The Art of Memoir: A Conversation

Orcas Island Library 500 Rose Street, Eastsound, WA, United States

Join writers Edee Kulper and John Ashenhurst as they discuss their process writing memoirs of their time in the San Juan Islands. We’ll also explore the journals of Rachel Adams, a Crane and Orcas Islander who kept a daily journal for thirty years chronicling daily life. The Library is happily partnering with the Orcas Island […]

Silenced No More: Island Voices Near and Far

Join the Orcas Island Historical Museums, in collaboration with the Orcas Island Library and Orcas Pride, for this LGBTQ+ story-sharing event. We will be highlighting a few historical figures in Island history, as well as encouraging attendees to submit their own stories and experiences about Orcas Island and their own sense of community and belonging. […]

Opening Reception: Madrona Point Insights

Opening reception at the Orcas Center for Peter C. Fisher's exhibit, Madrona Point Insights. Friday, May 23rd. 5:30-7:00pm. Madrona Point is an ancestral burial ground for Lummi people, and there are three white and mixed blood cemeteries there. This exhibit celebrates the beauty of this sacred site and honors our spiritual connection to the past.

Presentation: Development or Preservation?

Development or Preservation? How the Orcas and Lummi Community joined together to Save Madrona Point. Presentation by OIHM Board President, Peter C. Fisher, at the Orcas Center on Saturday, June 7th, 2pm. Admission is free, with any donations gifted to the Orcas Island Historical Museums.

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Michelle Hassebrock

Program Administrator

Michelle grew up in Whatcom County and has lived on Orcas Island since 2020. In the spring of 2022, she joined the Museums as a weekly docent. Within a year, Michelle decided to bite the bullet and become a full-time staff member. She now works as the Program Administrator, and is currently working on revitalizing the Oral History Project and designing new exhibits.

Debbie Durand

Museum Administrator

An Orcas resident since 2017, Debbie has family ties to what feels like half of Olga and beyond. She teases she knows more of her husband’s family history than he does. Debbie is our museum admin, but also bookkeeper for many island businesses, and treasurer to several non-profits beyond the park. 

Nancy Stillger

Executive Director

Nancy has lived on Orcas since 2020 coming here as an empty nester with her avid sailor husband. Nancy is New Mexico born, raised in Singapore and then has had many other stints up and down the West Coast. She has over 30 years in the non-profit industry always working in the areas of arts, culture, literature and heritage. She has a BA degree in Economics from Scripps College and a MA in Urban Planning from UCLA with an emphasis on the history of the built environment.