News

Visit can them at https://explore.org/livecams/ospreys/osprey-nest. You will become a regular! And you can visit many other birds and animals by exploring the website too. To our regular visitors - in case we don't see you this summer, we'll take solace knowing we are all spending time with the ospreys this summer, as usual. 

TO ORDER: Mason bee kit $5 plus... a picture or video of your completed project. Write to us at director@wendellgilleymuseum.org with your name (or artist's name) and mailing address. If you are local, we have a no-contact pick-up system. You can send us a check at Wendell Gilley Museum, PO Box 254, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 or, you can click here to make a donation through our website. 

Because of demand, we can only able to ship 3 kits per order, though we will be able to fulfill extra orders within a week. When you are finished, send us a photo of your completed Bee House to
Director@wendellgilleymuseum.org

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LEARN MORE
The Mason Bee house is a good place to start learning about bee habits. Mason bees and Leaf-cutter bees are non-stinging solitary bees (safe for kids) that nest in cavities. In our houses the cavities are 5” deep drilled holes (hopefully safe from a woodpecker tongue). Our kit involves a little hammering and as much painting as you want. Over the growing season careful observation reveals the simple craftsmanship of these tiny masons. 

Watch a Video to learn more about Solitary Bees (Mason Bees)
Watch a video to learn more about differences between Honey Bees and Mason Bees
Watch a video about the Bee Houses by our museum artist, Steven Valleau here and See pictures of completed houses here.

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The Bird Mobile kits are coming soon! 5 bird cutouts that can be strung from sticks or better yet, driftwood sticks if you can go beachcombing. Collect four sticks that you like and hang five local yard birds from the line. Wooden bird blanks (shapes), fittings and paints and a paintbrush included. People local to Southwest Harbor can borrow a wood burner to decorate their projects from our sanitized craft bin. 
Bird Mobile $20

Contact us at director@wendellgilleymuseum.org 

A few of the artists below took inspiration from the collage book Beautiful Blackbird by the wonderful Maine artist Ashley Bryan. You'll also find a video of Ashley reading his - which is the best way to experience it! Click "expand" for more. 

Ashley Bryan inspired collage with artists Erika and Sienna Rosso

Video Workshop - Collage with Erica and Sienna Rosso (20 mins)

Video of Ashley Bryan reading Beautiful Blackbird (10 mins)

[Note: this online program replaces the April 3 Family workshop].

Beautiful Blackbirds - Collage Inspired by the Blackbird and the Raven. 
Slideshow by artist Maria Charette (3 mins) 

Art Corner - Fun Collage lesson with artist Allison Maurais. 
Youtube video that features artist, art teacher, and summer Gilley staff demonstrating a really fun collage technique with minimal materials. (10 mins)

Exploring Collage with artist Carol Shutt
A series of Facebook videos that really get creative with ideas for collage, with artist and former school teacher Carol Shutt. 

Collage 1  ::  Collage 2  ::  Collage 3  ::  Collage 4  ::  Collage 5

Be like a Magpie!

Collect all kinds of cool, colorful and textured papers to use for making collages. Magazines, wrapping paper - even paper bags can have cool textures and patterns. And what about buttons, feathers, and sequins? Anything that catches your eye and can be glued down (or otherwise attached) is fair game for making a collage, and you might consider including words, letters or symbols also, to express an idea, or get your viewer thinking...

If you feel like you are short on collage-making materials, let us know at director@wendellgilleymuseum.org with your name, artist's ages and mailing address, and we will mail some your way. And PLEASE SHARE your art by sending us pictures with the artist's info (and even an artist statement) and we will post in an online gallery. 

BIRDS and NATURE
All About Feathers - from The Cornell Lab. Fun interactive bird exploration! 
The Bird Academy - from The Cornell Lab. TONS of great bird resources. 
Audubon for Kids - lots of fun activities to help young ornithologists learn
Audubon Joy of Birds - great photos, videos, and other resources for all ages
Become a Citizen Scientist! Learn more from the Maine Department of Inland Fishers & Wildlife.
Outdoor Activity & Coloring Book from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Nature Lesson Videos from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Virtual Exhibit of Audubon Prints - Hand-colored engravings from Audubon's "Birds in America" portfolio, in a beautiful setting.

Bird Walks on MDI, by local expert Paul Haertel. Paul is former supervisor of Acadia National Park and a Gilley Trustee. He and his wife Margot are avid birders and have led many birding walks here. 

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Art & Nature Creative Kits

Click here to learn more about our Make you own Mason bee house kits. All materials are mailed to you. Make your own Bird Mobile kits coming soon... 

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Creative, Crazy COLLAGE! 

Be a Magpie - make a collage. Click here to visit our page with lots of fun collage resources, including videos of collage projects inspired by artist Ashely Bryan's book Beautiful Blackbirds, and a video of the artist reading his book - as well as some really fun and creative collage videos with some of our favorite local artists. 

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ART CLASSES ONLINE from our local friends

Online Art with Allison Maurais - A whole series of amazingly creative & fun art classes from Artist, Art Teacher, and Gilley Summer Staff member Allison Maurais

SFOA Virtual Art Classes - A wonderful and varied collection of hands-on online classes from SFOA (Summer Festival for the Arts). Check it out - you WILL learn something cool. 

Schoodic Art for All - links to online classes & other artistic resources from our fabulous Schoodic friends

Jennifer Wadman Myers art class on Facebook