Noah hard at work in his lab.

Every weekend during the school year, and most days in the summer, we are joined by high school students who want to teach science. Known as “Youth Rangers,” these high school students are a variety of ages and backgrounds, but all have a common interest: teaching science to children. One of our Youth Rangers loves teaching about dinosaurs, while another likes to focus on marine mammals. They all lead Star Shows and Tide Pool Touch Tanks, and they do a great job! 

If you’re familiar with these science-teaching youth, you might have noticed the absence of Youth Ranger Noah during your summer visits. Where is Noah? Noah has been away for a fellowship at the Mount Desert Island Biological Lab, doing molecular biology experiments and gene expression identification. He is working with the little skate “Leucoraja erinacea.”

But it’s not just scientific inquiry that has kept Noah busy – he’s also been continuing to teach by leading family science nights about the reproduction of skates inside Mermaid’s Purses. We look forward to his return at the end of August and to hearing about the findings from his fellowship work!

Janet's book will be available June 6.

As my friends and family can attest, I’m a bit nuts about museums. Day trips and vacations are never complete without discovering a new museum or two. One of the things I love about working in public relations here at the Museum & Theatre is giving tours – when I guide someone through our exhibits, I find that I get to rediscover it for myself, too! Over a year ago, I met writer Janet Mendelsohn, who was working on a book about museums in Maine. Janet had visited us before to write this neat article for the Boston Globe about our Camera Obscura, but this was the first time she explored the Museum & Theatre from top to bottom, asking insightful questions and observing our visitors at play. She went on to do that with dozens of other museums and has now published the resulting book, Maine Museums: Art, Oddities & Artifacts. I wanted to learn more about her journey through Maine and get tips on which museums to hit on my next day trip, so I asked Janet to share some of her findings with us.

Lucy:   What made you decide to write about museums in Maine?

Janet:  When I travel, I visit museums—Boston, New York, Paris, Madrid,

Janet Mendelsohn (photo by Stu Rosner)

 Atlanta, Washington. While obviously there are great collections in all those cities, my favorites are in Maine. People here feel and express a more powerful connection to both this place and the past. The stories they choose to tell through fine and folk art, history and memorabilia, from logging equipment to scrimshaw, is the story of Maine and the nation and it’s most often told on a personal level. In local history museums, we hear from mill girls and women struggling to hold on to their homes when their young husbands went off to fight in the Civil War. Here at the Children’s Museum, kids can ‘try on’ what it’s like to be a farmer or to work on cars. Moreover, Maine’s museum directors, curators, staff and volunteers are excited about what they do. They’re happy to answer questions, even if you don’t have a reporter’s notebook in your hand. It was a fun project.    

Lucy: For many people, being a travel writer sounds like a dream job! How did you find success in this field? 

Janet:  I wish I could say I’m one of those lucky journalists who get to travel the globe and someone else picks up the bill. I’m not. But as a freelancer, when I travel I can often interest an editor in a related story and get paid for writing it, which is what I love to do most. My first freelance piece about Maine, about 12 years ago, was for Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, a wonderful magazine. I had gone to the Isles of Shoals, off Kittery and Portsmouth, to visit the recreation of Celia Thaxter’s Island Garden. It’s so remote and simple but magical, with old fashioned flowers like those she described in her book. I tried to capture that sense of distance, real and historical. I guess it worked because I’ve been writing for Maine Boats ever since.

Lucy: Clearly you have a love for museums (and, given my occupation, so do I!). What do you say to someone who thinks that museums are old-fashioned or stuffy? How would you convince the contemporary consumer of the relevance of museums in our current, high-speed culture?

Janet: Another reason I wrote the book is to help kids and adults discover

Nowetah's American Indian Museum in New Portland displays Native American arts and crafts of all the Americas. Photo by Janet Mendelsohn.

 that museums today are fun. In this economy, they can’t survive if they don’t get creative about using new technology, installing multimedia exhibits, and planning events that engage people (including parents!) with shorter attention spans. We’re all so attached to our cell phones. Video games keep setting the bar higher for visual effects. Plus many of us have less money to spend on travel and entertainment, so it had better be worthwhile if they’re going to get us in the door. Museums in Maine are now lending visitors iPads and installing high tech kiosks to enhance what we see and do in the galleries. Many have terrific summer and vacation week programs for children and adults, special events like logging competitions and military reenactments. As for relevance?  Until you see a great painting or the craftsmanship of a Native American basket up close, you can’t appreciate its beauty. Until you’re face-to-face with textile looms, whaling gear or ice harvesting tools, you can’t appreciate what those jobs were like.   

Lucy: The “oddities” part of the title makes me very curious! What did you discover on your journey through Maine that was most surprising – your “oddest oddity,” shall we say?

Janet:  I’d have to say the Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island, although the Bigfoot specimens at the International Cryptozoology Museum are right up there. But they’re not the only ones. [Note: the Criptozoology Museum is just a few blocks west of us on Congress Street! -Lucy]

Would-be sea captains and sailors find plenty of hands-on activities at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport. Photo courtesy of Penobscot Marine Museum.

Lucy: Are there any hidden gems for families – spots parents could take children that seem to be under the radar?

Janet:  Maine Maritime Museums in Bath has a one-weekend family boatbuilding workshop, a pirate ship to climb all over and lighthouse and nature cruises on the Kennebec. Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport has a hands-on marine science lab and the “Peapod” where kids can dress up in 19^th century clothing, play with ships models and learn to tie knots. The Wendell Gilley Museum of wood carving, on Mount Desert Island, has art, natural history and wildlife protection programs, including carving lessons for ages 11 and up.  

Lucy: Which destination was your personal favorite? Was there one place you connected with more than any other?

Janet: You want me to choose? The Portland Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Art Museum are national caliber, the Colby and Bowdoin college art collections probably are, too. The Saco Museum brought history alive for me with its personal stories. The Osher Map Library collection is full of exquisite rare art that served a practical purpose. Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was especially interesting. It’s the only active Shaker community left in the world. I could go on and on.

Lucy: Are you already thinking about your next writing adventure? What topic would you like to explore next?

Janet:  I recently visited Louisa May Alcott’s home, Orchard House, where she wrote Little Women. I keep thinking about how I felt standing beside the little desk in her bedroom where she wrote the book. It’s telling me something but I’m not yet sure what.

Want to win a signed copy of Janet’s book? Visit our Facebook page and keep an eye out for the question we post on June 7. Answer it and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of Maine Museums: Art, Oddities & Artifacts (Countryman Press).

A restoration project at the Owls Head Transportation Museum.

Margaret Hoffman at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens came up with this idea and I think it’s terrific in two ways: we’ll see a lot of new faces here, which is always exciting; AND our members get to be “members for a day” at someplace new!

I’ve listed all the participating museums here. Don’t forget to bring your membership card with you, and check their hours in advance since everyone’s are a little different. Now enjoy your adventure!

Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor

Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Portland (that’s us!)

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay

Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland

Maine Discovery Museum, Bangor

Maine Historical Society, Portland

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Maine State Museum, Augusta

Owls Head Transportation Museum, Owls Head

Portland Museum of Art, Portland

Victoria Mansion, Portland

Wendell Gilley Museum, Southwest Harbor

We delved into art making on Monday and didn’t stop! Friday marked the conclusion, in which our camp room turned into an art gallery. We invited all our friends and families to show off our impressive work.

What were we so busy doing, anyway? Between silly games such as acting like a certain color and trips to our neighbors, the Portland Museum of Art, campers learned about different styles of lines through the theme of ‘snakes.’ We tried sculpture, printmaking and drawing to explore straight, zigzag and curvy lines that real snakes would be shaped like or how they’d move. Our most involved piece of the week was the snake sculpture we worked on a little bit EVERY day. We first made the shape with tinfoil, and then covered it with plaster strips (the same kind used when you get a cast for a broken bone at the hospital!). Once they were dry we used masking tape to tape off lines so our stripes would be  nice and neat. We gessoed them as a final touch, so now they are super shiny like real snakes.

Another project we’re proud of is named Auto. He’s our giant trash robot! Take a look in the SmartArt exhibit and you’ll notice this friendly creature created all out of trash. It’s amazing what a little silver paint can do! Be on the look out this fall for my “Recycled Robots” program, where you’ll have a chance to make your own version and add it to our exhibit.

The campers are gone but the art lives on. If you enjoyed camp this summer, or haven’t had a chance to yet, there are still a few openings for Amazing Animal Journeys camp with Hannah. Check in at the front desk!

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Recommended reading and inspiration for our colorful snakes: Verdi, by Janell Cannon (creator of Stellaluna).
Our favorite way of learning about lines: The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson

We’ll be making two different kinds of Nigerian masks: an Acali mask, of the Igbo people: a theatrical mask used in performances worn by children; and a Yoruba Gelede mask, which is worn in ceremonies honoring the value of older women in society. Why Nigerian masks you might ask? Well, we’re installing Nigeria in our We Are Maine exhibit, which will feature authentic Nigerian masks and drums. Oscar Mokeme, Founder/Director of the Museum of African Culture, is featured in a We Are Maine video with his family and consults with us to develop activities.

We’ve also got butterflies on the brain! Our huge chalk drawing will hopefully get festival-goers to visit the Museum to see our butterfly garden. We’re watching them transform as part of our SmartArt exhibit.

We’ll be playing 3 very fun games, two of which you might not recognize! Hop scotch (an old favorite), La Gallinita Ciega (similar to “blind man’s bluff”) and Moonshine Baby. Moonshine baby is a game Nigerian kids enjoy playing and you’ll have to visit us (or listen to our Q97.9 old port interview ) to learn how it works!

Check the festival website before you go (we’re number 5!). And, while supplies last, Kathryn will be giving away $2 off admission coupons. Hope for good weather and we’ll see you this weekend!

Jamie Andrew and some young visitors worked together to create this neat banner - it's now hanging at Flatbread Company!

Looking for something to do with the kids this week? Need to take a break from the kitchen? Well, we can take care of both! Join us tomorrow, May 11^th at Flatbread Company in Portland for a benefit night to support the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine! For every pizza sold that night, Flatbread Company will donate $3.50 to the Museum & Theatre. All the proceeds we raise that night will directly support the educational exhibits, programs and theatre productions that our members and visitors have come to love. This benefit will also help support local families in need with year-long family memberships to the Museum & Theatre. Treat the kids to a dinner they’ll love, plus face painting and a raffle! You won’t want to miss this fun-filled event! So, bring your friends and family, enjoy some great pizza and give back to your favorite community resource: Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine! I hope to see you there!

 WHEN: Tuesday, May 11^th, 5-9 p.m.

WHERE: Flatbread Company, 72 Commercial Street, Portland

Suzanne was so busy when it was time for her surprise that we couldn’t lure her to the cake! We had to sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” to get her attention! (L-R: Lucia, Louisa, Sara, Suzanne and Beth)

On Tuesday, we surprised Suzanne with a little celebration – she didn’t think her 10^th anniversary with the Children’s Museum would slip by unnoticed, did she? We gave her three cheers and cut into a beautiful cake with a very appropriate caption: “Suzanne, you move mountains.”  The Children’s Museum & Theatre has grown in so many ways since Suzanne first took the helm in May of 2000. (Do you remember the second floor before the Book Nook, Tree to Timber, or We Are Maine? The lower level before the Dress Up Stage arrived? The pirate ship indoors? Suzanne does!)

Suzanne isn’t one for a big fuss. She managed to say a few impromptu words that made us feel special, which isn’t surprising – one of the things that makes Suzanne such an effective leader is her knack for making her staff feel valued. We shared a some laughs, some memories, some cake, then it was right back to work! She’s already off to the annual Association of Children’s Museums conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, no doubt gathering ideas and inspiration for the decade to come!

Member families will be the last ones to enjoy What About Whales during Members’ Monday on May 3. The exhibit will be closed starting Tuesday, May 4.

We’ll miss Istar, but we’re really excited about Smart Art—a truly interactive exhibit where you can make robots dance, help a plant to grow and more! You can read more about Smart Art in our latest Kitetails newsletter.

In our July 12-30 The Play’s the Thing! Camp for ages 8-10, children will enjoy a three week theatrical immersion with ourTheatre’s Artistic Director Reba Short, becoming supporting cast members for Pinocchio!

In our July 26-30 Around the World camp for ages 4-5, children will have the opportunity to create a passport to the continents, experiencing cultures across the globe through cooking, crafts, stories, and visits by special guests.

In our August 9-13 Creative Kids camp for ages 4-5, children can express their imaginative side using a variety of techniques with our art educator Louisa Donelson. This crazy art camp was the first to fill last year!

In our August 23-27 Amazing Animal Journeys camp for ages 4-5, led by Hannah Wilhelm our science educator, children will explore the planet through the eyes of many wild creatures who use migration to journey as a way of life. This camp is for animal lovers!

Our Museum & Theatre educators have many wonderful activities and adventures in the works and are anticipating an incredible summer here! Click here to sign up before the early bird special ends!

From tasty chips and Starbucks Frappacinos to cheddar bunnies and juice boxes, the new Good on the Go vending machine provides affordable snack options for all ages, so visitors can have more energy to stay and play longer (and staff can too!)

I am a big fan of food, and so I’m really excited to have an easy snack option in addition to the great selection of local eateries in the neighborhood – and this one doesn’t even require crossing the street.

Oh, and did I mention the machine takes credit cards?! Salt and malt vinegar chips…here I come!