Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X X I S E P T E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 2 6 24 A U G U S TA / WAT E R V I L L E / C E N T R A L M A I N E Packing up e project involved removing much of the museum's collections, totaling some 800,000 items. "But it's not like just opening a cabinet and pulling something out," says Fishman. "It took us about two years to dismantle and safely move and safely store all the collection items. Some were very large and were provided with special containers so they could stay where they are, like our Lombard log hauler. But we moved others. e fragile items required special care. at was a complex project." e museum occupies about 50,000 square feet of the 140,000-square-foot building. e closure gave museum staff the opportunity to plan new exhibits to replace some of the older ones, some dating back decades. "We knew the major exhibits we had at the time, on the whole, were outmoded," says Fishman. "Some had been up so long they were physically deteriorated. We knew we needed to replace some. is gave us the opportunity to do that." Whale skeletons A substantial nature exhibit dating back to the 1980s was replaced by a maritime ecology exhibit called "Vector: A Whale's Life in the Gulf of Maine." e 4,130-square-foot gallery features a 45-foot-long adult female humpback whale tracked in the Gulf of Maine and studied by scientists for 35 years. e exhibition includes a humpback calf skel- eton. Together, the two represent the only pair of humpback whale skeletons exhibited in the world that display the species' range and size, according to the museum. e exhibition includes activities, illustrated infor- mation and facts about the lives of humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine, such as migration, feeding, biol- ogy, identification and the many aspects of human and whale interaction. e skeletons were installed by Dan DenDanto an Allied Whale research associate who has been cleaning, articulating, restoring and install- ing whale skeletons in museums, science centers and national parks since 1993. Diverse stories A large exhibit devoted to Maine 's traditional industries, like lumbering and quarrying, was replaced by an exhibit called "Beyond the Postcard: Stories of the Maine experience," which explores diverse stories of historical and contemporary Maine people such as Cornelia urza "Fly Rod" Crosby, the first registered Maine guide in 1897; and Dwayne Tomah, a Passamaquoddy teacher, culture and language keeper. Items include a portion of an 1890 hull, a 1920s Lombard log hauler and a1960s Ski-Doo snowmobile. "Maine Quilts" will feature contributions to the art of quilting by Maine women and community groups over the past 250 years. For the first time, the museum will have a dedi- cated education center. e Lunder Education Center will provide hands-on activities and interactive learn- ing opportunities, with items such as over 35 bird spec- imens on display and drawers of eggs, nests, skulls, and other related objects; artifacts from a Revolutionary War privateer that sank in 1779 near Castine; and a hand-crank telephone system Bryant Pond that was the last one used in the U.S. Returning will be "At Home in Maine," with exhibits such as possessions from around 1800 through the 1960s, an old-fashioned summer kitchen and a 1960s living room, along with interactive multimedia and home movies. 45,000 visitors annually Prior to the renovation, the Maine State Museum hosted 45,000 annual visitors, about a third of whom were students, according to Keith Luke, Augusta's economic development director. at flow is expected to resume when the museum opens Oct. 24. "Behind it is a $53 million rebuild, a reworked exhibit footprint, the Lunder Education Center and the fantastic new whale gallery," says Luke. "e pairing to make is the revitalized museum with Old Fort Western: over two centuries of Maine history in one visit." He adds, "e state made the investment. Our job now is to capture the return." Room to grow e Maine State Library houses over seven linear miles of Maine-related materials. One of the more famous pieces is the original diary of 18th century Hallowell midwife Martha Ballard. Other collections include a digital repository, genealogy resources, architectural drawings and blueprints, 10,000 volumes by Maine authors, newspapers, notable individuals, state and town government documents, and maps. F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Keith Luke, Augusta's economic development director, says 45,000 visitors per year came to the Maine State Museum before the renovation. That flow is expected to resume. The state made the investment. Our job now is to capture the return. — Keith Luke City of Augusta F O C U S » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E

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