Victoria Mansion in the Community | |
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Victoria Mansion is open for the season May 1 - October 31.
Tickets are now available on our website.
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In this newsletter:
- Recapping a Busy June
- Join us for Brownstone Brews & Bites July 12th
- Upcoming Programs & Events
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Portland Poet Laureate Maya Williams (center) and actor Alyssa Pearl-Ross (right) read the Emancipation Proclamation following an introduction by Executive Director Tim Brosnihan (left) on Juneteenth. | |
Victoria Mansion has been busy this June! Early in the month, staff attended Portland Buy Local's relaunch as a fellow nonprofit organization, and set up tables at two busy events at Ocean Gateway. On June 9th, we had giveaways and Victorian crafts available for guests at Maine Academy of Modern Music's third annual Resurgam Music and Arts Festival, and the following day joined several other local businesses at Visit Portland's Frontline Orientation for local hospitality staff. Connecting with fellow organizations and members of the public was a perfect way to kick off the summer!
Then, on June 19th, we hosted our inaugural free community day in commemoration of Juneteenth. In honor of the event we were pleased to welcome local actor Alyssa Pearl-Ross and Portland Poet Laureate Maya Williams to the Mansion. Alyssa and Maya read the Emancipation Proclamation from the Parlor piazza, followed by a reading of the names of the 27 Black individuals known to have been enslaved by the Morses in New Orleans between 1846-1860. More than 400 guests visited the Mansion on Juneteenth, many of whom were local to the Greater Portland area. This marked our busiest day of attendance since last fall's Bizarre Victorian Bazaar!
We thank Alyssa and Maya again for their beautiful reading, and encourage anyone who was unable to join us for Juneteenth to learn more about our Unwilling Architects Initiative, through which we have been researching the individuals enslaved by the Morses in New Orleans and are beginning to interpret their lives before, during, and after enslavement. You can also view a short segment by WGME covering our Juneteenth commemoration.
Thank you to Kennebec Savings Bank for their support of our Free Community Days. We hope to offer more free days in the near future.
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Want to help us carry our research, outreach, and educational efforts forward? Consider a gift to our Annual Fund! A gift of any size helps us preserve, maintain, and share Victoria Mansion for generations to come. | |
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Celebrating our 18-year partnership with Allagash Brewing, our summer fundraiser Brownstone Brews & Bites returns to the Mansion lawn this July!
Featuring Allagash beer, Cellardoor wine, Green Bee soda, music by the Pete Kilpatrick Band, catering from Cheese Louise and goodies from Sullivan House Bakery, this annual fundraiser helps support our ongoing historic preservation projects, with a special eye on preserving the Mansion’s iconic brownstone Reception Bay. Special thanks to event sponsor Bird & Co.
Food, beverage, live music, and first-floor Mansion tours are all included with the price of your ticket. A small exhibit of rarely-seen original brownstone architectural elements preserved from the Mansion's exterior will be on display for the duration of the event. All attendees also receive a free Allagash chalice to use during the event and take home at the end of the evening.
Tickets are $40/members, $48/general public. Tickets are on sale on our website now!
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Upcoming Programs & Events | |
Read on to learn about some of the events we have in the works for spring & summer 2024! Keep an eye on our Events page for tickets and more information about upcoming programs. | | |
The Reception Room in natural light during an open shutters tour. | |
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Recent Member events included a preview reception for our Celebration of National Textiles Day, a Basement to Tower tour, and a Backstairs Lives tour, and we have many other events on the horizon.
Upcoming Member events include:
August 15th: Open Shutters Tour
September 19th: Preserving Maine's Brownstone Masterpiece
With a calendar of exciting opportunities in the works, now is a great time to join as a member! Memberships start at $50 (or $30 for educators and university students). Members receive free admission for tours during both the regular and holiday seasons, discounts on ticketed events, and more.
Learn more about our Membership program and join any time on our website.
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Ruffi Stuffie Sleepover, December 2023. | |
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Our newest program for young visitors, their caregivers, and their stuffed animals returns this summer!
Would your child’s stuffie like to explore the Mansion with host Ruffi the (stuffie) Museum Cat? Bring your stuffed animal friend from home to join us for a story time and a look around the Mansion on July 24th at 4:30pm.
Then, leave your stuffed animal with Ruffi and our museum staff for a Mansion stuffie sleepover! Photos of all their fun activities will be shared with participants when they pick up their stuffies in the morning on July 25th.
Tickets are $5 per child and stuffie with one accompanying adult. Space is limited - reserve your spot at our event page!
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Actor Andrew Harris greets the Bizarre Victorian Bazaar crowd in character as Charles Dickens, October 2023. | |
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Our Bizarre Victorian Bazaar returns to the Mansion lawn on Saturday, October 5th! This one-day fair kicks off the Halloween season with an educational (and entertaining!) take on Victorian folklore, camera trickery, Spiritualism, and more.
Keep an eye on our Events webpage, and our Facebook and Instagram pages in the coming weeks. A preliminary schedule of events will be available closer to the event date, with the full schedule available onsite on the day of the event.
A full schedule of events will be available onsite on the day of the event, and a preliminary schedule of events will be available closer to the event date.
Tickets will go on sale September 1st. Stay tuned!
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We are looking for docents to join us in 2024!
For more information or to sign up, please email Stacia Hanscom, Director of Education & Public Programs at shanscom@victoriamansion.org.
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Help us start the fiscal year off strong with a donation to our Annual Fund!
Keeping the arts alive in our communities helps foster connections while enhancing our quality of life. Victoria Mansion is simultaneously a museum of art, architecture, and the decorative arts, as well as a site rich in social, economic, and political history, offering multiple pathways to connect to the issues of the day. As a nonprofit organization, Victoria Mansion depends on contributions from our community near and far to ensure the preservation of this National Historic Landmark for generations to come.
When you give to Victoria Mansion’s Annual Fund, your contribution directly supports the myriad efforts to conserve, maintain, restore, and share this National Historic Landmark with the public, from historic preservation to educational programming and beyond.
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Members enjoy year-round free admission, discounts in the Museum Shop, and invitations to exclusive events. Become a member today to assist in our conservation efforts and receive the first news about upcoming Victoria Mansion events and programs. | |
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The Staff of Victoria Mansion
Timothy Brosnihan, Executive Director
Ann O'Hagan, Director of Development
Stacia Hanscom, Director of Education & Public Programs
Siobhan Lindsay, Conservator
Brittany Cook, Development & Communications Coordinator
Molly Kingsbury, Museum Shop Buyer & Merchandiser
Sue Flaherty, Visitor Services Coordinator
Michelle Josephson, Senior Site Manager
Sarah Coughlin, Scheduling Coordinator
Jean Piekart, Site Manager
Elena Popov Savchenko, Museum Housekeeper
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