PORTLAND – The Portland Museum of Art has long been recognized as one of the best regional museums in the country. It has a rich collection of art that tells a compelling regional story.

It has a spectacular modern home with inviting exhibition spaces.

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Stacey Rodenberger, left, and Dana Baldwin of the Portland Museum of Art staff have received top honors from the National Art Education Association. Gordon Chibroski

It has an inventory of historically significant buildings that demonstrate the evolution of American architecture.

Perhaps most important, it has a staff that does a remarkable job of interpreting the collection and filling the galleries in such a way to make the PMA a warm and rewarding place to visit.

Two of the museum’s staff members, who often work anonymously behind the scenes, are being recognized for their work.

Dana Baldwin, director of the museum’s education department, and Stacey Rodenberger, who coordinates the museum’s school programs, have received honors from the National Art Education Association.

Baldwin was named National Museum Educator of the Year — the highest honor in her field — and Rodenberger was named Outstanding Museum Educator of the Year for the eastern region, which includes museums from Washington, D.C., on up through Maine.

Both women will fly to Seattle in March to receive their awards at National Art Education Association’s convention. Baldwin will deliver a speech at the convention.

Mark Bessire, the museum’s director, said the awards affirm “what everybody already knows in Portland about Dana and our education program our story is told through our education department to all ages of visitors through exhibitions and programs.

“From our education installation in exhibitions to teacher training, we provide the most creative way to learn about art and our Maine cultural heritage. The key is, we are able to create innovative, intimate programs with great educators.”

Baldwin and Rodenberger are obviously doing something well. This recognition should embolden them to aim even higher. It’s going to be fun to see what they come up with when the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck opens in 2012.

Baldwin has been with the museum 18 years. Rodenberger has logged a decade of service.

Their accomplishments are many — frankly, too many to list here with any degree of completeness. But if you simply walk through the galleries, you see evidence of their work at every turn.

Baldwin led the effort to digitize more than 250 Homer engravings, and wrote the interpretive plan for the museum’s collection of 19th-century American art. She also produced a series of video and computer interactives to expand those lessons.

Rodenberger coordinates visits from school groups across Maine, and oversees the Youth Art Month exhibition each year along with the Maine Art Education Association. She also wrote a trio of arts-integrated curriculum handbooks used by teachers across the state.

Befitting their humble personalities, both women praised their colleagues.

Baldwin attributed her department’s success to the strength of the staff.

“My mother always says, ‘You can tell the quality of the captain by the quality of her lieutenants.’ This honor is spread throughout the department,” she said.

Rodenberger said of her award, “It’s as much of a recognition of the teachers in Maine as anything else.”

Regardless, these awards give credit where credit is due. That was confirmed a few weeks ago, Bessire said, when Baldwin received a standing ovation from museum docents when they heard the news.

“It was a great moment of pride for the museum, as her award reflects well on all of us,” Bessire said.

As the national winner, part of Baldwin’s obligation will be to deliver an acceptance speech at the national convention in Seattle. She has time to figure out the details of what she wants to say, but she knows she intends to use her platform to advocate for the nation’s regional museums.

“The national award honoree is often from a much larger museum,” she said. “I never miss a chance to make a plug for museum educators to work in smaller cities and smaller institutions.”

Baldwin came to Portland from the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. She assumed she would stay in Portland a few years and move on. That’s what you do when you are on a career track.

But she stayed. Instead of taking the next great professional opportunity, she expanded on one right under her nose. She put down roots in her community and helped make the museum what it is today.

“I’m having so much fun,” Baldwin said. “There is no bureaucracy here. You get to know your audience through repeat visits and the connections that you make. You can see your accomplishments in tangible, satisfying ways.”

Rodenberger is equally enthusiastic.

“I am incredibly fortunate. I get to connect this amazing content, which is the collection and the exhibitions of the Portland Museum of Art, to an amazing and dynamic audience, which are the teachers and students working in Maine.

“I have the best audience and the best content, and I get to work on a daily basis with both. I have the best job in the world.” 

Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:

bkeyes@pressherald.com

Follow him on Twitter at:

twitter.com/pphbkeyes

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