As the 29th Summer Olympics unfolded, viewers were awed by the pageantry and the achievements of athletes worldwide. Over the past weeks, we at the Museum have experienced a "parade of nations" as well, welcoming visitors from Zimbabwe, Sweden, Liberia, England, Canada, Spain and from all over the USA.
While we're always a popular attraction on rainy summer days, it turns out that attendance has been pretty good on sunny ones, too! So, regardless of whether Kennebunk is your home or your travel destination and whether the sun is shining or not, we look forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
The Brick Store Museum
Note holiday hours: The Museum will be closed over Labor Day Weekend (August 30 - September 1). | |
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Smithsonian Museum Day Returns Sept. 27 
On Saturday, September 27 we'll once again be participating in the 4th annual Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian magazine. We'll be one of hundreds of cultural institutions nationwide opening their doors free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors, emulating the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution's Washington, DC-based properties. Museum Day works by presenting the Admission Card available in the September 2008 issue of Smithsonian magazine and also downloadable via the Museum Day website. This is a great opportunity for first-time visitors and anyone wanting to introduce their friends to the Brick Store Museum! We'll have extended hours that Saturday from 10AM to 2PM. |
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Museum Awarded Conservation Bookshelf
 Just this month the Museum was awarded a "Connecting to Collections Bookshelf" from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in response to an application submitted in the spring. IMLS is the primary source of federal funding of the nation's museums and libraries.
The Bookshelf is actually a core set of books, DVDs, and other resources addressing such topics as conservation, emergency preparedness, collections management, and the philosophy and ethics of collecting. "The Museum and our community as a whole stand to benefit from this award," says Brick Store Museum executive director Tracy Baetz. "Receiving the IMLS Bookshelf comes at a time when we are about to begin structural renovations on our museum's historic buildings that are home to thousands of incomparable artifacts. We are helping to ensure that not only our streetscape but also our collections are poised for an even better future and will be here in perpetuity for all to enjoy."
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Exhibition Brings out the Kid in Each of Us
 Well, the word is out about our newest exhibition, Living Little: A Selection of Dollhouses and Architectural Models, and it seems our small wonders are a big hit! Here are a few recent comments from our guest book:
- All three kids loved it--as did we! (Family from Virginia)
- Enjoyed seeing all the love, care and detail to all. (Visitor from Vermont)
- Wonderful displays! I want to be a kid again (Visitor from Maine)
Come check out the miniature lighthouse with its keeper, a raincoat-clad dog, a resident ghost, a mermaid and her pet harbor seal! You'll also see a candyman doling out ice cream cones at the miniature general store, a mom making dinner in her 1940s home, parishioners at a small-scale version of Kennebunkport's South Congregational Church, and a tiny sea captain standing on the deck of his deluxe houseboat!
This exhibition is on view through December 2008 and made possible by the Museum's proud business partners: Jeffrey A. Bonney, CFP®, Captain Lord Mansion and Ocean Bank. |
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Online Research Made Easier 
If you're ever been in the Museum's Archives Center, you know the walls are lined with more than 160 boxed collections chronicling all aspects of our region. Decades ago, detailed inventories were created on typewriters as finding aids for researchers, but these sole copies have only existed in binders...until now! In a new initiative begun this summer, three volunteers have already converted more than 20% of these inventories and finding aids into electronic documents searchable on the Museum's website. This critical effort is broadening awareness of the true depth of our collections and ensuring that our resources become even more widely accessible.
If you're comfortable using Microsoft Word and have an interest in local history, the Museum could use your help in getting even more of these documents online. Give us a call at 207-985-4802. |
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Donors Thanked at August Event
 Earlier this month, the Museum held an event in appreciation of the nearly 300 individuals, families and corporations who have contributed to the Museum's $1.5 million Connecting Generations Capital Campaign. Guests admired the commemorative bricks in the courtyard walkways, as well as the newly-installed donor wall in the museum's gallery.
 The campaign stands just $169,000 shy of its ambitious goal, with further structural renovations on the buildings to continue this autumn. Thanks to incredible generosity on so many levels, we are becoming a better institution and better stewards of it. |
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Kudos to Gardens Committee 
Special thanks to our Gardens Committee volunteers for all their hard work in making our gardens and Main Street flower pots look so lovely! This crew makes sure all our outdoor flora stay watered and weeded throughout the year, securing new plantings as needed. If you are interested in joining or aiding their efforts, please contact the Museum at 207-985-4802. | |
The Brick Store Museum is located at 117 Main Street in the heart of Kennebunk's National Register Historic District. For more than 70 years, the Museum has been dedicated to preserving the Kennebunks' rich cultural and artistic heritage. Its galleries and research archives are open year-round (closed holidays), Tuesdays-Fridays, 10-4:30 and Saturdays, 10-1. Admission is by donation; suggested $5/person. For more information, check us out at www.brickstoremuseum.org, or give us a call at 207.985.4802. | |
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Inside Spotlight
My name is David Baird. I am a high school student from New York City whose family has summered in Kennebunk for over 50 years, and for nearly all of my life I have loved history. When it came time to look for my first summer job, the Brick Store Museum was a natural choice due to my love of both history and the Kennebunks. For six weeks I performed multiple volunteer tasks at the museum. Scanning vintage postcards for an upcoming exhibit, transcribing inventories of individual collections, answering phones at the front desk, and handling the sound equipment on walking tours of Kennebunk's historic district were just a few of these tasks, and it was all worth it. The experience was invaluable and the environment at the museum was supportive and helpful. Also, I learned very much of the rich history of the Kennebunks. In all, volunteering for this fine museum was a wonderful part of my summer. |
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Upcoming...
October 19, 2008
Concert by Two Old Friends 
October 25, 2008
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. . .that you can now find the Brick Store Museum on Facebook®? If you have a Facebook® account, search for us and became a "fan" of the museum. Here you'll find frequent event updates and other information pertaining to the Museum, as well as have a chance to network socially with others interested in the heritage of the Kennebunks and our museum. |
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Check out our "artifact of the month"
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