Katherine A. McBrien

Curator of Historic Collections

Maine State Museum
83 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0083

Phone: (207) 287–6658
Fax: (207) 287–6633
e-mail: katherine.mcbrien@maine.gov

Education:

M.A., Museum Studies, Cooperstown Graduate Program
B.A., British History, University of New Hampshire

Research Interests:

African-American history of New England
Foodways
Twentieth century material culture

Recent Professional Activities:

New England Museum Association: 2006 Annual Conference Planning
Committee, Search Committee for NEMA Executive Director January 2010.

Co-Chair, Curator Professional Affinity Group for the New England Museum
Association, 2008–present. Organized workshops: Curating in the 21st Century (2008) and Advocating for a Strong Curatorial Program in Today's Economy (2009).

Featured presenter for the Curator PAG lunch at the 2007 New England Museum
Association Annual Conference.

Exhibits:

The Story of an American Breed: Perry Greene's Chinooks, MSM (supervising curator; 2010)
Robert E. Peary: A Maine Man in the Arctic, MSM (2009)
Maine's "Merci" Car: A Boxcar of Gifts from France, MSM (2009)
At Home in Maine, MSM (co-curator for the permanent exhibit, 2008–present)
Primary Resources, American Independence Museum (2007–present)
DISASTER! Images of Natural Disasters in the Pejepscot Region, Pejepscot Historical Society (2006–2007)
Open the Windows and Beat the Rugs… an exhibit celebrating spring-cleaning through the year, Pejepscot Historical Society (2006)
Stories on the Wall: Selected Fine Art from the Collection of the Pejepscot Historical Society, Pejepscot Historical Society (2005)
A Pejepscot Christmas, Pejepscot Historical Society (2004)
How Sweet It Is: Decades of Dessert, Pejepscot Historical Society (2004)
Night Sky… How I Wonder What You Are? State University of New York, Oneonta Planetarium (2002)

Publications:

Desmarais, B., and K. A. McBrien. 2006. The African American Community of Bath-Brunswick. Pp. 58-69 in H. H. Price and G. Talbot, eds. Maine in Visible Black History: Maine's Black Community. Tilbury House Publishers.

McBrien, K. A., ed. 2004. Just Desserts: Favorite Recipes from the Skolfield-Whittier House. A cookbook produced in conjunction with the How Sweet It Is exhibit at the Pejepscot Historical Society.

McBrien, K. A. 2003. Assembling the Future: Twentieth Century Industry in New York State. A Curriculum for the New York State Historical Association.