DAWNLAND FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS

Our first Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas was a huge success and a significant accomplishment for the Abbe Museum. We extend our deepest gratitude to the remarkable turnout of over a thousand attendees and all the participants, including the exceptionally talented artists, panelists, and performers. We also express our appreciation to the College of The Atlantic for graciously hosting our event and our invaluable sponsors, dedicated staff, and volunteers. This event was a monumental endeavor, and we take great pride in its remarkable outcome. Stay tuned for the complete festival highlights, event photographs, and videos of our four panels, which will be posted on this page and shared on social media.

The Abbe Museum premiered its Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas on July 12-14, 2024, at the College of the Atlantic (COA). This unique multi-day event was an evolution of our popular Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) and Native American Festival that featured invitation-only Native arts markets and performances. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas included those elements but also spotlighted conversations by Wabanaki and other Indigenous leaders on some of the biggest questions of our time, including climate, democracy, and food systems.

“Native arts and cultures cannot be separated from Native ways of knowing. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas continues to celebrate the Native creative economy on Wabanaki homelands while lifting up Indigenous thought leadership vital to the conversation on a healthy planet and society for us all.”
Betsy Richards (Cherokee), Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations

The Festival was free to the public and supported by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Maine Office of Tourism, along with a partnership with College of the Atlantic. Among the speakers were attorney and author Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot), James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag), and Native rights attorney Michael-Corey F. Hinton (Passamaquoddy). Musician Firefly the Hybrid (Penobscot) will also take the stage for a one-of-a-kind performance during the weekend. More than 50 leading Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada also shared artwork ranging from ash baskets, beadwork, textiles, painting, fashion, and pottery, representing the breadth and excellence of Indigenous art.

Known for its stunning coastal beauty and vibrant cultural scene, Bar Harbor is a significant place to the Tribal Nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy (Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot): a site of exchange and waterways that connected all of the Nations together. For many visitors, the festival was an opportunity to engage Wabanaki thought leaders and artists – alongside their national counterparts for a weekend of inquiry, creativity, and celebration.

This event was supported in part by grants from the Maine Office of Tourism and the Henry Luce Foundation along with a partnership with College of the Atlantic.

FESTIVAL 2024 - PHOTO GALLERY

FESTIVAL 2024 - VIDEOS (RECORDED PANELS)

Videos from our recorded festival panels are being processed. Please check again soon. Thank you!

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2024

6:30 pm - Opening Reception on the Patio of Gates Community Center
8:00 pm - Featured Performance in Gates Auditorium: Firefly the Hybrid, Penobscot

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2024

10:00 am - Welcome and Market Opens
Performance on the Market Stage: Burnurwurbskek Singers, Penobscot
11:00 am - Panel in Gates Auditorium: Arts Transforming Our Futures
1:00 pm - Guest Performance on the Market Stage
2:00 pm - Panel in Gates Auditorium: Weaving a Sustainable Environment
4:00 pm - Featured Performance in Gates Auditorium: Jennifer Kreisberg, Tuscarora
5:00 pm - Market Closes

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2024

10:00 am - Market Opens
10:00 am - Performance on the Market Stage: Jennifer Pictou, Mi’kmaq
11:00 am - Panel in Gates Auditorium: Savoring Native Food Wisdom
1:00 pm - Performance on the Market Stage: JJ Otero, Navajo/Hopi
2:00 pm - Panel in Gates Auditorium: Recognizing Sovereignty as a Stepping Stone to an Enduring Democracy
3:30 pm - Performance on the Market Stage: Hawk Henries, Nipmuck
5:00 pm - Market Closes

FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS

ARTISTS/VENDORS: More than 50 leading Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada shared artwork ranging from ash baskets, beadwork, textiles, painting, fashion, and pottery, representing the breadth and excellence of Indigenous art. ARTISTS FESTIVAL PROFILES >

PANELISTS: Panel conversations addressed some of the biggest questions of our time, including:

Arts Transforming Our Futures
- Candice Hopkins, Jared Lank, Frances Soctomah
Weaving a Sustainable Environment
- Dr. Suzanne Greenlaw, Honor Keeler, Sherri Mitchell
Savoring Native Food Wisdom
- Chef Sherry Pocknett, Chef Joe Robbins, Lisa Sockabasin
Recognizing Sovereignty as a Stepping Stone to an Enduring Democracy
- Corey Hinton, Donna Loring, Dr. Darren Ranco

Panelists included scientist and author Dr. Suzanne Greenlaw (Maliseet); attorney Corey Hinton (Passamaquoddy); curator and Forge Project Executive Director Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish First Nations); attorney and Brown University visiting professor Honor Keeler (Cherokee Nation); filmmaker, photographer and educator Jared Lank (Mi’kmaq); author, radio host, and former legislator Donna Loring (Penobscot); author and attorney Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot); James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett (Wampanoag); anthropologist and scholar Dr. Darren Ranco (Penobscot); James Beard Award-nominated Chef Joe Robbins (Penobscot); Co-CEO of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness Lisa Sockabasin (Passamaquoddy); artist and arts and culture leader Frances Soctomah (Passamaquoddy).

PERFORMERS: The Festival featured concerts by award-winning musicians Firefly the Hybrid (Penobscot) and Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora), as well as performances by Penobscot Nation drum group Burnurwurbskek Singers; Eastern Woodlands flutist Hawk Henries (Nipmuc); singer/songwriter JJ Otero (Navajo/Hopi); and storyteller/artist Jennifer Pictou (Mi’kmaq).

FESTIVAL PRESS & TOOLKIT

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE (PDF - DOWNLOAD HERE)
11 x 17 POSTER (PDF - DOWNLOAD HERE)
8.5x11 FLYER (PDF - DOWNLOAD HERE)
FACEBOOK IMAGE (DOWNLOAD HERE)
INSTAGRAM SQUARE IMAGE (DOWNLOAD HERE)

Need a file? Graphic Designer: Thierry H. Bonneville (BC – Agency) thb@bonnevilleconsulting.com | (207) 433.0212

THE DAWNLAND FESTIVAL IS ORGANIZED BY THE ABBE MUSEUM

The Abbe’s mission is to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. At the core of our work are decolonizing museum practices including: collaboration with Tribal communities; privileging Native perspectives, voice, and values; a focus on dialogue; inclusion of the full measure of history; and ensuring truth-telling. This is also reflected in the Museum’s governance structure that includes a Wabanaki-majority Board and a Tribally-appointed Advisory Council, resulting in a tremendous institutional power shift. This commitment allows the museum to amplify the art, cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Wabanaki peoples in ways that serve Tribal communities and activate audiences. Through the Wabanaki Council and community consultation, we work with Wabanaki Tribal Nations to share authority for the interpretation of their living cultures and history, privileging Native voice.

The Abbe was founded in 1928 as a small trailside museum at Sieur de Monts Spring in Lafayette National Park (today Acadia National Park) with a focus on the archaeology of the Wabanaki Nations. The Abbe soon expanded its scope to include Wabanaki material culture and now features a substantial contemporary art collection. In 2001, the Museum expanded to the downtown Bar Harbor location, creating a 17,000-square-foot museum with spacious exhibition galleries, a research lab, and state-of-the-art collections storage. In 2013, the Abbe Museum became the only Smithsonian Affiliate in Maine and contributes to global conversations through work with the International Coalition for the Sites of Conscience. Learn More | Support