Abbe Museum

05/26/2026

The Abbe Museum Downtown (26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor) re-opens TODAY (May 26)! Our hours will be Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Visit our website, abbemuseum.org, to plan your visit and learn more about upcoming programs and events. We can’t wait to welcome you back!

05/22/2026

In July, we'll kick off our third year of the Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas, a celebration of Indigenous culture and creativity. We're thrilled to see the importance of this event captured in the Onion Foundation's latest article. Take a look!

Learn all about the Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas, a celebration of Indigenous culture and creativity.

05/21/2026

“I’d like people to understand that we have our own stories and our own ways of telling our stories, that we are still here as sovereign tribal nations.”

-Donna Loring, Penobscot Nation | Co-Curator, "In the Shadow of the Eagle"
The Abbe Museum's exhibit, "In the Shadow of the Eagle," is featured in the Boston Art Review! Buy your copy here: https://www.bostonartreview.com/shop/issue-16

05/15/2026

Cast your vote for the Abbe Museum! The Abbe has been nominated for Best Museum in Down East Magazine’s "Best of Maine" this year. Voting opened on May 12th and runs through June 12th. We would love your support—please cast your vote at https://vote.downeast.com/.

Featured artwork by Norma Randi Marshall (Passamaquoddy/Mandan & Hidatsa) and Gabriel Frey (Passamaquoddy).

05/08/2026

Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. on NewsCenter Maine — the annual MaineLife Mount Desert Island episode airs, and the Abbe Museum is featured. If you've ever wondered what happens when you walk through our doors, this is a great place to start. Tune in Saturday at 7 p.m., or catch it online at mainelifemedia.com and on YouTube shortly after the premiere.
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05/01/2026

Something exciting is coming to your TV screen next weekend. Executive Director Betsy Richards sat down with MaineLife host Erin Ovalle last summer to talk about the Abbe Museum — our mission, our exhibitions, and what makes this place unlike any other on Mount Desert Island.

Catch the annual MDI episode of MaineLife on NewsCenter Maine (NBC) on Saturday, May 9th at 7 p.m., and stream it anytime after the premiere at mainelifemedia.com or on YouTube.
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02/27/2026

The Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas will return July 11-12, 2026, hosted on the campus of College of the Atlantic, continuing its tradition as a multi-day summer festival that centers Wabanaki and Native thought leadership through panels, performances, and a Northeastern Native arts market.

This year’s Dawnland festival also marks a new moment of national connection through a collaboration with The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage’s 2026 Of the People: Smithsonian Festival of Festivals. Learn more through the link below!

Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas Returns July 11-12, 2026 In collaboration with Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals  BAR HARBOR, Maine - The Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas will return July 11-12, 2026, hosted on the ca

02/18/2026

The Abbe Museum is hiring! We are looking for a full-time Director of Advancement & Major Gifts to join our team as we fulfill our mission “to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands.” The Director of Advancement & Major Gifts is a key member of the senior management team responsible for creating and overseeing an advancement plan aligned with the museum’s Strategic Plan. They will lead efforts to identify, cultivate, and secure major gifts from individual donors, while working closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors on fundraising, storytelling, and relationships.
For more information and how to apply, please visit our website, abbemuseum.org/work-at-the-abbe!

The Director of Advancement & Major Gifts will be a key member of the museum’s senior management team responsible for developing and overseeing a comprehensive advancement plan that generates strong support from diverse sources that meet our Strategic Plan goals. The Director also plays a key lead...

02/11/2026

Congratulations to all the recipients of the First Peoples Fund 2026 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards (CSA), including renowned Penobscot artist Jennifer Neptune!

Meet First Peoples Fund's 2024 Community Spirit Awardees.

12/24/2025

The Abbe Museum offices will be closed from December 25th to January 1st. We look forward to sharing more updates with you upon our return. Thank you for your continued support!

12/22/2025

✨ Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season and much peace and joy in 2026!✨

✨ Thank you for your support! ✨

From your friends at the Abbe:
Betsy, Aaron, Antonella, Christiana, JB, Jill, Sharon,
and Wade