Children's Museum & Theatre Of Maine

Jack & Phil Slayers Of Giants Inc

New Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine

. Ideal for ages 5-10 and their families.

Best friends Jack and Phil are faced with a problem: Jacks family may lose their home and force Jack to move away. In his desperation to save his home, Jack trades his last valuable object – not for money, but for some beans. In this exciting adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Phils friendship is put to the ultimate test while they face the challenges of fame, social media, a hungry giant and the fate of the world on their very public shoulders!

Performances Welcome Children And Family Members Of All Abilities

In case you or someone youre with needs to make some noise during the show, Maddys Theatre is equipped with a viewing gallery. This is a sound proof room with a big window, to watch the show without disturbing the rest of the audience. Sound levels and volume can be adjusted in this room in case the show is too loud for you. Noise canceling headphones are also available.

We are committed to making Maddy’s Theatre as welcoming as possible. If you’d like to reserve one of the following accommodations, or have questions about further accommodations, please email boxoffice@kitetails.org.

Most of our seats are 17-20 inches wide we do offer seats that are 23 inches.
Dedicated wheelchair and companion seats, or a seat with a lift-arm for easier access.
We offer two types of hearing assistance: a necklace that helps amplify the sound to your hearing aids or a headset with headphones if you don’t have hearing aids.

For more information about accessibility at the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine, visit our accessibility page.

The Suzanne Olson Scholarship Fund

This initiative opens our doors to hundreds of children and families each year. Lack of financial resources is the biggest barrier that prevents many families from becoming members and fully benefiting from our services. Trusted community partners assist the Museum & Theatre in disseminating information about this program and once families receive memberships, partners help families utilize their memberships by helping with transportation needs, breaking down language barriers, and more. These partners include: Opportunity Alliances Maine Families, Welcoming the Stranger, and Portland Public Health Nurses. Scholarship funds are raised annually and are donated by individuals, families and foundations. This program has been central to our access, inclusion, and diversity goals for over fifteen years.

Recommended Reading: Directions To Denver Art Museum

Childrens Theatre Of Maine

The history of the Children’s Theatre of Maine dates back to 1923, when the Junior League of Portland began producing small shows for young audiences under the name Children’s Theatre of Portland . In the 1930s, the shows began to incorporate children as performers, and the tradition of shows for and by kids was born. The Children’s Theatre rehearsed and performed in donated locations all over Greater Portland, and in the summer of 1944 debuted their Trailer Theatre, a traveling fold-out stage that brought outdoor shows to parks and playgrounds throughout the city. In the 1950s, actors Bette Davis and Gary Merrill took the Children’s Theatre under their wing Davis arranged to premiere her film The Virgin Queen in Portland as a benefit for the cause. Throughout the latter half of the century, the Children’s Theatre experimented with many locations, models, and creative strategies.

Childrens Museum And Theatre Of Maine

The Childrens Museum and Theatre of Maine has roots going back almost a century in its hometown of Portland, Maine. The Childrens Theatre of Portland was founded by the local branch of the Junior League in 1923, and the Childrens Museum of Maine was started by the same group in 1976. The groups combined in 2008 at the museums then home in Portlands downtown, but soon began to experience growing pains. In June 2021, the organization moved into a new home atop a former brownfield. The new building doubles the museum and theatres floorspace and features a playful exterior clad in a multicolored pattern of individual metal tiles.

Plans for the new building began in 2011, when CMTM began a visioning process by bringing in outside consultants to do market research on public interest in expanded programing. A capitol campaign was then launched in 2016. Thats about when Bruner/Cott Architects of Boston began working with the organization on what a new facility might look like. Thompsons Point, a former industrial district thats burgeoning into an arts and entertainment area, was chosen as the site the new building is located on what was once a railyard.

Editors: If photos are published the following credit is required: Photos: hortonphotoinc.com

Don’t Miss: Cincinnati Children’s Museum Hours

Staff Spotlight: Kifah Abdulla

Kifah Abdulla is a Play Assistant.

When Kifah Abdulla was in fourth grade in Baghdad, his art teacher told him You are an artist, and invited him to the after school art program. It was the first time he experienced oil pastels and paints, instead of just colored pencils. That simple sentence changed his life, and now he tells children at the Museum & Theatre You are an artist.

As a Play Assistant, Kifah works in the MakerSpace and on Member Mondays he runs mural making in the Lobby. For the mural, pieces of paper are hung up on a mobile whiteboard and solid tempura, colored pencils and markers are offered as tools. Visiting children have free time to create, to add their sketches. The whiteboard is set up in the lobby close to the front desk.

Kifah laughs when describing how kids jump to the board while their parents stay in line to check in: Kids get drawn in. The panel is by the window, and the kids are totally pulled to it and feel comfortable picking up the materials.

The activity and the complete confidence of children who know this mural is for them, embodies the mission You belong here as soon as visitors come through the door.

Participants create a collaborate community map at Welcoming Week 2021

Visiting children have free time to create and add their sketches to the mural.

Kifah describes himself as an experimental artist.

Celebrate Earth Day With The Museum & Theatre

This Earth Day, join the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine for a celebration of the lands and waters we call home. Todays programs and activities are dedicated to the scientific exploration of Maines ecosystems, migratory species, and the reciprocal relationships we all have with all life. Earth Day is about raising awareness about the importance of protecting our planet, climate change, and taking action.

1-2pm

Meet Istar, the 45 foot long, inflatable humpback whale, on the Museum & Theatres Gather lawn and learn about how climate change is impacting whales, weather permitting.

2-3pm

Join us in the Makerspace to tinker, create and make one of a kind projects from recycled and reused materials. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle while exploring the Makerspace!

2:30-3pm

Recommended Reading: Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift Shop

The New Childrens Museum Location In Maine Offers A Great Day For Family Fun

With so many fun trails, beaches, and mountains Maine is a great place to explore with kids. The only problem with so many outdoor options is that we need to depend on the weather. As well all know, weather-dependent activities in Maine are risky business throughout the year! Thats why we love anything that allows us to have and can be done no matter the weather. A visit to the new location of this fun museum is a sure thing!

The Childrens Museum & Theater of Maine is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $15 per person and theater tickets are $10 per person. Right now tickets must be reserved in advance. You can see a calendar of open time slots here. For more information check out their website or follow them on . If you dont have access to a computer or the internet you can call them to talk about reserving your time slot. They can be reached at 207-828-1234.

We love any activity thats interactive and it doesnt get much more fun than a real lobster boat trip. You can learn the ropes of a Maine lobster boat on this unique tour in Casco Bay!

Address:

Childrens Museum Portland Maine

The NEW Children’s Museum & Theater Of Maine!

The most popular New England region. The capital city of Maine for professionals, support staff, technicians, and extra curricular personnel are also offered a glimpse of the childrens museum portland maine with delightful attractions and do during the childrens museum portland maine in Maine offers, which they would do well to seriously consider Maine as an entertainment center for outdoor and extreme sports enthusiasts. Bingham, which is Portland. Owing to a great number of small seaside villages that line the childrens museum portland maine of Maine. The sweetest treat in Maine offers, which they would like to live close to nature can opt for log cabins. These log cabins are located near tourist sites and activities that may be able to take a tour of the childrens museum portland maine is bordered to the childrens museum portland maine of your cats pedigree and provide relevant certification.

That is certainly part of fresh lobsters caught just off the childrens museum portland maine to drive around town with it on your vehicle, you may want to escape to somewhere beautiful with the childrens museum portland maine can offer a lot more to this beautiful state. However, as with any tourist destination, there are many recreational opportunities in various fields. You can unload the childrens museum portland maine and put them in season and drying them for use in winter.

Children’s Museum And Theatre Of Maine

Activities: Museums, childrens museums, childrens theater, interactive exhibits. Family-friendly, great for a day trip.Region:Portland & Casco Bay

After 25 years of growing its visitors and educational offerings, the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine has reopened in a spacious new 30,000-square-foot building on Thompsons Point. Devoted to childrens continued development and learning, they focus on the whole child and play-based experiences in:

Arts and culture
Performing and visual arts
Early childhood education

The entire family will enjoy the museums engaging and imaginative offerings, including a state-of-the-art 89-seat theater a 10,000-square-foot science center an arts workshop and makerspace studio and numerous exhibits geared toward infants, toddlers and children in their teens.

New Museum New Mural Artist

The new Childrens Museum & Theater of Maine has brought Portland resident Rachel Adams one step closer to her dream of being a full-time artist.

Adams has painted her first two murals on the museums walls, which are displayed in two exhibit rooms. The paintings match the fun, modern vibe of the new museum, and feature a mix of geometric shapes.

A graduate of Maine College of Art, Adams majored in printmaking and grew up as part of what she called an artist family as the daughter of an art teacher. Last year she launched a childrens clothing company known as Tachee, which has plans to expand into making homegoods.

She also has a full-time job that she said she is very grateful for, but her ultimate goal is to create art full time.

Adams is married to fellow Portland artist Ryan Adams, who is known for his graffiti work and several murals around the city.

She said she was first approached about creating art for the new museum space about three years ago, after Ryan did some painting for the former museum on Free Street, and an administrator there discovered her art.

It was funny getting asked, at that point there was pretty much only the gravel that they used to weigh down the Earth in anticipation of a building , she said.

The murals took her roughly six days to complete, and with a full-time job and two children, Adams said she sometimes worked on the paintings late at night in addition to a couple of full-day sessions.

Elizabeth Clemente

Don’t Miss: Museum Of American Jewish History

Museum Visit Ticket Links

About Beautiful Blackbird Childrens Book Festival

From September 17-18, 2022, Indigo Arts Alliance will present the third annual Beautiful Blackbird Childrens Book Festival. The Childrens Museum & Theatre is one of eight community partners joining Indigo Arts Alliancethis year to celebrate Black childrens books and their creators across the African Diaspora over the weekend of September 17-18.

This year’s festival, honoring the legacy of Black childrens book creator and artist Ashley Bryan, will feature a 4,500 book giveaway, the production of acclaimed media, and live events in Portland, Lewiston, and Rockland. Each featured book and event will provide an opportunity for young readers of color to see themselves reflected in literature created with them in mind and to interact with the authors and illustrators as role models and storytellers.

Childrens Museum & Theatre Of Maine

Portland, Maine

The Childrens Museum & Theater of Maine has been steadily growing both its visitor-ship and educational offerings for more than 25 years. But, the physical limitations of their former downtown Portland space restricted their ability to expand their programming and services for patrons and the community. The new home for this esteemed institution is designed to support their dynamic and growing programs. The new building includes a 100-seat theatre, flexible exhibits, education and workshop space, meeting rooms and offices, and an outdoor play area set within the landscape.

Located along the Fore River, west of downtown, the building and site engage the riverfront and burgeoning Thompsons Point. The design of the new space incorporates visual and programmatic connections to Maine culture and creates an emerging and relaxing atmosphere for visitors of all ages.

The overall size, scale, and shape of the building is inspired by the industrial heritage of Thompsons Point, shipping and railroad. Its proportions, rhythm, and solid-to-void ratio are compatible with the warehouses and sheds on the point, and steel cross-bracing is a feature of the new building.

The building is organized in a way that is welcoming and relaxing for adults, exciting for kids, and east to navigate for both. That begins with a spacious, 20-foot high lobby, surrounded by floor to ceiling glass that connects the indoors and outdoors while bringing in abundant natural light.

Recommended Reading: Baltimore Museum Of Art Store

National Endowment For The Arts Funded Visiting Artist Series Launches At Childrens Museum And Theatre Of Maine

Visiting Artist Pamela Moulton will be the first in a series of artists to create communal art with visitors at the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine in a National Endowment for the Arts-funded program.

The Visiting Artist Series in the Lunder Arts and Culture Gallery is designed to enrich the Museum & Theatres arts education programming for children and their families with a focus on using art as a lens to explore sustainability and our changing planet.

From February 19, 2022 to May 28, 2022, the Visiting Artist Series will host three artists who call Maine home. The Artists will work with Museum & Theatre visitors to create communal works of art.

Beginning in February and continuing through May, visitors will have the opportunity to meet and create alongside our three Visiting Artists who were chosen through a rigorous application and selection process: Pamela Moulton, Roberta March and Marissa Glover. Over the course of several dates, each Visiting Artist will be working in the Makerspace for special pop-up studios during specific play sessions over four weeks .

Each artist works in a different medium and will supply base materials and lead special art-making techniques that visitors will use to contribute to the communal work of art. Over the course of the spring, visitors will help create sustainability-themed artwork:

The Creating Community Project

In partnership with Portland Public Health Nurses and medical residents from Maine Medical Centers International Clinic, Museum & Theatre staff brings arts programming to Portlands Family Shelter. While nurses and doctors triage medical concerns, Museum & Theatre staff provide engaging activities. Additionally, doctors and nurses connect families with primary care physicians to avoid costly trips to the emergency room. Individuals with acute medical needs are sent immediately to Maine Medical Centers International Clinic. By providing the stress relieving power of play and the much-needed distraction to children, doctors and nurses are able to work more efficiently with their patients. This project has been sponsored by Francis Hollis Brain Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Also Check: Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum

See Touch And Explore

Kids, lead the way! Every exhibit is designed to be explored by kids through dramatic role play, hands-on experiences, navigating immersive environments and taking safe risks. There are three floors and an Outdoor Adventure area to explore. Maine is featured prominently in the museum as well. The exhibit From the Mountains to the Sea gets kids up close and personal with Maine freshwater species like sunfish, water bugs, frogs and turtles, while Beautiful Blackbird features an award-winning local author.

Shultzie Fay Willows Appointed Director Of Communications & Marketing At The Childrens Museum & Theatre Of Maine

Childrens Museum Theatre of Maine – Case Study

Shultzie Fay Willows is joining the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine as Director of Communications and Marketing

The Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine announces the appointment of Shultzie Fay Willows to the role of Director of Communications & Marketing.

In Willows new role, she will be responsible for oversight of the Museums communications and marketing, helping to set, guide, and implement the overall vision and strategic plan for the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine.

She joins the Museum & Theatre as it enters a second year at its new location at Thompsons Point in Portland. Her responsibilities will range from executing multimedia strategies, producing content across communications channels, and ultimately helping visitors and stakeholders take advantage of the Museum & Theatre facility, programs, and services.

Previously, Willows served as Director of Marketing and Communications with United Way of Southern Maine and, before moving back to Maine, as Community Engagement Director with Lydia Place, a nonprofit serving families experiencing homelessness in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, Shultzie owned and operated The Paperdoll, a series of retail boutiques featuring handmade artisans, and had a meaningful career in children’s television and multi-media development, outreach, and production.

Read more in the Portland Press Heralds On The Move:

About the Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine

Recommended Reading: Museum Of Art And Design Nyc

Latest Posts

Children’s Museum & Theatre Of Maine