RUFUS PORTER MUSEUM OF ART AND INGENUITY
PRESS RELEASE
Media Contact:
Madeleine Lane-Duigan
Community Engagement Coordinator
(207) 647-2828
staff@rufusportermuseum.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RUFUS PORTER MUSEUM RECEIVES GRANT FOR NEW BUILDING
PRESS RELEASE – 5/31/2022

Bridgton, ME - The Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity announced that they have received a grant from the Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation to assist in completing Phase III of its new museum campus - the development of a third building. This expansion will include the construction of a post and beam barn-like structure that will complement Main Street and the two other historic museum buildings on the site. The building will provide much-needed areas for programs and community involvement, as well as display space for murals currently in temporary locations. 

"We are so grateful for the Ham Foundation's continued support of our efforts," said Executive Director, Karla Leandri Rider. "The Museum is encouraged by their generosity as fundraising efforts continue. We are very excited to be working on such an important project that will benefit the entire community."

The Rufus Porter Museum opens for its eighteenth season on June 11th.

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About the Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation
The Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation reviews funding requests in the spirit of its mission to improve community life in the Mt. Washington Valley of New Hampshire, Fryeburg and Bridgton, Maine. They believe that the vitality of our community depends upon the ability of people to be responsible for themselves and concerned about one another. After Kendal’s death in 1988 and through the efforts of her legal counsel, Anna came to understand that her wealth would be able to respond to local needs and would enable supporting local needs by creating a community based charitable organization.
About Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity
Founded in 2005, the Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity, located in Bridgton, Maine, features the history of a remarkable 19th century New Englander, Rufus Porter (1792-1884). Porter is well-known in the folk art community for his landscape murals and miniature portraits, however, Porter was more than just a painter. He was the founding publisher and editor of the magazine Scientific American as well as inventor, writer, teacher, and more. The museum is dedicated to capturing and sharing with the public Porter’s uniquely American blend of creativity, ingenuity, practicality, and energy by exploring the world and era in which he lived and worked.
Rufus Porter Museum | 121 Main Street / P. O. Box 544, Bridgton ME 04009 | 207.647.2828 | staff@rufusportermuseum.org | www.rufusportermuseum.org