Starr Kelly Appointed Director of Education and Exhibits at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Starr Kelly is joining the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine as Director of Education and Exhibits.
Leadership at the Abbe Museum (Bar Harbor) and the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (Portland) jointly announce the appointment of Starr Kelly to the role of Director of Education and Exhibits at the Museum & Theatre.
In Kelly’s new role, she will be responsible for oversight of the Museum’s education and exhibit program development, with a strong focus on early childhood education, STEM, and arts education; diversity, as well as equity, inclusion, access, and social justice work.
She joins the Museum & Theatre as it launches a new chapter in its new home at Thompson’s Point in Portland, and will lead all exhibit and education initiatives, including exhibit remediation and the design of a comprehensive programming strategy. Her responsibilities will range from managing special projects to strategic planning and hands-on engagement with families and visitors.
“I am delighted and honored to have Starr join our team,” said Museum & Theatre Executive Director Julie Butcher Pezzino. “Her diverse experience as a teacher, a museum educator and an exhibit developer, combined with her strong commitment to belonging, inclusion and access for children and families across the region make her a perfect fit for our institution at a time of exciting growth and change.”
Starr Kelly departs the Abbe after five years serving as Curator of Education, where she lead the Museum's education and public programs work, including development and delivery, teacher training, and educational resource development.
She graduated from Colgate University, where she received her B.A. in Native American Studies and Masters of Teaching. Defining herself as a "social justice-oriented educator," her approach works to honor those she teaches about while creating an environment that is responsive to the needs of learners. During her five years at the Abbe, Kelly developed many innovative programs, including their first virtual lecture series Indigenous Methodologies, which highlights the ongoing work of Native researchers and scholars. Most recently, she co-curated Stitching Ourselves Together: Mi'kmaq Porcupine Quillwork with Jennifer Pictou, Mi'kmaq. This celebrated exhibit is presented from a first-person perspective with the group "Quillers of the Dawn" as they share their experiences working toward the revitalization of Mi'kmaq quillwork.
"As Curator of Education at the Abbe Museum, Starr has spent many hours educating students and teachers across the State of Maine about Wabanaki people, giving her a unique insight and understanding of the Abbe's audiences," said co-chair Margo Lukens. "Thank you, Starr, for your patience, intelligence, and leadership in decolonizing education. We wish you well at your new post at the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland."
Starr will formally begin her work with the Museum & Theatre on November 15.
About the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine exists to inspire discovery and imagination through exploration and play, with a focus on science learning, community engagement, performing and visual arts, and early childhood education. The Museum & Theatre serves as an indispensable resource for families and educators, helping to create a broad community devoted to our children's development and learning. It is committed to providing access for children of all economic means and all abilities through a variety of access initiatives. With hundreds of educational programs, almost one hundred years of children’s theatre history, and nearly fifty years as a children’s museum, the award-winning organization is considered one of the top children’s museums in the country. See www.kitetails.org for more information.
About the Abbe Museum
The Abbe Museum, in Bar Harbor, Maine–a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate– is a museum of Wabanaki art, history, and culture. The Abbe Museum was founded in 1926 and first opened to the public in 1928 as a private museum at Sieur de Monts Spring in Lafayette National Park (later renamed Acadia National Park). The Abbe opened its year-round downtown Museum in 2001 with permanent and changing exhibition galleries, spaces for educational programming, comfortable visitor amenities, and climate controlled storage. The Abbe was the first institution in Maine to sponsor archaeological field research and is now the main repository for archaeological collections from the mid-coast and downeast regions. See www.abbemuseum.org for more information.