The Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge is a free event hosted by the American Lighthouse Foundation and its chapter, Friends of Rockland Harbor Lights.

Complete the challenge of visiting all 7 lights and be entered into a drawing to win a luxurious two-night stay at one of the four Historic Inns of Rockland.

For more information visit www.lighthousefoundation.org or email challenge@lighthousefoundation.org.

Maine Maritime Museum has been waiting for more than seven years to celebrate the completion of the sculptural evocation of the schooner Wyoming, a monumental, life-size representation of the largest wooden sailing ship ever built in the United States. The wait is now over.

On Saturday, June 1, the Museum invites the public to join in the celebration with a free open house day of events, activities and family fun. Doors open at 9:30 and the party continues all day, concluding with an outdoor concert by Maine’s internationally renowned duo “Schooner Fare” from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The centerpiece for the day will be a ceremony dedicating the sculpture, and the highlight of the ceremony will be the raising of 8-foot by 12-foot-or-longer banners or flags on the masts, each representing an important element of the Wyoming’s history. Individuals instrumental in bringing the sculpture to reality and important to the Museum will serve as honorary flag raisers and cannons will announce when each flag reaches the mast top. The flags and banners will remain on the masts through the end of October and will be raised again each successive year in late May.

Other planned activities for the open house include traditional shipbuilding skills demonstrations such as steam bending, caulking, ship launching, treenail making, and others; kid’s crafts; period re-enactors; historic shipyard tours; a concert by the Bath Municipal Band and river and lighthouse cruises.

The Wyoming evocation, the largest outdoor sculpture in New England, is among the most visited and photographed sites in Maine. The design was conceived by acclaimed Maine sculptors Andreas von Heune and Joe Hemes.

Schedule of Events 

Beyond the Breakers presents the story of the heroic service of the United States Coast Guard in Maine and how it evolved from the U.S. Revenue Service, the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Life-Saving Service. Rarely seen artifacts, from iconic to humble, tell this exciting narrative.

The coastal town of Castine is the ideal setting for plein air painting. The town and surrounding Penobscot Bay area is endowed with a rich history of art and has been a popular destination for many of America’s most famous artists for over 150 years. The area possesses a stunning collection of beautiful landscapes, stunning coastlines, historic architecture, and an abundance of unique New England charm.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The 2013 Castine Plein Air Festival is organized by the Castine Arts Association, a non-profit arts organization established in 1995 to promote awareness and appreciation of visual, literary and performing arts. This year’s one-day plein air festival will take place on Saturday July 27th (rain or shine). Only thirty five artists will be accepted to participate in the event, which will include artist awards and an opportunity to sell work created during the event to the public. The day of the event will begin at 7:30AM with artist registration and conclude that evening with an exhibition and sale of the art created during the day. Artists may paint at a variety of locations of their choosing within a defined area surrounding the town of Castine. All paintings must be done “en plein air” during the day of the event without the aid of photography, and with an 18″ X 24″ maximum canvas size. All submitted artwork must be available for sale at the exhibition and sale.

A special dedication ceremony will be held Saturday, June 1, 2013.  The event will be open to the public and admission to the Museum will be free that day.

The present Wyoming evocation, the largest outdoor sculpture in New England, is among the most visited and photographed sites in Maine.  Completed in 2006, the life-size sculpture was built on the location where the original ship was constructed by the Percy & Small Shipyard.

Hundreds of thousands of Museum visitors from throughout the U.S. and around the world have walked beneath, touched, photographed and been inspired by the two steel structures that showcase the shipbuilding legacy of the Bath and mid-coast Maine area.

Comprised of two structures, replicas of the original ship’s bow and stern, the work of art spans almost 450 feet of the Museum’s riverfront campus. The bow structure stands almost six stories high and its bow sprit reaches out some 100 feet, hovering over historic Washington Street in Bath. The stern section, almost four stories tall, sits near the river bank, seemingly waiting to enter the river at high tide as its namesake did more than 100 years before.

Although impressive and awe-inspiring in its current form, the goal of raising the Wyoming’s six masts remained. That goal is about to be achieved.

Gal and Leon will talk about the research and process of making this coat,
which will be near completion.

11:00am – 3:00pm

Free with admission, made possible by the support of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and Maine Arts Commission.

7:00pm – 9:00pm

This Film Series is made possible by Reel Pizza

11:00am – 12:00pm

Free and open to the public.

7:00pm – 9:00pm

$20 for Abbe Museum members, $30 for non-members. Reservations are required. For more information, contact Raney Bench at 288-3519 or educator@abbemuseum.org