Brick Store Museum

Woolly Songbirds: Needle-Felted Chickadee or Tufted Titmouse
2026-02-24 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Brick Store Museum, 117 Main Street, Kennebunk, ME, 04043, United States
In this hands-on adult workshop, learn the basics of needle felting while creating your own soft, three-dimensional chickadee or tufted titmouse. Using wool roving, felting needles, and simple shaping techniques, participants will build a charming bird with lots of personality. No prior felting experience is needed. All materials are provided, and you’ll leave with a finished bird to take home.
Instructor : Sarah Soleau

A Love Letter to Kennebunk: Artist-in-Residence Film Screening (Virtual)
2026-02-24 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for a special at-home screening experience celebrating our 2025 Artist in Residence project by Joshua Lee Lennon. A Love Letter to Kennebunk is an atmospheric Super 8 film capturing the town in the summer of 2025. Told through a series of vignettes, the film highlights the people, landscapes, and everyday rhythms that define life here. Part artistic expression, part living archive, the film honors Kennebunk’s past while capturing its present.
Your ticket includes a take-home dinner from For the Love of Food and Drink, along with exclusive video clips of Joshua introducing the film and discussing his creative process. Enjoy dinner at home, press play, and experience Kennebunk through the eyes of an artist deeply connected to the place he calls home.
We will email a link to access the film and bonus content the morning of the event. Dinner pick-up will take place between 4:00 and 5:30 pm.

Dinner Includes:
Caesar Salad
Garlic Knot
Chicken Marsala or Tofu Marsala
Mini Cheesecakes with Fruit Topping
$25pp

Needle-Felted Mussels Workshop
2026-02-25 10:00 - 12:00
Learn how to create realistic-looking needle-felted mussels in this hands-on adult workshop. Participants will explore basic needle-felting techniques to shape and layer wool, creating mussels that can be strung together or used as decorative accents.

Instructor: Sarah Soleau

Adult Hand Stories - Hand Sewn Applique Square Workshop
2026-03-03 11:00 - 13:00
Using a collage of fabric and hand stitching, preserve a memory or dream in this mindful workshop. Students may bring a photograph for inspiration or simply enjoy the organic, intuitive process. All materials are provided, and participants will leave with a 6″ x 6″ fabric square capturing a moment in time.

Instructor: Sarah Soleau

Inside History Museum Tour
2026-03-05 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-03-07 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-03-12 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-03-14 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-03-19 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-03-21 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-03-26 10:30 - 11:30
Take an Indoor Walking Tour This Winter!
It’s the Museum’s 90th Year! Explore the Brick Store Museum’s own history across five interconnected buildings, which range from 166 to 216 years old. Once home to businesses, organizations, and apartments, these spaces came together as the Brick Store Museum between 1936 and 1959.
Go behind the scenes to see highlights from the Museum’s collection of more than 50,000 artifacts while learning how these historic buildings have evolved over time, and how the Museum came to be. This guided tour lasts approximately one hour.
Tour ticket includes admission to the Museum exhibitions.
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Accessibility note: The tour moves through historic buildings and includes uneven flooring and staircases. The Museum’s second floor is not currently wheelchair accessible.

Spring Wreath Workshop
2026-03-14 12:00 - 14:00
Create a seasonal wreath in this relaxed, hands-on workshop. Participants will design a one-of-a-kind wreath inspired by spring, with guidance throughout the process. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is needed. You’ll leave with a finished wreath ready to display.
Instructor: Sarah Soleau

Woodson/Finley/Ó Meachair | Concerts in West K with Mousam River Music
2026-03-15 15:00 - 17:00
The Museum’s Concert Partner Mousam River Music Presents:
There’s no better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with some superb Irish traditional music! Join us in the Museum’s Program Center from 3:00-5:00 pm on Sunday, March 15 for an afternoon of jigs, reels, hornpipes, and airs from three of the region’s best Irish musicians!
Portlanders Will Woodson (uilleann pipes & flute) and Caitlin Finley (fiddle), will be joined by Cork native and Boston resident Diarmuid Ó Meachair (button accordion) for what promises to be an exceptional concert. All three are master musicians with deep knowledge of Irish tradition. They say that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so come join the celebration!
The Brick Store Museum is located at 117 Main Street, Kennebunk, adjacent to the Kennebunk Town Hall. The “Concerts in West K!” series is produced by Mousam River Music in association with the Museum.
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Tickets: $25 per person
Pre-purchase online by Saturday, March 14! After that time, tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Questions or want to reserve unpaid seats? Email: paul.wells@mousamrivermusic.net

Honoring an Ancestor with a Visual Keepsake
2026-03-18 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-03-25 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-04-01 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-04-08 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-04-15 10:00 - 12:30
Would you like to create a visual record of your ancestor within the context of their time?
During a five-week journey, this class will guide the participant through transforming a vintage book into a one-of-a-kind story of an ancestor. Participants will blend storytelling, reflection and artistic expression. This process will combine the use of old pictures, old fabric, old lace, documents and keepsakes to develop a sense of time and place in which your ancestor lived. This is a unique way to preserve someone’s past while celebrating their life.
Deadline for registration: March 13
Schedule:
Wednesdays, 10:00am – 12:30pm
Starts March 18
March 25
April 1
April 8
April 15
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Christine Burgess
Teaching artist
Material list will be provided

2026 Winter Forum: Evidence of the Past and the Stories Told
2026-03-22 13:00 - 16:30
Please note: Tickets can be reserved online until Saturday, March 21 at 12:00pm. Please call the Museum at (207)985-4802 if you wish to reserve tickets after that point. Thank you for your support!

What’s Next: Ongoing Research, Preservation, and Community Engagement
Join the Cape Porpoise Archaeological Alliance (CPAA) and Co Founder/Archaeologist Tim Spahr for an afternoon exploring archaeology and anthropology and how we use evidence to understand the past, tell meaningful stories, and shape what comes next. This year’s Winter Forum highlights ongoing research, preservation efforts, and the role of community engagement in protecting and interpreting Maine’s cultural heritage.
Featuring:
Gabe Hrynick brings his expertise to talk about: The sea; it is uncovering the past—while also washing parts of it away—revealing how people lived along the coast for 3,000 years.
Leith Smith will share the result of the recent: Search for Kennebunk’s African American Community: Summary of Five Seasons of Archaeological Investigation
Kate Pontbriand discusses fascinating findings from 12 years of experience in cultural resource management that includes extensive research in determining the time of year Native Americans constructed coastal shell middens.
Kathy Ostrander Roberts will discuss: Why Understanding Unmarked Graves and Forgotten Lives matters today: Memory, Identity, and Community in Kennebunk

Presenter Bio:
Gabe Hrynick: PhD Anthropology, University of New Brunswick , Director – Northeastern Archaeological Survey has been conducting fieldwork at eroding archaeological sites in far Downeast Maine, Archaeologist specializing in the study of coastal hunter-gatherers, External Associate, University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, Research Associate Faculty, at the University of New England, National Geographic Explorer, Elected Fellow, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, UNB Merit Award in 2022, Research Scholar Award in 2025
Leith Smith: PhD Archaeology, Syracuse University, Historic Archaeologist with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission
Kate Pontbriand: BA Anthropology, Franklin Pierce University, MS Quaternary & Climate Studies, University of Maine Climate Change Institute
Kathy Ostrander Roberts: Kennebunk Town Historian, Author, “Unmarked Graves and Forgotten Lives”, Founder of Museum in the Streets, Encaustic Artist

A Taste of 1908 Spring Tea
2026-03-29 14:00 - 16:00
Step back in time and enjoy an elegant afternoon at A Taste of 1908: A Spring Tea, held in the Program Center at the Brick Store Museum. This special spring program features a lively, interactive presentation by historical actress Rita Parisi portraying Mrs. Michael Gordon, a woman living at the crossroads of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Through humor, storytelling, and audience engagement, guests will explore women’s lives during a period of dramatic change, from evolving fashions and beauty standards to new technologies, sports, and social freedoms. The program offers a fascinating glimpse into daily life in 1908 and the shifting world women were navigating.
Guests will enjoy tea from Kennebunk Tea Co. along with light refreshments, served in a relaxed and charming setting.
Join us for an afternoon of history, conversation, and tea that brings the past to life.
Sunday, March 29 | 2:00–4:00 PMTickets: $45 | $40 members | $20 children
If you are a Museum Member, your tickets are discounted! Use your Member Code for $5 off each ticket. You can find your your code in the Member Portal

Virtual Lecture: The Revolution with Dr. Alan Taylor
2026-03-30 19:00 - 20:00
On Monday, March 30th, the consortium of York County history organizations (of which the Brick Store Museum is a part) will be hosting award-winning historian and author, Dr. Alan Taylor, for a discussion on the American Revolution and its Maine connections. This program is free, and will be held on Zoom.
Dr. Taylor is the author of eleven books, with numerous awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes. After teaching collegiate courses in American colonial and Revolutionary history for forty years, he retired as the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair at the University of Virginia. Most recently, he was a featured historian on the documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns.
Taylor has published eleven books, including William Cooper’s Town, which won the Bancroft, Beveridge, and Pulitzer Prizes. The Internal Enemy won the Pulitzer Prize for American history and the Merle Curti Prize for Social History (OAH). American Colonies won the 2001 Gold Medal for Non-Fiction from the Commonwealth Club of California. The Divided Ground won the 2007 Society for Historians of the Early Republic book prize and the 2004-7 Society of the Cincinnati triennial book prize. The Civil War of 1812 won the Empire State History Prize and was a finalist for the George Washington Prize. In 2022, American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850 won the New-York Historical Society’s annual Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History.
To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, museums and historical societies across York County have joined together explore the American Revolutionary experience.
The upcoming discussion with Dr. Alan Taylor is just the beginning of a range of programs being offered by individual societies across southern Maine. And for more information on this program, and more fascinating events you can expect, please visit the website for your local society or museum in York County.

Please RSVP below to receive the Zoom link for this presentation. It will be sent out on Sunday, March 29 to the email you list below (an email is required for us to send you the link!).

Needle Felted Pansy Brooch Workshop
2026-03-31 12:00 - 14:00
Create a needle felted pansy brooch in this hands-on workshop. Participants will learn basic needle felting techniques while layering wool to form a floral design. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is needed. Each participant will leave with a finished pansy brooch ready to wear or gift.

Instructor: Sarah Soleau

Needle Felted Owl Workshop
2026-04-01 11:00 - 13:00
Create your own adorable wool owl in this beginner-friendly needle felting workshop. Using colorful wool roving and special felting needles, participants will learn the basics of shaping, layering, and adding details as they build a charming owl to take home. No experience is needed, and all materials are provided.
Instructor: Sarah Soleau

Member MeetUp: Art Blooms!
2026-04-02 16:00 - 18:00
Museum Members are invited to explore the spring exhibitions, featuring Art BLOOMS! including “Everyone’s a Photographer” and “Unmatched: The Major League Story of Jack Coombs,” enjoy light refreshments, and visit with staff, friends and neighbors.
Please RSVP below to let us know you’re coming.
Not a member yet? Join us here!

Indigo Mud Resist Bandana Workshop
2026-04-16 10:00 - 12:00
Design and dye your own one-of-a-kind bandana in this fun, hands-on workshop! Participants will create patterns using a mud resist technique, then dye their fabric in rich indigo blue. Once the resist is washed away, your design will be revealed in bold contrast.
This beginner-friendly class is a great mix of creativity and simple textile design. You will leave with a finished bandana that’s wearable, giftable, and totally unique.
Instructor: Sarah Soleau

Maine by Hand: Pottery Traditions Tour & Talk (Off-Site)
2026-04-18 16:00 - 18:00
The Art of Raku
Raku is a dramatic pottery firing process in which a piece is quickly brought to a high temperature and then rapidly cooled. This unique method creates beautiful, unpredictable results, with no two pieces ever quite the same.
Potter and gallery owner Cathie Cantara will share an inside look at several raku techniques, including American raku, horsehair raku, and more. Join us in the studio to learn about this exciting craft tradition and see why raku continues to captivate artists and collectors alike.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Where: Homeport Pottery & Artisans Gallery131 Beachwood AveKennebunkport, Maine
FMI: www.homeportpotterystudio.com

This off-site studio visit is part of Maine by Hand: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a rotating exhibition series in the Brick Store Museum’s Bauman Gallery with adjoining programs highlighting American craft traditions.

May Day Basket Workshop
2026-04-25 12:00 - 15:00
Celebrate a charming Victorian-era tradition by making your own May Day Basket. Historically, May Day baskets were filled with flowers and secretly hung on a friend or neighbor’s door as a sweet surprise. In this hands-on workshop, participants will create a small, round hanging basket designed to fit perfectly on a doorknob.
This beginner-friendly class introduces the basics of basket weaving. Participants will learn how to start a round basket base, twine the bottom, use over-and-under weaving techniques, and attach both the handle and rim. Baskets are approximately 9 inches tall (including the handle) and 3 inches wide, and students will have a choice of colors to personalize their basket.
All basket-making materials are provided, including a take-home pattern for future use.
Class size: Minimum 5 participants, maximum 8 participants.
Please bring:

Basin for water

Good pair of scissors

Awl or knitting needle

Tape measure

Four spring clothespins

Towel

A fun and festive way to welcome spring while learning a traditional craft. 🌸
Instructor: Kathy Polletto
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours in advance to receive a refund.

Exhibition Installation - Galleries Closed
2026-05-05 - 2026-05-08
Schedule Note: Between May 5 – 8, the Museum galleries will be CLOSED to install our new exhibition, “From Many, One: Results of Revolution.” The Museum Store and Bauman Gallery exhibits are still available for view – check in at the Front Desk and we can show you where to go! Programming scheduled during this closure will continue.
The new exhibition will open Saturday, May 16. Visitors prior to this date, please expect some galleries to be closed for installation.
We apologize for the inconvenience!

Butler Preserve Nature Walk with Kennebunk Land Trust
2026-05-09 10:00 - 11:30
The Brick Store Museum will share the cultural history of Picnic Rock alongside KLT’s Nature Guide.

For more information and to sign up:
Monthly Nature Walks

Imagine That! Three Centuries of Kennebunk Commerce Tour
2026-05-12 10:30 - 23:30
This guided walking tour explores Main Street and the evolution of Kennebunk’s commercial district over the past three centuries. The tour begins at the Brick Store Museum and follows Main Street to the Mousam River Bridge.
Distance: approximately ½ mileLength: about 60 minutesCost: $15 per person | Free for museum members
Advance reservations recommended. Call 985-4802 or visit brickstoremuseum.org.
If you are a Museum Member, your tickets are discounted! Use your Member Code for free admission. You can find your your code in the Member Portal
