Current Exhibitions

HOOKED RUGS FROM ARTISTS OF "THE MAINE TIN PEDLAR"

January 14 through March 24, 2012
January 14 through March 24, 2012
Cozy up with some hooked rugs this winter with two warm and wonderful exhibitions at the Saco Museum! "Rugs All Marked Out" will celebrate the hooked rug innovator and entrepreneur Edward S. Frost, who launched a rug-pattern business right here in Biddeford, Maine, in the mid-19th-century. Also on view will be modern hooked rugs by members of the Maine Tin Pedlar, a group of local hooked rug artists named in honor of Frost.

Pictured: "Stained Glass Magic" by Deb Arcaro, photo courtesy The Maine Tin Pedlar.

RUGS ALL MARKED OUT: Biddeford's Edward S. Frost

January 14 through March 24, 2012
Cozy up with some hooked rugs this winter with two warm and wonderful exhibitions at the Saco Museum! "Rugs All Marked Out" celebrates the hooked rug innovator and entrepreneur Edward S. Frost, who launched a rug-pattern business right here in Biddeford, Maine, in the mid-19th-century. Originally presented at the Maine State Museum in 2006, "Rugs All Marked Out" features rugs, burlap patterns, and metal stencils from the Maine State Museum collection. The original exhibition is enhanced with Frost rugs and patterns from the Saco Museum's own collections, all recent acquisitions. Also on view are modern hooked rugs by members of the Maine Tin Pedlar, a group of local hooked rug artists named in honor of Frost.

Pictured: Pattern for Hooked Rug, ink on burlap, Edward S. Frost pattern #92, 1870s, collections of the Maine State Museum.

ART AND NATURE THUS ALLIED: Natural History and the Decorative Arts

Come and see where the arts and the natural world intersect in this new, permanent exhibition. Objects from the Saco Museum's natural history collections--shells, minerals, taxidermy--are displayed alongside magnificent furniture, glass, ceramics, and more, demonstrating how motifs in nature have been used in the decorative arts for centuries. Hands-on activities give visitors of all ages the opportunity to look closely at items from the natural world and experiment with different decorative ideas and techniques.

Pictured: Cracker Jar with Octopus Decoration, circa 1890, Mt. Washington Glass Company, New Bedford, Massachusetts, blown "Crown Milano" glass, Gift of the Jones Museum of Glass and Ceramics.

HAPPY CAMP OF THE FREEBOOTERS: Playing Through Time, 1750-1950

June is BIG at the Dyer Library and Saco Museum with tons of great events all inspired by Mark Twain�s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as part of �The Big Read.� The Big Read is a program funded through the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest, which gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate a single great work of literature. As part of The Big Read, one of the period rooms on the Saco Museum�s second floor has been completely re-done with children�s toys, furniture, and paintings from 1750-1950. For more information about The Big Read, please contact Camille Smalley at (207) 283-3861, ext. 115 or education@sacomuseum.org.

MAKING HISTORY: Art and Industry in the Saco River Valley

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Come see the history of the Saco River Valley as you never have before, with art, historical artifacts, computer activities, and hands-on exhibits for all ages! This exhibit is a part of a multi-venue exhibition of local history funded by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and by the Maine Humanities Council.