September 2010 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 9. Waterfront News PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM NEWS


NILES PARKER RESIGNS AS DIREC- TOR OF PMM


Guided Museum since 2006; Search Commit- tee Formed to Seek Replacement Niles Parker, Executive Director of Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport, Maine, has announced he will be stepping down from his position in September. The museum has begun a search process to iden- tify his replacement, according to Marie E. Underwood, president of the board of trust- ees.


Mr. Parker managed several successful initiatives since he joined the museum as executive director in 2006. Over the past four years, he spearheaded the museum’s suc- cessful reaccreditation by the American As- sociation of Museums. Also during his ten- ure the museum significantly expanded its extensive, historic photography archives of statewide and regional significance, and implemented new education programs that established the museum as an important pro- vider of childhood education services in Maine’s Midcoast region.


“Niles played a key role in repositioning the museum as a dynamic organization that responds to the changing needs of the com- munity and the ongoing processes of history as they occur around us,” said Mrs. Underwood. “He has the trustees’ deep grati- tude for his dedicated service. We will miss his steady leadership and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”


“I am grateful to have had the opportu- nity to lead such an outstanding museum,” Parker noted. “I am proud of the work we have done and the direction in which the museum is headed. The Penobscot Marine Museum is a gem of a regional history museum. Its col- lections and programs, along with its staff, board, and loyal supporters, combine to form a remarkable organization. I have certainly enjoyed being a part of it.”


A search committee has been formed and the museum has hired Marilyn Hoffman as a consultant to guide the search process for a new executive director. Her company, Museum Search and Reference, is a leading executive search firm for museums. A job description and schedule for hiring are ex- pected to be announced within a few weeks. Questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Albert Putnam, at 207-548- 6230.


NEW PHOTO EXHIBIT OPENS AT PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM Photographer Michael Kahn Brings Ab- straction to Museum’s Windjammer Exhibit A new show of black and white photog- raphy by Michael Kahn brings an element of abstraction to the windjammer exhibit at Penobscot Marine Museum. Part of the on-


going exhibit “Earning Their Keep: Maine’s Windjammers,” the display of Kahn’s photo- graphs runs August 5 – 24 in the museum’s Main Street Gallery.


“Seldom in man’s history have we cre- ated something as beautiful and as functional as the sailboat,” says Kahn, whose work has appeared everywhere from Cruising World and Family Circle to the New York Times and the James Bond movie Die Another Day. “These boats symbolize more than just basic transportation. They represent the ability of man to work with nature. To harness the power of the wind and endure the strength of the sea is an awesome achievement.” While generally pictorial in nature, Kahn’s photography often emphasizes ab- stract shape and form as a means of exploring the beauty and grace of sailing vessels. His hand-processed gelatin silver prints provide a rich texture to his images that is one of his trademarks. Marine Art Quarterly has com- pared his work to that of Ansel Adams for its “sureness of vision, richness of atmosphere and subtlety of surface.”


“Earning Their Keep,” which runs through October 24, celebrates the history of Maine’s windjammer fleet through photos, film, models, artifacts and ephemera. Follow- ing the Kahn exhibit, the museum will present windjammer photography by Fred LeBlanc.


THREE DAYS, THREE MUSEUMS, THREE SEMINARS ON DOWNEAST Examine Local Culture in Presentations, Col- lections and Aboard Ship


On three consecutive days in Septem- ber, three Maine museums will collaborate on a series of presentations and hands-on ac- tivities to examine the state’s culture and history. The Seminars on Downeast Culture will be held at Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, September 15; the Wilson Mu- seum in Castine, September 16; and the Woodlawn Museum, Gardens and Park in Ellsworth, September 17.


Participants will explore the traditions and objects that help define Downeast Maine in these exciting, hands-on seminars. Ses- sions will include presentations by eminent scholars such as conservator Robert Mussey, and Earle Shettleworth, Jr., of the Maine State Museum. Participants will enjoy special access to the collections at each insti- tution and will explore Penobscot Bay aboard the Arctic schooner Bowdoin. Additional presentations by partnering institutions, in- cluding the Abbe Museum, Northeast His- toric Film, and the Farnsworth Art Museum, will help make the Seminars on Downeast Culture a unique educational and cultural experience.


Registration is required. For the full seminar schedule and registration informa-


tion, call Woodlawn Museum at 207-667- 8671 or visit www.woodlawnmuseum.com.


PMM RECEIVES HIGHEST NATIONAL RECOGNITION


Awarded Reaccreditation from the American Association of Museums


Penobscot Marine Museum has again achieved accreditation by the American As- sociation of Museums (AAM). The highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums, AAM accreditation signifies ex- cellence to the museum community, govern- ment agencies, donors, grant-making foun- dations, and the museum-going public. The museum was initially accredited in 1989. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.


AAM accreditation brings national rec- ognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional im- provement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM’s museum accreditation program is the field’s


primary vehicle for quality assurance, self- regulation and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by pro- moting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable — all in order to provide the best possible service to the public.


“AAM accreditation is an important seal of approval for museums across the coun- try,” said Penobscot Marine Museum execu- tive director, Niles Parker. “For the past three and a half years, PMM has been hard at work re-writing and implementing new policies and procedures across all areas of our operations as we have sought re-accreditation. This process has been a long and hard one, but worthwhile in that it has focused much of our work and allowed the museum to create a successful environment for continuous im- provement. The staff and board are extremely proud that this work has paid off and PMM is among a select group of museums to achieve this status.”


Continued on Page 14.


Maine Lobster Boat Racing Awards Banquet October 16, 2010


6:00 Cocktails


7:00 Buffet Dinner Awards to follow Oceanside Seafood & Steakhouse -


Inside Trade Winds Motor Inn, 2 Park Dr., Rockland For Dinner Reservations: 207-223-8846


$25.00/person


Rooms are available at the Trade Winds Motor Inn for $50.00. For Room Reservations: 1-800-834-3130.


218 Bucksport Road, Ellsworth, ME 04605 (207) 667-9390


72 Commercial Street, Maine Wharf, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 772-6383


Marine Safety Equipment


Life Rafts and Life Raft Repacking EPIRBS · Topo Maps · Charts Inflatable Boats and Repair Survival Suits · PFDs


124 prexar.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32