Exhibit Committee Chair Kevin Callahan shares plans for The Power of Music with representatives of local arts, cultural, educational and business organizations on January 19.

LEWISTON -   A group representing various aspects of the local music scene is gathering regularly at Museum L-A to help plan a three-year, six-series exhibit highlighting the rich history of music in the Twin Cities and how it has shaped the community – then and now. The series, titled “The Power of Music” will launch in late July with “The Power of Music: Photographic Portraits of Americans and their Musical Instruments, 1860-1915” and continue chronologically with five more exhibits through April 2015.

“Delving into our oral histories for inspiration, we have learned about the importance of music not only for individuals but for the whole community,” notes Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director. “Music is collective and communal.  It is a connector between generations as well as an industry that brings and binds people together,” she continued, “fitting right in with the Museum’s mission.”

On January 19, Desgrosseilliers and committee introduced the exhibit series to a group of music related organizations and individuals. “We are looking for partners to work with us to make this a community-wide celebration of our music history,” Desgrosseilliers said.

A Timeline building from 1860 to the present will unfold as the series moves forward. Research will highlight the various genres of each era, music-related technological developments, popular instruments, dance, food and current events to provide context. Plans are under way for students of the Bates College Music Department to begin work on researching material to be included.

The exhibit opening July features subjects with an amazing array of instruments and conveying a sense of pride and accomplishment – as well as a love for music. It is part of a national tour containing sixty-one photographic images reproduced from the original Card-mounted photos, Cabinet cards, Tintypes, Carte de visites and Photographic postcards. 

Period instruments and artifacts from local collections will be included in each exhibit, along with programming and events reflecting each time period and theme. “We are looking to partner with a variety of local performance venues, musicians and cultural organizations to make this a community-wide celebration,” Desgrosseilliers said. “This exhibit goes beyond music since Music is a universal language that reaches deep into the human spirit to create an esprit de corps, create a common bond and inspire creativity.  This is especially important at a time when both communities are focusing on continued revitalization.”

 In October, the series continues with “The Jazz Age 1916-1930” followed in March 2013 with “The Way We Worked” – a travelling exhibit from the Smithsonian.  “Echoes in Time 1930-1970” follows from May 2014 through January 2014 covering the Big Band Sound and Rock & Roll, “Instrument Manufacturing” from February to early May.   The exhibit will finish with the signature “Portraits and Voices: Music Makers 1971-2015” showcasing our present musical genius.   A Heritage Festival and Musical Flash Mob special events will celebrate the series and mark its finale.

Members of the committee include: Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Gina Catterson, Susan Beane, Diane Williams and Joan Beal of Museum L-A, Dale Chapman of the Bates College Music Department, Bill Low and Anthony Shostak of the Bates College Museum of Art, Bates College African-American Studies professor Myron Beasley, cultural anthropologist and documentary photographer Mark Silber of the University of Southern Maine, Ed Boucher of EAB International, local musician and music enthusiast Edward Walworth,  Jim Brown of  Heritage Radio Society, and Ray Michaud of Androscoggin Bank. Chairing the committee is Kevin Callahan, local art preparatory and member of the Museum’s Board of Directors.

The Museum welcomes donations of photographs related to the history of music in the Lewiston-Auburn area. For example: musicians, music groups, bands, organizations, performances, parades, music halls and other venues. Contact Susan Beane at sbeane@museumla.org or 207-333-3881. Look for future announcements and ways the community can get involved as planning for the series progresses.

Children will give hand-sewing leather a try at one of Museum L-A’s December programs.

LEWISTON – Museum L-A will present three programs for youth during the last week of December featuring hands-on activities to complement the sessions’ historical themes. All programs take place at the Museum and run from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Programs for “Vacation Creation Days” are for ages 8-12. On Wednesday, Dec. 28 children will create a small project by carding, spinning, and weaving by hand.  Participants will then tour Museum L-A’s textile exhibit and see how machinery changed the production of cloth. The following day, Thursday, Dec. 29, they will learn about the shoemaking industry in Lewiston-Auburn and create a small leather craft by hand sewing. The cost is $10 per day or $15 for both days. A family discount of $15 per day for 2 children or $25 for both days is also offered.

On Dec. 28 a program for the younger set – ages 5-7 – features the story “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and a special hand-on project. Cost is $5 per child. Museum L-A’s current special exhibit, “Portraits & Voices: Shoemaking Skills of Generations” highlights the local shoe industry – past and present.

All programs require pre-registration. Contact educator Joan Beal at 333-3881 or jbeal@museumla.org to register or for more information.

Museum L-A volunteer Roger Nadeau shares the benefits of making the switch to Electricity Maine.

LEWISTON – A new partnership between Museum L-A and Electricity Maine is a win-win for both the Museum and customers who switch over to this new supplier of electricity. Not only can customers save money on their electric bill, they can also support the Museum at no additional cost to them. For every 10 kilowatt hours of residential use, Electricity Maine will donate $.01 to Museum L-A.  “It may not sound like much, but when you add lots of people together, it can make a difference,” said Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director.

“Electricity Maine believes in supporting local non-profits and this is a great way to help further Museum L-A’s important mission while also helping local people save money on their electric bill,” said Emile Clavet, Electricity Maine’s co-owner.

Electricity Maine offers competitive electrical supply rates to residential users in the State of Maine.  It is a Maine company, run by Maine residents, that helps to strengthen Maine’s economy by keeping resources in Maine.  As of mid-November, more than 10,000 customers have signed up with Electricity Maine.

When Maine deregulated its energy market it opened the industry to competition and allowed companies like Electricity Maine to buy energy in the wholesale markets and pass the savings on to its customers. Current discounts for Central Maine Power customers are six percent and Bangor Hydro Electric customers are three percent. 

Electricity Maine sells power to CMP and Bangor Hydro and those companies distribute the power to households. Customers’ relationship with CMP or BHE will not change. The only difference will be a new electric rate on the supply portion of a resident’s CMP or BHE bill. The electricity will come from the same wires. Nothing needs to be installed and there is no interruption of service and no cost to switch over and no cost to switch back.

The donation to Museum L-A is not automatic.  For those choosing to sign up by mail, simply put “Museum LA” on the “How did you hear about us” line and Electricity Maine will donate $.01 per every kilowatt hour. Online applicants will select “Museum LA” from a drop-down list. In addition to supporting Museum L-A, businesses may also see savings by switching over to Electricity Maine.

Museum L-A is looking for volunteers to help spread the word about this opportunity.  To find out more about Electricity Maine and what it has to offer, follow this link  http://www.electricityme.com/enroll_now/default.aspx .  For Assistance in filling out the paperwork or online form, please contact Museum L-A at (207) 333-3881.

LEWISTON -   Museum L-A is offering a rare second chance to see the Lockheed “Super Star” reconstruction project at the Auburn-Lewiston Airport with behind-the-scenes tours on Saturday, November 12.  Participants will sign up for a tour that leaves the Museum at 9:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Available spaces are limited due to a waiting list from the first tour that was sold out.  The $15 fee includes the tour and a round-trip bus ticket. Pre-registration is required.

Director of Operations Michael Austermeier leads a Museum-sponsored tour of the “Super Star” project in October. Museum L-A is offering a second opportunity to tour this exciting project under way at the Auburn-Lewiston Airport.

“We are pleased that the community is so interested in this project and this new type of programming we are doing,” notes Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director. “We will be announcing more ‘behind the scenes’ tours to showcase the traditions of  innovation and skilled craftsmanship that are still happening,” she continued. “People are so amazed at what they are seeing.”

Reconstruction of this historic airplane has captured the imagination of the L-A communities and has attracted aviation enthusiasts from far and wide.  Lufthansa’s non-profit foundation purchased three rare Lockheed L-1649A Starliner aircraft in a private sale in Auburn and is overseeing the restoration of one of these aircraft. The “Super Star” was the culmination of propeller driven transport aircraft. Lufthansa Technik began the challenging work in 2008 to restore a historic Lufthansa aircraft to airworthy condition.

 A Lockheed L1649A “Super Star,” which in 1958 became the first long-haul airliner operated by Lufthansa capable of crossing the Atlantic without refueling, will take to the air again when the reconstruction is finished. Heading up the reconstruction project is Lufthansa veteran Michael Austermeier. With the reconstruction nearing completion, this tour offers a unique opportunity to view the aircraft, learn about its aviation history and  learn about the reconstruction process.

For more information or to make reservations, call 207-333-3881 or email info@museumla.org. Museum L-A is located at 35 Canal Street, Bates Mill Complex, Lewiston.

Museum L-A Educator Joan Beal shows youngsters how the water wheels they made can do work.

Museum L-A is offering three “Science Saturdays” in October – fun and educational programs for children from ages 9 through 13. In these hands-on sessions, led by Museum Educator Joan Beal, participants will experiment with water wheels, magnets, and will construct a mini-generator. The $25 fee covers the cost of all three Saturdays – Oct. 15, 22, and 29 – all taking place at Museum L-A, 35 Canal Street, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Advance registration and a $5 deposit is required.

Schedule and program:
Oct. 15: Finding the connections between magnetism and electrical currents;
Oct. 22: Constructing model water wheels and experimenting with using the energy of moving water to move and lift small objects; 
Oct. 29: Constructing water wheels and mini-turbines with magnets and wire to produce electricity in a demonstration of hydropower.

For more information or to register contact Beal at 207-333-3881 or jbeal@museumla.org.

 LEWISTON  – In celebration of annual National Museum Day, scheduled this year for Saturday, September 24, Museum L-A along with hundreds of other museums across the nation is offering free admission. Through a nationwide partnership with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C., and hundreds of museums across the nation, Museum Day offers the opportunity to explore an unfamiliar museum and to uncover its unseen treasures. Or, you can tour a familiar museum to review a favorite collection, all at no cost. In order to gain admission, go to the Museum Day website at microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/ and print off the special ticket pass, which is good for free admission to one museum for the ticket holder and one guest. There is a limit of one ticket per household

 “Museum Day throws open the doors to culture and history and shouts, ‘Welcome, come on in,’” said Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s Executive Director. “Museum L-A is pleased to be part of an event that makes our common heritage accessible to more people.”

Museum L-A’s current special exhibit “Portraits & Voices: Shoemaking Skills of Generations” focuses on the expertise and craftsmanship of the shoe industry through oral histories, documentary photographs, videos, and images from archival collections and from shoeworkers and their families. Additional exhibits focus on the lives and the work of local people in the textile and brick-making industries. Machinery, including a Jacquard loom, represents the process of textile production.

John Henderson stands in front of the Lewiston City Hall. The cornerstone was laid in 1890 by D.J. McGillicuddy, the city’s first mayor of Irish descent.

LEWISTON — Local historian and author John Henderson will visit Museum L-A from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, to discuss “The Irish Parishes: St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s.” This free presentation will cover the history, art, and architecture of these parishes.

Henderson will not only cover the churches themselves, but also the other buildings associated with each parish – the schools, rectories, and convents. “Along the way,” he notes, “We will meet some of the prominent priests, and see how the parishes developed.”

This is the third of five related programs Henderson is presenting on the Androscoggin Irish at various venues in Lewiston-Auburn. Copies of Henderson’s new book, “Androscoggin Irish,” will be available for signing and purchase.

LEWISTON – A piece of Lewiston history went dark not long ago when the iconic sign pointing the way to Luiggi’s Pizza on Sabattus street was replaced. The red and yellow sign with its arrow of blinking lights – greeted generations of patrons and passers-by. The eatery, famous for its pizza, Italians and “Fergy S” sandwich, is raising funds to help restore the sign for a future exhibit at Museum L-A. A collection box sits below a limited edition print by R.N. Cohen depicting the pizzarea with its familiar sign.  “We would like to raise enough funds to get it back working for the Museum,” said Beverly Derosier, Luiggi’s owner. “It’s not only part of Luiggi’s history, but also is in the memories of so many people – whether they are here or have moved away.”

The iconic sign is a feature in this 2005 giclee print by Portland artist R.N. Cohen, "Luiggi's Pizza & The Blue Goose."

Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director, agrees “That sign is a part of the community’s history and it would be nice to see it lit up again someday as part of an exhibit on historic and iconic signs from the Twin Cities.”  Repairing and restoring the sign will cost about $5,000, Desgrosseilliers noted. “As soon as that sign was taken down, we got bombarded with phone calls from the community asking if we were going to help save the sign.” Currently, it is being stored at Neocraft Signs in Lewiston.

 Live entertainment at “Dance Party Under the Stars” on August 13 is expanding with two additions – the Rockin’ Recons and 13-year-old musician and songwriter Carter Veilleux. They are joining a lineup of local talent, which includes the L/A Lads with their Beatles medleys and Nick Knowlton. The evening of music, dancing, food, historical views and fun  is “Up on the Roof” of the new parking garage at the corner of Lincoln and Main streets and being presented by Modern Woodmen of America to benefit Museum L-A and the Franco-American Heritage Center.  It takes place from 7-11 p.m. Rain date is Sunday, August 14. 

The Rockin’ Recons, who will be singing their two new original releases – including “L.A.” Members are, from left, Roger Blais, Ron Vachon, Doug Doyer, Bob Blais, Mike Asselin, and Denny Blais.

The Rockin’ Recons will sing their two, new original releases “L.A.” and “Laura Lee,” both written by veteran music producer Harry King. King tells how Museum L-A’s 2009 “Echoes in Time” show was an inspiration for “L.A.” 

“Eddie (Boucher) came to me and said the Rockin’ Recons needed some original material,” said King. I thought of the museum’s concert and all the people who were there. The people of Lewiston are so nice. They should have a song of their own. I’ve worked in and out of Lewiston for many years. This is my home away from home  – Texas -  I really love L-A.”  

Thirteen-year-old songwriter Carter Veilleux, who goes by the name of “Carter Isaac” when performing.

Veilleux, who goes by “Carter Isaac,” will sing his original song about his experiences with bullying, “It’s My Prayer.” Veilleux, not only sings but also plays piano, saxophone and guitar. He is performing and working with Jim Mayer, bass player of Jimmy Buffet’s band. Veilleux has recorded “It’s My Prayer” as well as another original, “Peace Song.” 

It promises to be a fun-filled evening with spectacular views, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and dancing to live and recorded entertainment hosted by Knowlton. 

 “Dance Party Under the Stars” is for adults 21 and over. Tickets are $20 per person in advance and $25 at the door. Sponsored tables of eight with special benefits may be purchased for $300.  Tickets are on sale at Modern Woodman of America, 184 Webster Street, 207-782-1833; Museum L-A, 35 Canal Street, 207-333-3881, www.museumla.org; or the Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar Street, 207-783-1585, www.francocenter.org. 

"Dance Party Under the Stars" planning committee met recently "Up on the Roof" for a sound check and site review. Heading up the committee for the event are from left, Rachel Desgrosseilliers of Museum L-A, Richard Courtemanche of Modern Woodmen of America, and Rita Dube of the Franco-American Heritage Center.

LEWISTON -  Museum L-A recently received word that its exhibit Rivers of Immigration: Peoples of the Androscoggin was selected as a 2011 Award of Merit winner by the Leadership in History awards committee of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).  Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director, will accept the award on behalf of the museum at the organization’s annual meeting in September. “The Leadership in History Awards is AASLH’s highest distinction and the winners represent the best in the field,” said Terry Davis, AASLH President & CEO.

 “Receiving this prestigious award is, indeed, an honor and demonstrates the exemplary nature of Museum L-A’s programs,” noted Stephanie Upton, former executive director of the Orchard House/Home of the Alcotts in Concord, Mass and a Museum L-A board member. “AASLH is the leading national organization for history museums, and the competition for awards is keen among both small and large museums in the country. As a 20-plus year member of AASLH, I knew that Rivers of Immigration was a powerful exhibit, but to have it win this honor – wow! – it really shows the ability of the staff to be ‘cutting edge’ in today’s competitive museum environment!”

Consultant Elaine Carmichael of Economic Stewardship, Inc. concurs, “Receiving this award would be a feather in the cap of any museum, but it’s a real honor for a young institution like Museum L-A. Moreover, it’s excellent outside confirmation that Museum L-A’s approach is both innovative and effective, thus meriting attention and respect from museum professionals.”

Through personal stories, photographs and interactive components, the exhibit explored the history of immigration in Lewiston-Auburn from the mid 1800s to the present. Museum L-A collaborated with Catherine Bestemen of Colby College and Anne Kemper of Lewiston Adult Education for the exhibit. Representatives of the Somali community were members of the exhibit planning committee.

The impetus of  Rivers of Immigration was Besteman’s proposal to show her exhibit, The Somali-Bantu Experience: From East Africa to Maine at the Museum in early 2009. “Although the Somali-Bantu Experience exhibit was excellent, we felt that the Museum could participate only under the bigger umbrella of Immigration using a timeline showing how important immigrants have always been to our community,” said Desgrosseilliers. Decades had passed since people from many countries arrived to work in the now-defunct textile mills and shoe factories.  It was clear that this long-forgotten story of needed to be dusted off and new stories of immigration needed to be shared. Thus, the creation of the Rivers of Immigration: Peoples of the Androscoggin - an exhibit not originally planned but deemed to be of utmost necessity for the community.

Along with Besteman and Bates College cultural studies professor Elizabeth Eames, this collaboration included students in Kemper’s in Lewiston Adult Education’s English Language Learner (ELL) Program contributing 28 first-person accounts of immigrants from Peru, Africa, China and more.

“We knew we had an amazing exhibit when we applied for the award, however, these awards usually go to long and well-established museums.” Desgrosseilliers said.  “We were hopeful when we were told that we had passed the regional panel with high marks.  We were ecstatic when we were told that we won in the Community Engagement category in the nationals.  This is great for our community.”

Rivers of Immigration ran from Oct. 24, 2009 through August 2010. Elements of the exhibit, including an enhanced, interactive Timeline are being installed in the museum’s second-floor gallery space. The museum encourages community members to bring in their own photographs and personal stories of immigration to add to the exhibit.