Current Exhibitions

MAKING HISTORY: Art and Industry in the Saco River Valley

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Come see the history of the Saco River Valley as you never have before, with art, historical artifacts, computer activities, and hands-on exhibits for all ages! This exhibit is a part of a multi-venue exhibition of local history funded by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and by the Maine Humanities Council.

JOHN HALEY'S CIVIL WAR

FREE public reception Friday, May 3, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

Opening May 4 through November 10, 2013
The University of New England and the Saco Museum have teamed up this to create an exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Dr. Elizabeth A. De Wolfe, Professor of History at the University of New England, and Camille Smalley, Collection and Research Manager for the Saco Museum, team-taught an exhibition class titled "John Haley's Civil War." The resulting exhibition of the same name, is curated by students in the class, will feature a treasure trove of artifacts related to the Civil War-prints by Winslow Homer, decorative arts, Civil War weaponry, uniforms, and much more. On the Dyer Library/Saco Museum Facebook Page, daily updates from Haley's diary are posted to track his adventure 150 years ago.

For more information on other Civil War Exhibitions happening this year, see the Maine Civil War Trail Website HERE: http://mainecivilwartrail.org/home/

ART AND NATURE THUS ALLIED: Natural History and the Decorative Arts

Come and see where the arts and the natural world intersect in this new, permanent exhibition. Objects from the Saco Museum's natural history collections--shells, minerals, taxidermy--are displayed alongside magnificent furniture, glass, ceramics, and more, demonstrating how motifs in nature have been used in the decorative arts for centuries. Hands-on activities give visitors of all ages the opportunity to look closely at items from the natural world and experiment with different decorative ideas and techniques.

Pictured: Cracker Jar with Octopus Decoration, circa 1890, Mt. Washington Glass Company, New Bedford, Massachusetts, blown "Crown Milano" glass, Gift of the Jones Museum of Glass and Ceramics.