March 2010
Thanks to the Triton Foundation
A special "Thank You" to Gail Cinelli and the Triton Foundation for their extraordinary 12 years of support for the the museum's efforts to promote advancement of our knowledge of African art.
February 2010
Matching Gift in Honor of John W. Branning
We extend our sincere thanks to Ms. Janice Adler for her contribution of $3,000 given in honor of her father, Mr. John W. Branning. Matching funds will be provided through a Maine Humanities Council infrastructure grant. The total of $6,000 will be used to purchase and install an audio listening device for film-screening exhibitions and for distance learning, as well as to improve our permanent exhibition display areas.
January 2010
Announcing our newest grant, with thanks to...
Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust
The Museum of African Culture has recently been awarded a $1,000 grant from the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust to support the museum's educational programming. The Trust is dedicated to funding five major areas of concern: Community/Social Services, Medical, Educational, Arts/Culture, and Environmental.
Heartfelt remarks from outgoing MofAC Board President Gail Edgerly
Friends and Members of the MofAC,
It is with deep gratitude that I pass the baton of board leadership to our new Acting President Thomas Morgan and Vice President Molly Casto. Congratulations to these fine people and I wish for them the community support they need and deep satisfaction with the work that lies ahead.
My three and a half years of board leadership as Treasurer and President have been exciting, rewarding, and truly life enhancing. The Museum has come a long way from Spring Street to Brown Street with the help of many devoted volunteers and Oscar's enduring vision. It has been an honor to be a part of that process.
As I look back I now see the invaluable experience of volunteer work. I thought I was just helping the Museum. Truly, I am the one who has been deeply served by the experience with hands on experiential training, and the wonderful people I have had the pleasure to meet and work with. I know that the job I now have living in Homer Alaska is a result of all that I learned serving the Museum as a volunteer, and I am a more developed and satisfied person from the experience.
From the depths of my heart, I thank Oscar, the board and all the volunteers I have worked with, for this very rich experience. And I sincerely thank everyone who supports the Museum, whether it is with prayers, volunteer work, participation in the programs or donation. The MofAC is a treasure that we have the privilege to steward in a world that desperately needs the soul food of art and culture. The Museum is at another turning point, on the cusp of sustainability, with programs that truly make a difference.
Thank you all who have brought us to this point and please roll up your sleeves for more as we move forward in serving our community, our children and the world with our mission of preservation, education and the celebration of diversity.
December 2009
MofAC appears on television!
On December 4, Oscar and Mallek appeared in a television segment, "Thursday's Child", on WGME Portland.Click here to view the segment.
November 2009
MofAC thanks supporters
The Museum of African Culture has very gratefully received a generous donation from the Albert Brenner Glickman Family Fund for the amount of $10,000 toward the Museum’s Outreach Educational Programming. Funding from foundations and individuals allows Museum Director, Oscar Mokeme, to travel to schools throughout Northern New England offering a very rich and interactive educational experience of African Culture to school children. Funding pays for half of the program fee and all of the travel expenses allowing equal access to all schools in both rural and urban settings from southern New Hampshire to Northern Maine and Western Vermont.
Last school year, with support form Fairpoint Communications, Maine Community Foundation and the Davis Family Foundation, the Museum traveled to 60 locations throughout New England impacting thousands of children, awakening their appreciation for a culture that speaks to what we all share and expands their respect for how we differ.
We are deeply grateful for the continuing support for these programs. Thank you Judy and Al Glickman.
October 2009
MofAC featured in USA TODAY!
10 great towns with international flair
USA TODAY, October 22 2009In honor of United Nations Day on Saturday, discover the different nationalities in communities across the USA. Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Center for the Living City (JanesWalkUSA.org), shares with Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY his list of places to enjoy the rich diversity of our cities. [...]
"To find this rich mixture of African communities emerge in the Rockwell-esque images of Portland is to rediscover a city that is rediscovering itself," Goldsmith says. Hear Senegalese drummers or watch Nigerian films at this museum. Come for fall foliage, visit Somali shops and ethnic restaurants.
Museum of African Culture highlighted by USA Today
Portland Daily Sun, October 27 2009Oscar Mokeme, director and co-founder of the museum, said the article was a welcome tribute to the museum and the city.
"It wasn't a surprise to us, we believe that we have one of the best collections in the country. People have also come in and told us that they haven't seen a collection like what we have," he said. [...]
April 2009
Dancing in the street? Must be spring
Portland Press Herald, April 6 2009Ebune: Procession of the Ram
MaineToday photo album, April 5, 2009
March 2009
United Way supports The Museum of African Culture to hail in SpringFor seven years, The Museum of African Culture has celebrated spring with the Portland community offering the festive and creative Ebune Parade.
Weeks are spent preparing for the parade in schools and with public mask making workshops.
Students from the Maine College of Art collaborate with Oscar Mokeme, director of the museum, working with school children in several schools in Portland, teaching them about the African tradition of Ebune, speaking to all cultures, and creating masks and puppets that represent spring to the student.
This year the Ebune Project was directly funded by the United Way, the Maine Humanities Council, Maine Arts Commission and Artists and Craftsman Supply Store. The museum and the citizens of Portland thank these organization for supporting the arts, and education, and the celebration of diversity.
The new guy
Scholar, negotiator, humanitarian, dad ...
Mark Bessire brings a toolbox full of skills
- and faces monumental challenges -
as the just-installed director at the Portland Museum of Art.
January 2009
Thank you Maine Community Foundation for the recent grant of $5000.00 toward our traveling education programming. This brings our total funding for this school year to $37,000.00. These grants allow equal access to our unique and outstanding educational program to all schools and organizations in Northern New England. The funding pays for half of the program fee and all traveling expenses.
So far this year Oscar has offered 32 programs, with 18 scheduled already for the spring and more in negotiation. He has traveled north of Baxter State Park to Ashland, Maine, west to Bennington, Vermont and south to Bedford, NH.
Please go to our Educational Programs to read letters of support from two schools who experienced our educational program this fall.
November 2008
Deaccessioning of Museum ArtifactsIn order to raise funds for our Capitol Campaign and Development Fund, the museum will be selling artifacts on November 21, 22 and 23.
Our primary goal for this fund drive is to complete the purchase of the condominium where the museum now resides.
We need to raise $200,000 to reach this goal. This is a wonderful opportunity for collectors to acquire some of these priceless treasures and at the same time support a very significant step toward the sustainability of the museum.
September 2008
The Davis Family Foundation has granted the museum $10,000 toward our educational programming adding to the Fairpoint Communication grant of $20,000. This will support even more schools and organizations access to our outreach programs.
Thank you Davis Family Foundation
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The Maine Arts Commission has also awarded the museum a grant toward the sustainability of traditional cultural programming.
And the Xilinx Community Fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation awarded $1000 supporting our outreach educational programming.
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And now, we have wheels!!!
Fenestra, Inc donated a car to the museum so Oscar can now drive a museum vehicle to all of these outreach programs!
We now have a 2003 Volvo XC AWD vehicle that has been well maintained and looks GREAT!
Thank you Lani and Sam Wharton of Fenestra Inc.
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July 2008
Fairpoint Communications has granted the Museum of African Culture $20,000 toward the educational programming provided by the museum to schools and other organizations throughout Northern New England. This funding will cover traveling expenses and subsidize program fees, allowing equal accessibility to this rich cultural resource at a time when field trips and travel are becoming less of an option.
The Museum is deeply grateful to Fairpoint Communications for their generous grant toward our $100,000 goal for the 2008 - 2009 schoolyear.
Their support speaks to their value of culture and community and their confidence in the museum and what we provide.
Thank you Fairpoint.
