P.S. – Digital resources can be daunting. But don’t worry! Click
HERE
to watch a video from our Director, Cynthia Walker, giving a quick tour of our new website.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, May 2 is
16th Century Saturday!
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Help us kick-off our Bicentennial Century Saturdays program in a big way!
The 16th Century provides a place to begin discussion of pre-European history in the area that is now Maine.
While the May 2nd program was supposed to be a physical event, the Museum staff has created an online program that includes speakers Dr. Arthur Anderson, archaeologist at UNE; and Tim Spahr, archaeologist with the Cape Porpoise Archaeological Alliance. In addition to recorded talks, the Museum will also be offering an online “pop-up exhibit” to explore its collection of indigenous stone tools; and at-home activities that families can undertake together, including making 16th Century foods to try and hands-on activities to explore.
The 16th Century Portal will OPEN on
Saturday, May 2 at 12pm. You’ll receive an email invitation to explore the 16th Century prior to the launch!
The Century Saturday Series, which features one century of Maine history every month (May – October) is supported by the Maine Humanities Council.
See our entire schedule here.
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1)Be a digital archives volunteer!
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Become an archives volunteer from the comfort of your home! Access digitized archival materials from the Museum collection, and help Museum staff transcribe these materials so they can be used for research and learning for years to come.
For students (and parents!) at home: explore these materials. Can you help us research the eras, places, and people mentioned in these letters? Help give context to these materials by doing your own research and sending it in to our Collections staff at info@brickstoremuseum.org.
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2) Register for the Distance Challenge!
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The Bicentennial Distance Challenge is a unique way to celebrate Kennebunk & Maine’s 200th birthdays this year.
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Take part in this fun Bicentennial Distance Challenge Virtual Race by running, walking, or biking 7 miles on the course of your choice.
Why 7 miles?
Before 1820, Kennebunk was a part of Wells. Communities were then designated as parishes, and the church or parish was an essential meeting place.
At the time, people in the Kennebunk district of Wells had to travel 7 miles—usually by foot—to the First Congregational Parish of Wells in order to attend meetings. In 1750, these residents founded their own parish, which they called the Second Congregational Parish of Wells. It was located at Kennebunk Landing, along the Kennebunk River. Reverend Daniel Little was its first minister. The parish moved to what is now the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church on Main Street, on land donated by Joseph Storer, in 1772.
By the time 1820 came around, the two parishes – in Wells and Kennebunk – sat seven miles away from each other, and that’s where members of the Second Congregational Parish of Wells (now the Unitarian Universalist Church) voted to separate and become its own town.
Get active and support history! The race kicks off on June 24, 2020, through October 17, 2020. Run (or bike or walk) your race at your pace and on a course of your choice – as long as it’s seven miles! – and send us your finishing time. If you choose to run or bike, use a tracking method of your choice. If you are walking, feel free to split up those miles to complete them over a period of time that is healthy for you.
Click the link above to learn more and register.
Presented by our generous sponsor:
Southern Maine Health Care
With special thanks to the Museum’s Marquee Sponsor:
Kennebunk Savings
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3) Plant a Bicentennial Tree
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Choose between American Elm or paper birch trees!
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Celebrate Maine’s birthday by investing in our shared future and memory by planting a tree for your family to enjoy today, and our descendants to enjoy tomorrow.
The American Elm tree, one of the “Grandest of American Trees,” once lined the streets in many New England towns, including Kennebunk – this tree is even featured on Kennebunk’s Town Seal. By the mid-20th Century, American Elms were mostly killed off by Dutch Elm Disease, and cut down. Luckily, this kit includes a disease-resistant elm tree that will grow for the next 200 years. This tree can grow up to 140 feet high with an 8 foot trunk diameter.
The Paper Birch, famous for its silvery-white peeling bark and fluttering leaves, has been used by Maine peoples for thousands of years in canoe-making, basketry, and more. Birches are considered some of the heartiest northern trees, withstanding extreme cold and wind. This tree can grow up to 70 feet high with a 2 foot trunk diameter.
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Each Kit comes with
:
Peat pot
Soil pellet
Tree seeds*
Mini-32 page book about the tree
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4) Help curate an exhibit.
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Lend Your Voice to an Exhibition!
Art & Poetry Show begins soon
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Tell us your favorite poem(s) and/or classical sayings that we can then match to a painting in our collection. The poem and the piece of art will be exhibited together.
You can share your favorite poem by hitting “reply” to this email and typing the poem (and its author) to send to us.
Don’t have a favorite poem yet? Now’s the time to explore the beauty of poetry – when you find something you like…send it to
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Here’s Cynthia Walker, Executive Director, on a mini-tour of Collections (find this video series
here), talking about the Poetry & Art exhibition – and our ask of you!
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5) Share your Museum of Home.
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Add your story to our online exhibition on community!
Our homes are essentially museums to our lives and our heritage.
Choose a piece in your home, and either film a short video (via your phone or computer) or send us a photo and information about your piece. We’ll display it on the Museum of Home website with others who are sharing!
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6) Watch digital lectures.
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Museum staff is bringing the collections to you! We will be uploading new histories and presentations each week.
Here are a few we have already (links to Youtube):
Check out all of our Museum Multimedia (including podcasts, videos and more)
HERE.
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7) Read and test historic recipes.
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Cooking brings families, cultures, and neighbors together. Even through time and space, food is something we can all understand, enjoy, and share. The Brick Store Museum’s collection holds many cookbooks and recipes used by past Kennebunkers – stretching from the 18th through the 21st Centuries.
Read through them on this site to simply enjoy, or, if you’re daring – try making a recipe*! Let us know how it turns out by sending a photo of the finished meal with your critical review.
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8) Explore online exhibitions.
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Online exhibitions are a way to explore the Museum’s collections outside of our walls.
Please enjoy exploring the collections and stories included HERE on this site – and please let us know what stories you would like to see next!
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Thank essential workers and come together.
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The Brick Store Museum’s mission is to be the spark that ignites personal connections to local history, art and culture. In this new era of a national pandemic, we invite you to join us in a simple project that will bring light to our entire community.
Light a (electric-powered) candle, string light, lamp, or any kind of light in your window each evening at dusk, starting now through the end of this pandemic. Let’s all come together over our thanks – and show what community is all about. Learn more
HERE.
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10) Tell Your Home’s Story.
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Take part in our “If Houses Could Talk” program this summer.
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Take part in this community-wide history celebration!
The goal is pretty simple: tell us about your house by placing a few facts about it on a posterboard for all to see (near the front sidewalk of your house) for one week, June 20 – 28, 2020.
Due to COVID-19, national surveys have suggested a certain public hesitancy on returning to gathering spaces like museums. Outdoor spaces – including outdoor exhibitions at museums – will be most important to provide this summer. We’re asking for YOUR help!
Tell the story of your home as if it were an artifact in a town-wide exhibit! How large an exhibit can we create? That’s up to you! “Visitors” will be able to walk the sidewalks of town and read all about the homes and histories surrounding us.
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11) Get out in the Garden!
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Explore the history of Victory Gardens, and start one yourself!
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Growing a Victory Garden is important now. Not only does it supply your family with fresh food, but it relieves stress and gets you outside (among many other benefits).
Check out the Museum’s Victory Garden Blog and the recent lecture hosted by the Southern Maine Planeteers focusing on creating your own Victory Garden (below!).
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Recent Grant Awards
The Museum has received several grants recently to support our mission, including a Maine Bicentennial Grant ($9,600) to be shared with the Town of Kennebunk’s celebration; a Maine Humanities Council grant ($5,300) to support our Century Saturdays Series; and an Emergency Grant from the Virginia Hodgkins Somers Foundation ($6,205) to generously help us cover payroll expenses during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Kennebunk Bicentennial Celebration Postponed
Per the Town Bicentennial Committee (of which the Museum is a part):
We’ve waited 200 years to celebrate…and now we’ll need to wait a few extra months. In order to keep everyone safe, we have decided to postpone our Bicentennial Celebration to Aug. 22.
While disappointing, we know that this community, which has seen sons and daughters go off to war, dealt with ravaging fires and more, will survive this latest setback and come back stronger than ever.
So mark your calendars for Aug. 22 and get ready to celebrate not just our first 200 years as a town, but all that we’ve been through and survived – together.
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Follow the Museum on Facebook and Instagram to visit collections storage areas!
Weekly, the Museum staff visits different areas of our Collections Storage to talk about artifacts and histories in our care. These quick videos give you a glimpse behind the scenes and new histories to consider!
(Here’s a sneak peek video, at right!)
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Brand-New Online Museum Store Launched!
Just in time for Mother’s Day – don’t miss unique, local items for sale through the Museum’s Mercantile! Local history books, artwork, cards, toys, soaps, candles and more are waiting for you here at the online store!
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With the onset of COVID-19, this place that is a community gathering place has gone quiet – but not gone away.
Although our physical space is currently closed, we are still with you – and will continue to be here.
The Museum needs your help to do that. If you are able, please consider
donatingto keep our local mission of history, art and culture alive.
We will see you soon, friends.
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