A free workshop led by artist Jan Arabas exploring the question: What makes a portrait?

We’ll begin with a 20-minute guided tour of the immersive installations at Open House of History, which explore connections among lives across time. Then we’ll gather for an open discussion about portraits: what they are, how they connect us, and why they matter.

Why do we take photographs of ourselves, our friends, and our families? Why do we keep portraits in photo albums, display them in frames, or hang them in museums?

And what actually makes something a portrait? Is the immersive installation at OHOH a portrait of a place, a time, or a community? How do writers create portraits? Actors? Musicians? Can any act of sympathy—of trying to see and understand another person—become a kind of portrait?

Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your opinions. No special knowledge or experience is needed.

Free and open to all.

Join us as we hear the memories and stories of Waldoboro as told by long time resident Bill Blodgett. Mr. Blodgett has served as an educator in Waldoboro schools, Selectman for the Town of Waldoboro, and Member of the Waldoboro Lions Club, among many other roles.

In partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society.

Exhibition viewing at 5:30 PM followed by a 6:00 PM discussion with Michael Amico, founder and director of Open House of History, and Peter Bruun, co-creator of the 19 Towns / 20 Stories project.

Photographic portraits by Hannah Latham represent twenty stories of transformation from individuals connected to substance use disorder. Together—one story from each town in Lincoln County, along with the experience of an unhoused individual—they form a collective portrait of rural life shaped by struggle, endurance, and care. These stories reveal substance use disorder not as an isolated issue, but as a layered reality that intersects with work, family, community, and identity. They invite empathy and recognition, while also provoking outrage and grief. As a group, they bring forward larger questions of place and belonging.

...Entering the Feelscape of Time is a multi-sensory environment of sound, moving imagery, maps, environmental materials, interviews, and drawings that transforms the upper level of the Custom House into a space of contemplation and emotional engagement. Drawing on the experiences of lobstermen, shellfish harvesters, and community scientists, the installation explores uncertainty, labor, environmental change, cooperation, and resilience within a deeper space of history. Visitors are invited to consider how emotions guide everyday life and influence the atmosphere of a town, the rhythms of a community, and what people choose to remember or forget.

This lecture examines the overdose of a nineteenth-century Waldoboro lawyer to trace sympathy across political divisions and reveal the fragility of power in the Civil War era—and in our own time—as history continues to further recognition and belonging.

Presented in partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society

How can local experiences and economies rooted in the natural world generate new forms of value—monetary, moral, and social? How do emotions shape how we understand their place in our lives? This discussion reflects on the Voices of the Medomak paddle event within a broader consideration of community life and development.

A half-day guided kayak journey on the Medomak River, in collaboration with Voices of the Medomak, a community-led initiative, in partnership with the Town of Waldoboro Recreation Department

Please register here to reserve your spot in a kayak / limited spots available:

https://waldoborome.myrec.com

The river has supported human life for thousands of years—as a source of food, a route for trade, and a place for recreation. These uses raise questions about livelihood, ownership, access, and our own ongoing relationship with water.

During the paddle, we will stop at several points to consider how the river’s ecology and economy have shaped community life, and conflict, over time. Through these encounters, we begin to recognize the feelings and understandings that shape how people live and work together. We cannot fully know what the river holds. But shared experience can bring us closer to understanding its force and the connections it carries.

Presented by Studio B

What challenges are Lincoln County neighbors facing behind closed doors? Join us for music, art, food, and conversation: Tish Brundage performs from 5:00 to 5:45 PM, followed by a cookout, exhibition viewing, and a conversation with project participants on stigma, healing, and what our communities can do better.

Photographic portraits by Hannah Latham represent twenty stories of transformation from individuals connected to substance use disorder. Together—one story from each town in Lincoln County, along with the experience of an unhoused individual—they form a collective portrait of rural life shaped by struggle, endurance, and care.

These stories reveal substance use disorder not as an isolated issue, but as a layered reality that intersects with work, family, community, and identity. They invite empathy and recognition, while also provoking outrage and grief. As a group, they bring forward larger questions of place and belonging.

Life on the water and in the woods can bring wonder and exhilaration—but also uncertainty and strain. This discussion explores how these experiences shape the emotional realities of labor and our relationships with one another and the natural world.

A site-specific musical performance along the shores of the Medomak River with DownEast New Music, in partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society

At the original site of the old German Church (559 Friendship Rd., Waldoboro)

Moravians were known for their egalitarian and personal approach to religion. They emphasized music education, engaged across cultures, and avoided participation in war. When they arrived in the New World, they experienced tensions with other settlers.

This performance explores those dynamics through new instrumental settings of Moravian hymns. Combining music, historical testimony, and performance, the event explores the emotional dimensions and limits of leadership and community formation. It invites listeners to hear familiar material differently—and asks how listening itself might serve as a form of openness and resistance.

This lecture focuses on Moravian settlers of the 1750s and 1760s, exploring religion as lived resistance, different models of leadership and masculinity, and ongoing questions of vulnerability and restraint.

Presented in partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society

Light fare and exhibition viewing at 5:30 PM followed by a 6:00 PM discussion with Michael Amico, founder and director of Open House of History, and Peter Bruun, co-creator of the 19 Towns / 20 Stories project.

Photographic portraits by Hannah Latham represent twenty stories of transformation from individuals connected to substance use disorder. Together—one story from each town in Lincoln County, along with the experience of an unhoused individual—they form a collective portrait of rural life shaped by struggle, endurance, and care. These stories reveal substance use disorder not as an isolated issue, but as a layered reality that intersects with work, family, community, and identity. They invite empathy and recognition, while also provoking outrage and grief. As a group, they bring forward larger questions of place and belonging.

...Entering the Feelscape of Time is a multi-sensory environment of sound, moving imagery, maps, environmental materials, interviews, and drawings that transforms the upper level of the Custom House into a space of contemplation and emotional engagement. Drawing on the experiences of lobstermen, shellfish harvesters, and community scientists, the installation explores uncertainty, labor, environmental change, cooperation, and resilience within a deeper space of history. Visitors are invited to consider how emotions guide everyday life and influence the atmosphere of a town, the rhythms of a community, and what people choose to remember or forget.

Reception and discussion with artists and participants about place, possibility, and creative work

Experience the centerpiece of our Emotional Currents summer series. It’s called Entering the Feelscape of Time and it’s a multi-sensory environment of sound, moving imagery, maps, environmental materials, interviews, and drawings that transforms the upper level of the Custom House into a space of contemplation and emotional engagement. Drawing on the experiences of lobstermen, shellfish harvesters, and community scientists, the installation explores uncertainty, labor, environmental change, cooperation, and resilience within a deeper space of history. Visitors are invited to consider how emotions guide everyday life and influence the atmosphere of a town, the rhythms of a community, and what people choose to remember or forget.

Another major component of the series, viewable on the ground floor, is 19 Towns / 20 Stories, an installation by Studio B featuring photographic portraits and personal narratives connected to substance use disorder across Lincoln County. One participant from each town in the county, along with the experience of an unhoused individual, contributes to a collective portrait of rural life shaped by struggle, endurance, and care.

In connection with America’s 250th anniversary, this lecture examines the emotional legacy of authority, resistance, and land ownership in the region. It asks what it has meant—and what it means now—to feel American and to feel free.

Presented in partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society

Presented by Studio B

Cookout and live music from 5 - 6PM, followed by story sharing and community conversation starting at 6 PM

Photographic portraits by Hannah Latham represent twenty stories of transformation from individuals connected to substance use disorder. Together—one story from each town in Lincoln County, along with the experience of an unhoused individual—they form a collective portrait of rural life shaped by struggle, endurance, and care.

These stories reveal substance use disorder not as an isolated issue, but as a layered reality that intersects with work, family, community, and identity. They invite empathy and recognition, while also provoking outrage and grief. As a group, they bring forward larger questions of place and belonging.

This is Studio B’s first public event for this ongoing project, which brings communities together to address challenges at the local level.

This event celebrates the 20 participants in the project, with a moment to honor two who have passed since the ongoing project began: Bobby Whear and Pip Walter.

Come in and experience the centerpiece of our Emotional Currents summer series. It’s called Entering the Feelscape of Time and it’s a multi-sensory environment of sound, moving imagery, maps, environmental materials, interviews, and drawings that transforms the upper level of the Custom House into a space of contemplation and emotional engagement. Drawing on the experiences of lobstermen, shellfish harvesters, and community scientists, the installation explores uncertainty, labor, environmental change, cooperation, and resilience within a deeper space of history. Visitors are invited to consider how emotions guide everyday life and influence the atmosphere of a town, the rhythms of a community, and what people choose to remember or forget.

Another major component of the series, viewable on the ground floor, is 19 Towns / 20 Stories, an installation by Studio B featuring photographic portraits and personal narratives connected to substance use disorder across Lincoln County. One participant from each town in the county, along with the experience of an unhoused individual, contributes to a collective portrait of rural life shaped by struggle, endurance, and care.

A culmination of the six-month OHOH reading group on Jasper Stahl’s history of the town, featuring participants from the group. This event introduces emotional history as a way to bring the past alive within the present and deepen our understanding of community life.

Presented in partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society

Caring for the dead. Conjuring the spirits of the past. Entering into conversation with those who came before us.

These are all part of the work of Open House of History.

But first—let's learn how to maintain cemetery gravestones!

Have you ever wondered how to properly clean and preserve a gravestone? Join us for a free public workshop with Judson Star of Maintain the Memory.

Judson will demonstrate the right—and wrong—ways to clean and maintain historic headstones, helping participants understand how to protect these important markers of memory and community history.

This program is presented in partnership with the Waldoborough Historical Society and is free and open to the public.

Four local high school students premiere an original performance created through The Prism Project, a 12-week theatre program hosted by The Waldo Theatre, Open House of History, and OUT Maine.

Working alongside educators and artists from the three organizations, participants met weekly to explore themes of identity, connection, and belonging. Through improvisation and devised theater techniques, the students produced an original performance piece reflecting their experiences, perspectives, and creative discoveries throughout the program.

Storytelling

Part of Waldoboro’s first Artwalk of the season!

In partnership with The Waldo Theatre, Open House of History is hosting a free evening of live storytelling featuring experienced storytellers who have previously performed on the Waldo stage.

Each storyteller will share a story of no more than ten minutes, with the full evening lasting about an hour.

This event is part of a free three-part Storytelling Workshop Series, during which Waldo instructors guide participants through developing and rehearsing their own stories for performance.

Come spend the evening hearing powerful stories in an intimate setting as Waldoboro’s first Artwalk brings people together throughout the village.

🎶 We’re singing again! 🎶

After such a wonderful turnout for our first gathering, Shape Note Singing returns to Open House of History in Waldoboro.

Led by the Maine Sacred Harp Singing Group, this free event welcomes everyone. Songbooks are provided, and no experience is necessary—the singers will teach you.

This is early American sacred music in powerful four-part a cappella harmony: enthusiastic, raucous, and haunting.

Not sure about singing? Come listen. Sit, take it in, and let yourself be transported.

The 1855 Custom House—with its steel beams and shutters—creates a warm, immersive, almost surround-sound environment, perfect for hearing voices blend together.

Free and open to all.

Big things are happening in Waldoboro.

Join us at the Open House of History for a community forum on the proposed Waldoboro Community Center project. This is an opportunity to learn about the project’s history, hear current plans, and provide critical public input for the Recreation Committee as planning moves forward.

All ages are welcome. Your ideas, questions, and priorities will help shape the future of this important civic project.

A second identical forum will be held on April 30 at 1:00 p.m. at the Waldoboro Town Office for those unable to attend this session.

Come join shape note singing on the ground floor of the Open House of History!

Experience early American sacred music in powerful four-part a cappella harmony.

This free event is led by the Maine Sacred Harp Singing Group. Songbooks will be provided, and newcomers are warmly welcomed—no experience necessary. The singers will teach you.

Listeners are equally encouraged. Come sit, listen, and let yourself be transported.

The steel beams and shutters of the 1855 Custom House create a warm, immersive, almost surround-sound environment. It’s an ideal space to listen or participate, allowing you to hear yourself and others in a deeply integrated way—perfect for this enthusiastic, raucous, and haunting musical tradition.

Entrance: Side door
Location: 908 Main Street, Waldoboro

Everyone is welcome to raise their voices together at our free Valentine’s Day Community Sing. Song leader Susan Borg will guide us through classic Motown love songs, lyrics provided.

We especially welcome all those young-at-heart souls who danced and sang to Motown in the 1960’s.

Susan Borg is Choir Director at the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and leads signing courses for the Coastal Senior College. She specializes in helping people find that, yes, they can sing and feel joyful while doing so.

Here’s to a beginning of bringing a bit more Christmas cheer back into the Village!

Those who have lived in town for a while may remember when there was some decorating of the Village, a night of evening shopping, caroling, a Christmas tree, etc. The Waldoboro Economic Development Committee has been discussing how to bring a bit of that back.

This year will start small. A cheerful gathering will take place in front of the Open House of History. Cards will be handed out for people to say what they would like to see in the future, and also for those who may wish to help brainstorm and/or raise funds to help make something happen. The aim is to promote community.

A few other holiday events are happening in town, so please enjoy a Christmas-filled day in Waldoboro!

Join us for this first use of the Open House of History as a space to create music!

Led by Deirdre Haren, we will begin with a group rhythm exercise, followed by a vocal exercise and then communal singing and song-making.

Bring an instrument, if you’d like!

All ages are welcome.

Join us for the launch of a new town reading group dedicated to exploring our own history together — through Jasper Stahl’s History of Old Broad Bay and Waldoboro.

This group is open to everyone.

There’s something truly meaningful—and rare—about a town reading group focused on the town itself. It's driven by curiosity, civic engagement, and a shared desire for conversation about contemporary life through the lens of history. Together, we’ll start building a common, detailed base of knowledge about Waldoboro—its people, its past, and its evolution.

When: Third Thursday of each month, starting November 20 at 6:00 PM

Where: Open House of History (908 Main Street, Waldoboro)

What to read: The first five chapters of History of Old Broad Bay and Waldoboro, Vol. 1 (about 80 pages) before our first meeting.

Online copy: Find at Archive.org

Hard copies: Available for purchase at the Waldoborough Historical Society.

Each month, we’ll separately read a section (around 100 pages, adjustable as we go) and then come together to discuss what we’ve discovered.

with the Waldoboro Origins Committee

Our cemeteries are some of the oldest and most meaningful places in town—quiet records of lives that made Waldoboro what it is today. Join us for an open meeting about how we can care for and restore Waldoboro’s cemeteries.

We’ll discuss:

• Work done to date

• How to organize for ongoing care

• Which sites most need attention

• Questions of access on private land

• Funding and next steps

All are welcome—whether you have family here, historical knowledge, or simply a wish to help care for the town’s resting places.

This is a project spearheaded by the Waldoboro Origins Committee (a Town of Waldoboro committee). We are seeking people to help with this project, which also involves collaboration between the Waldoborough Historical Society, Old Broad Bay Family History Association, and Open House of History. You don't have to be a part of the committee to offer help or support with this project.

But it can only happen if more people are willing to play a part. This meeting is just the beginning—a place for conversation, listening, and planning. There’s no set plan, just an open invitation to begin.

At The Waldo Theatre

All are welcome.

OHOH is a producing advisor for the Waldoboro Talent Show—an annual event that blends individual performances with video interludes featuring older residents, an in memoriam segment, appearances by town services, and other unique Waldoboro acts. The result is a performative, intergenerational expression of community that invites people to feel the spirit of Waldoboro and rediscover its people in surprising and expressive ways.

Poster design by Willy Wong

Organized by Healthy Kids — Supporting Families / Strengthening Communities

Are you a caring adult with a child in your life? Want to lend your voice and ideas to Healthy Kids’ program development? Come to our open house and find out what PAC is all about! Children welcome! Toys & snacks provided!

The principal purpose of Healthy Kids is to prevent child abuse and neglect in Lincoln and Knox Counties and to encourage, support, and promote healthy family environments.

Join us for an open, educational conversation about Question 2 on Maine’s November ballot. This is a chance for neighbors to ask questions of one another, hear one another, make their points, and learn.

"Extreme Risk Protection Orders to Restrict Firearms and Weapons Access Initiative"

"Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?"

While the discussion is organized by David Trahan of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and will include Lt. Michael Johnston of the Maine State Police—both of whom take a position on Question 2—everyone is encouraged to attend, argue for a different position, and engage with one another with respect and passion.

Open House of History hosts issue-based forums on timely and contentious topics, led by individuals who may take strong positions but are not speaking on behalf of a political party or broad ideological organization.