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Maine State Museum Collecting Moratorium Statement
What:
Starting on Monday, January 27th, 2025, the Maine State Museum will temporarily stop adding new objects to its history collections (history objects, archives, and photographs). This moratorium is expected to last for 18 months, until July of 2026. The addition of new specimens and materials to the museum’s science and archaeology collections will not be affected, and will continue as usual.
Why:
The reason for this dramatic action is that the museum must concentrate the work of its history curators, collections management, construction, and administrative staff on the demanding process of moving back into the renovated Cultural Building in Augusta. Staff will also be heavily involved in developing over 10,000 square feet of new exhibits. The timely completion of these exhibits is vital in order to allow the museum to re-open to the public in 2026. The museum’s staff is small, and the process of returning to the Cultural Building and re-establishing exhibits will be massive. We must prioritize the work so that we can re-open to the public without further delays.
What if I want to donate historical materials to the Maine State Museum during this moratorium?:
Contact an appropriate history curator directly. Their listings are below. A museum curator can advise you of the best course of action to take so that your much-appreciated commitment to the Maine State Museum does not become overlooked during this moratorium. The Maine State Museum is our state’s largest and broadest guardian of the most important materials representing Maine’s history, and of the stories of the Mainers who have contributed to it. We are preserving these materials for you and the people of Maine. We will advise you with respect and consideration.
Maine State Museum History Collections Staff:
Chief Curator of History and Decorative Arts: Angela Goebel-Bain, Angela.Goebel-Bain[at]maine.gov, 207-287-6658
Curator of Archival Collections: Zachariah Selley, Zachariah.Selley[at]maine.gov, 207-287-6609
Curator of Photographic Collections: Benjamin Stickney, Benjamin.D.Stickney[at]maine.gov, 207-287-6605
Museum Director: Bernard Fishman, Bernard.Fishman[at]maine.gov, 207-287-6607
As stated above, the moratorium does not affect the Science and Archaeology collections. But in case you have questions related to those collecting areas, here is the contact information for the curators of those collections:
Dr. Paula Work, Curator of Natural History Collections, Paula.Work[at]maine.gov, 207-287-6604
Dr. Andrew Beaupre, Curator of Archaeological Collections, Andrew.Beaupre[at]maine.gov, 207-287-6604