Performers involved in the Halloween weekend art heist performance hosted by the Pejepscot History Center. Courtesy photo
The iconic Skolfield-Whittier House in downtown Brunswick is filled with artwork in almost every room. What if, during a cocktail party, a thief made off with a painting and hid it somewhere in town?
That’s the premise of Pejepscot History Center’s third annual Halloween weekend mystery event Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 26-28.
Following the sell-out success of 2021’s live “CLUE” game and 2022’s Séance Murder Mystery, this year’s Art Heist imagines a prohibition-era party interrupted by a burglary. Guests search for clues to determine where the thief has hidden the painting.
“The 1920s art heist concept fits in perfectly with our arts theme this year,” says PHC Director Larissa Vigue Picard. “No such event ever occurred in the house, but as in previous years, we’re using real family members and collection items as the basis of an imaginative game. Plus, the family was very clever with their hiding places when it came to prohibition!”
Attendees will see those hiding places and other spaces not normally on display during the 90-minute event. Each of five sessions — Thursday at 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. — is limited to 24 participants.
Guests enter the house by secret password — common in speakeasies of the time — to enjoy themed canapes, cocktails, and mocktails. Once game play begins, guests move throughout the filled rooms of the house to search for clues within the artwork. Period costumes are encouraged but optional.
“We’ve had so much fun with these mystery parties the past couple of years,” says Vigue Picard. “They have sold out fast and many of the guests have really gotten into the experience — dressing the part, enjoying the theatricality of it all. It’s a great way to show off an incredible historic property.”
In the adjacent PHC Museum and Research Center, attendees can enjoy the exhibits “Eye of the Beholder: Seeing Art Anew” and “Artful: The Creative Life of Eugenie Skolfield Whittier” after solving the mystery.
Tickets are $30 each or $50 for two and can be purchased online at pejepscothistorical.org/special-events/ or by calling 729-6606.
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