Museum L-A asks for votes through Community Matters

Walter and his sons, Finn and Declan, with their grandmother, Margaret Craven, visited Museum L-A’s Androscoggin River gallery exhibit, and played on a life-size river challenge game, in this file photo. Museum staff look forward to post-pandemic visitors coming to its gallery and permanent exhibit spaces. In the meantime, museum supporters are being asked to vote for the museum as part of a community grant program at bangor.com/cmm through February. *Contributed*

LEWISTON — Museum L-A has been selected to be on the ballot of this year’s Community Matters More grant program.

Museum L-A supporters are encouraged to vote for the museum online at bangor.com/cmm and to share the link with friends and family through social media channels, email, blogs and websites.

The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation Community Matters More charitable program offers Maine and New Hampshire residents the opportunity to weigh in on how best to allocate funding nonprofit organizations the bank has pledged to support.

The nonprofit receiving the most votes from each of the 11 geographical areas will be awarded a $5,000 grant. Runner-up grants will be awarded as well. Voters will determine the recipients of over $140,000 awarded to 44 local nonprofit organizations in Maine and New Hampshire.

The online ballot allows supporters to vote for up to five organizations from any of the regions listed, including write-in organizations, and voting takes place throughout February.

Museum L-A’s mission is to connect generations and cultures, foster a spirit of discovery and human ingenuity, and help people experience the history and heritage of work, the arts and community. To meet its mission, the museum not only collects and preserves archival material, it also creates exhibits, programs and events. Prior to the pandemic quarantine, the museum was hosting more than 1,500 Maine school children annually on educational field trips. Visitors to its gallery and exhibit came from 42 states and 16 countries.

While COVID-19 has changed how its programming is delivered, the museum recently hosted a well-attended online presentation about reclassifying the Androscoggin River and has plans for new online exhibits and programs. “Our goal is to meet our visitors where they are,” Thomson said.

Museum L-A supporters may vote for the museum through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28. Visit museumla.org for a look at the programs, exhibits and events funded by grant money and its supporters. Winners will be announced by the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation in April.

Museum L-A is in the Bates Mill Complex at 35 Canal St. Its physical space is temporarily closed to the public in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the health and safety of its community. Links to virtual tours and educational resources can be found on its website.

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