Maine Maritime Museum in Bath is hosting an artist workshop and lecture series from May through August 2025, tied to its exhibition “Re|Sounding.” Each month, a different contributing artist will lead a session exploring a specific medium—painting, oral storytelling, assemblage, or poetry—as a tool for examining local and personal histories. The first event on May 10 features James Eric Francis Sr., the Penobscot Nation’s tribal historian and visual artist, who will give a lecture, lead a painting workshop, and have his works on view in the exhibition. Attendance is on a sliding scale.
This series matters because it positions the museum as a site for hands-on, interdisciplinary learning that connects contemporary art with Indigenous knowledge and regional history. By inviting artists like Francis, who has shaped Maine’s Native American studies curriculum and curated at major institutions, the program deepens public engagement with cultural heritage and demonstrates how art can serve as a bridge between historical context and personal expression. It also supports the museum’s role in fostering community dialogue around underrepresented narratives.