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July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005 The Grist Mill Museum closed on October 2, 2004 with around 1500 visitors and reopened on June 13, 2005. Amanda Pullen returned for her second year as intern to assist Curator Richard Whitney. They installed a new exhibit about Dexter's mysterious Dr. Fitzgerald. We were open extra hours during Wild West Days and enjoy being at the center of activities that enable so many to become aware of what we have to offer. The Exeter School students and teachers toured the Grist Mill and the Carr School in the spring and Mr. Whitney's high school classes visited in the fall, as well as using our resources for their cemetery project. The Abbott Museum's gift shop opened on August 23, 2004 and has remained open all year. We offer about 20 product lines from Maine businesses as well as giving around 31 local artists and craftsmen an outlet for their work on a consignment basis. During the winter hours were reduced, however we offered special artist exhibits featuring local painters, sculptors and a quilter. The theme of our 2006 calendar is Dexter's woolen mills. It will be available by August 1. The Doyon Room mounted two exhibits honoring Dexter families of French-Canadian descent that drew many visitors and occasioned new acquisitions. In conjunction with CHEt, we received a grant from the Maine Humanities Council for a touring show of Bert Call's north woods photographs, which we hosted in June. It will return for Wild West Days in August, after visiting area towns. Work continued on the upper floor of the Abbott Museum. The Holsapple Genealogy and Research Room was opened for use in October 2004 and many visitors have taken advantage of the comfortable surroundings and wealth of materials. The office space, dedicated to former president Carl Steller, was finished with the computer and cataloging materials moved in by February 23, 2005. The Women's Literary Club made and hung curtains for all our rooms. We received a Maine Cultural Affairs Council grant for $10,000 to construct a vault in the Abbott Museum basement to house our many archival photos and documents. This was finished and will be in use soon. Curator Whitney spoke to the historical societies of Greenville and Newport. We participated in the SPCCC spring EXPO, presenting a preview of the Bert Call touring exhibit along with one about the 58 years of his business in town. Our website continues to grow and gives both us and our town a worldwide presence. Regular meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Abbott Museum. All are welcome to attend. Volunteers are always needed, at the Abbott gift shop, at the Grist Mill or for a variety of activities year round. Contact the curator at 924-5721 for more information. Respectfully submitted, |
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