Former Board President Laurie Murison & Folk Singer Paul Lauzon, 2019
Former Board President Laurie Murison & Folk Singer Paul Lauzon, 2019
EVENING PROGRAMMES & SPECIAL EVENTS
During July and August, mostly on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, but sometimes on weekends, the Museum hosts evening programme presentations and special events in the form of arts and science lectures and digital presentations, photography, artist talks, dance and theatrical performances, book launches, concerts, art workshops, and nature walks.
All of our presenters volunteer their time and expertise, helping us to offer quality programming of high educational and entertainment value. The Museum is deeply indebted to them for their contribution which plays a significant role in the life of our community.
Admission to all evening programmes is by donation, at the door, except where otherwise indicated (some events, like our annual dinner, concerts and some workshops, have an admission fee). Unless otherwise stated, all events are in our Elmer Wilcox Memorial Lecture Hall, side entrance by the parking lot, and begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. We sell memberships and raffle tickets at our evening programmes, and at book launches and some other presentations we sell books and related merchandise, such as maps or CDs.
Evening Presentation Information: 2021
(TENTATIVE – Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this schedule is subject to change. We hope to proceed with our summer programming, but there will be limited indoor capacity.)
Tues, July 6 AGM – topic TBA
Thurs, July 8 History of the Grand Manan Trails Association – Eric Aubanel
Tues, July 13 Lighthouse Days - with Chris Mills, Canadian Coast Guard, DJ & Radio Host. When he was 16, Chris Mills walked into an employment centre in Halifax and said "I want a job as a lightkeeper". An advisor told him there were no more keepers. Seven years later, Chris took a three-week relief shift at the Cross Island lighthouse near Lunenburg, NS, where indeed, there were still keepers (although not for long). As the Coast Guard de-staffed lighthouses, Chris moved from light to light in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick until complete de-staffing chased him to British Columbia, where lightkeeping was alive and well (as it is today). It was a dream come true for Chris, and his interest in lighthouses continues to this day. Join Chris as he takes a look back at lightkeeping in the 1990s, and as he explores Canada's lighthouse legacy, with a special look at Grand Manan’s Gannet Rock Lighthouse. 
http://www.lighthousefoundation.org/2014/06/lighthouse-keeper-chris-mills/
Thurs, July 15 Canada and the US Civil War, with Ned & Diane Smith. How did the American Civil War impact on its northern neighbours, including Grand Mananers? This talk by Civil War historians and part-time residents Diane and Ned Smith will look at the involvement of soldiers, blockade runners, the Chesapeake Affair, and more. Diane and Ned Smith have written six Civil War-related books between them. The most recent, Diane's fourth book, Washington Roebling's Civil War, was published in the summer of 2019. Ned is currently finishing his third book, a history of the last two Union regiments raised in Maine. http://www.dianemonroesmith.com
Sat, July 17 JJ Roots Concert – Americana Folk Music Concert” ($15) with the Award Winning Duo, Jeff Gray & Jocelyn Parlee. The duo recently won the 2019 Overall Folk/Americana Duo of the Year at the International JMA Music Awards in Tennessee. This is the second consecutive year they have won this highly competitive international title! Starts 7:00 pm, $15 tickets in advance or at the door, Church of the Ascension, North Head. https://www.jjrootsmusic.com
Tues, July 20 Updates from Kent Island Research Station, with Dr. Patty Jones, Behavioral Ecologist Professor at Bowdoin College, & Director, Kent Island Research Station. Patty will introduce the current research on Kent Island and discuss her own research. She will introduce undergraduate students who will discuss their summer research on the Three Islands on topics ranging from different bird specie populations to seaweed harvesting and the environment.
http://www.bowdoin.edu/faculty/pjones3/
Thurs, July 22 Art & Science at the Crossroads: New Relationships in the Era of Climate Change, with Alison Deming, Bowdoin College Students & guest poet Bryn Harris. Deming will give a talk about innovative collaborations between art and science that are emerging in response to the challenge of climate change. These initiatives offer new methods for communicating science and new ways of understanding ourselves and our world. The transformational power of art combined with the documentary force of science can inspire the imagination – and just possibly our hope. https://alisonhawthornedeming.com
Tues, July 27 A Sustainable Fishery?: Early conservation efforts in New Brunswick, 1786-1867, with Dr. Elizabeth Mancke, Professor of History, UNB Fredericton. From its earliest sessions the pre-Confederation assembly of New Brunswick passed legislation designed to promote sustainable fisheries. This talk will give an overview of those efforts, as well as a comparison with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, with a particular focus on the Charlotte County herring fisheries, both in Passamaquoddy Bay and around Grand Manan. https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/arts-fr-history/mancke-elizabeth.html
Thurs, July 29 Antarctic Travels & The Cruise Ship Industry - Kevin Sampson, Owner of Adventure High Kayaking and Eco Cruise Ship Kayaking Guide. https://www.zegrahm.com/field-leaders/kevin-sampson
Tue, Aug 3 The Great Trees of New Brunswick, with co-author David Palmer. New Brunswick is home to more than five billion trees, many native to the Acadian forest and some exotics introduced by settlers. For this new edition of The Great Trees of New Brunswick (the first edition was published in 1987), forester David Palmer and conservationist Tracy Glynn have prepared a book that doubles as an informative guide to the province's native and introduced species and a compendium of "champion" trees, drawn from nominations from all corners of the province. https://nbmediacoop.org/2019/03/15/authors-share-new-brunswickers-love-of-trees-video/
Thurs, Aug 5 Hunting for Herring: An Evening in Celebration of Fishery Traditions on Grand Manan and Beyond with Alison Hawthorne Deming, Agnese Nelms Haury Chair in Environment & Social Justice, Regent's Professor of Creative Writing, University of Arizona. “The potato of the Middle Ages,” “the silver darlings,” “the silver of the seas,” —these are a few of the nicknames for herring, one of the most abundant fishes in the sea. Deming's talk will address the importance of herring to Grand Manan and throughout the history of the world. She will have aerial images of what remains of the early "stone weirs" and of recently operating weirs in celebration of this unique local fishery. www.alisonhawthornedeming.com www.fieldstudiesgrandmanan.com
Friday, Aug 6 A Taste of Grand Manan Annual Dinner, $25, tickets sold in advance. Buffet begins at 5pm. Please contact the Museum (662-3524) to buy your tickets, and to reserve your table with friends and/or family if desired.
Aug 7-8 Relief Printmaking Workshop, with Artist Michael McEwing.
Sat-Sun All materials are provided in the workshop fee of $50. https://www.mcewing.ca
1-4 pm
Tues, Aug 10 Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station (GMWSRS). Updates on their research will be presented by a guest speaker doing graduate work at the station (speaker TBA).
Thurs, Aug 12 Gemstones of Grand Manan, with Dr. Greg McHone, retired Research Geologist, Author. Dr. McHone is a well-known local geologist and co-author of The McHones’ Guide to Grand Manan Beach Stones. Learn about both the fascinating geological ages of the island and the types of beach stones you can find here. https://earth2geologists.net/grandmanangeology
Sat, Aug 14 Laurie Murison Memorial Presentation (1:00 Tentative Time). A public memorial event to remember former board president Laurie Murison will be held on the grounds of the Museum. There will be guest speakers from different organizations Laurie was affiliated with, light refreshments, and video and slideshow imagery of Laurie, including her posthumous honorary degree awarded from UNB. There will be a large tent set up outside and masks for the public and social distancing will be in place. Everyone who knew Laurie or admired the great work she did for marine life, lighthouses, and the island’s history and heritage through the museum, is welcome.
Tues, Aug 17 Historic Photography: Recreating Occupational Tintypes, with John DiMartino, New York City. https://www.johndimartinojr.com
Thurs, Aug 19 Shipwrecks of Grand Manan, with Eric Allaby, Underwater Archeologist and Marine Artist. Learn about a number of the several hundred shipwrecks that have taken place around the Grand Manan Archipelago since 1720, as Eric tells some engaging stories and visits shipwreck sites he surveyed, mapped and salvaged during the 1970s. Visit Eric’s Shipwreck Facebook Page: A Maritime Shipwreck on This Date to read about a different shipwreck every day of the year. https://search.canbarchives.ca/eric-allaby
Sat, Aug 21 Paul Lauzon Folk Concert. Singer and songwriter Paul Laurent Lauzon was born in Rouyn, Quebec, of French Canadian parents. From early years, he has lived in many places in Canada, the USA, and the UK, and most recently in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. The constants have been writing, the world of music, family, and friends. He has worked as a singer/songwriter, in theatre, in academia, as well as in the field of music therapy. He has been visiting, writing song about, and performing on Grand Manan for more than 40 years. Starts at 7:00 pm, $15 at the door, Elmer Wilcox Memorial Hall, Grand Manan Museum. www.paullauzon.ca
Sun, Aug 22 An Interpretive Dance Performance with Ara Fitzgerald, Dance Theatre Performer, Greenwich Village and Ingalls Head. Back by popular demand, Ara Fitzgerald will perform a series of dance/theatre solos she both wrote and choreographed. She will also premiere a new film by Peter Cunningham which features her interpretive dance and monologue. “…a skilled comic actress-dancer…an unusually smooth blend of humor and choreographic deftness.” Jennifer Dunning, NY Times. www.arafitzgerald.com, Starts at 7 pm, $15 at the door.
Tues, Aug 24 Living on the Edge: The Life of the Turkey Vulture, with Jim Wilson, Saint John Naturalists’ Club. Much maligned and misunderstood, vultures usually get a bad rap from almost everyone, but that’s because we don’t understand them and we judge them by their appearance and by what and how they eat. In reality, they’re very interesting birds, passive, highly intelligent and possessing some ingenious strategies to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing when or where their next meal is coming from. This presentation will almost certainly change your opinion of them. http://www.naturenb.ca/2019/11/01/birder-and-naturalist-jim-wilson-recognized-with-the-order-of-new-brunswick/
Thurs, Aug 26 The Deichmann Family & Grand Manan, with Anneke Gichuru. Anneke will tell the story of her parents and their long, lovingly relationship with Grand Manan over the years. Deichmann pottery was studio pottery produced by Kjeld and Erica Deichmann in New Brunswick, Canada from 1935 to 1963. Until 1956 their studio was located in rural Moss Glen on the Kingston Peninsula near Saint John, New Brunswick. In 1956 it was moved to Sussex, New Brunswick, where it operated until Kjeld Deichmann's death in 1963. The Deichmanns were Canada's first studio potters. Anneke is also a former Curator/Director of the Grand Manan Museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deichmann_pottery
Tues, Aug 31 Collecting Ancient Photons - Deep Sky Astrophotography, with Kyle Ingersoll. Learn about some of the equipment, software, steps, and processes involved in capturing & processing images of deep sky targets such as Star Clusters, Nebulae, and Galaxies, and see some spectacular night sky photography captured right here on Grand Manan. If weather permits Kyle will also be setting up, and performing a live demonstration with some of his gear. We’ll also get a tour of some of the more interesting objects hiding in the night sky. Visit Fundy Archipelago Observatory on Facebook to see some of Kyle’s amazing deep sky photography.
