Lightship Basket Museum welcomes new director
BY MARY LANCASTER
As the new year dawns, there are several other new things in Albert L’Etoile’s life: a new community to join, a new job and a recent new addition to his animal menagerie — Portia Mae, a pot-bellied pig.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent L’Etoile: “I think it’s a great little museum — a bit of a gem that for some is undiscovered. I’d like more people to know about it, and that’s kind of my personal goal in the position.”

Today marks L’Etoile’s first day as the Executive Director of Nantucket’s Lightship Basket Museum, now in its seventh season. L’Etoile succeeds Sheryll Reichwein, who was director for 18 months but left to run an inn on the Cape.

“We are thrilled to have Albert join the management team of the Lightship Basket Museum,” said Barbara Medaugh, the museum’s board president. “Albert’s appreciation of art and his background in all aspects of community relations make him a very valuable member of the team.”

L’Etoile, who is a potter, grew up in Chatham but had not visited Nantucket until a year ago. He earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Syracuse University, and after graduation in 1985 he returned to the Cape and began working in a residential setting for adults with mental retardation. That led him to a position with a nursing home affiliated with Cape Cod Hospital where he started as activities director and advanced to director of marketing.

For eight years, L’Etoile was employed at Chatham’s Liberty Commons and spent two years as its marketing director before relocating to Brooks, Maine and becoming marketing director for Harbor Hill, an assisted living and rehabilitation facility which also had a long-term care component. Though he enjoyed his work in the health care field, he found he was missing time he wanted to devote to his clay and just being connected in general with the arts.

L’Etoile said he learned of the basket museum opening on the Internet as well as through an island friend, and thought it sounded like the ideal life change.

“When I came upon this job I thought how perfect to be involved with a craft, but not only that, I would be able to couple that with my experience with marketing and fundraising,” he said.

L’Etoile already knew of lightship baskets from spending the majority of his time in New England, but once he began researching them in earnest he became intrigued by their historical importance and the dedicated abilities of their makers.

“It’s something that grows on me more and more the more I find out about it,” he said. “What is exciting me about the whole opportunity is the way I think about the Lightship Basket Museum. It is only seven years old and this is the next step.”

L’Etoile said he has some ideas for new museum concepts but needs time to develop them while he carries out the board’s goals to expand community programs and children’s classes.

“I think it’s a great little museum — a bit of a gem that for some is undiscovered,” he said. “I’d like more people to know about it, and that’s kind of my personal goal in the position.”

L’Etoile wants to continue his pottery once he has a studio environment established on Nantucket, but also likes writing, cooking, hiking and walking and movies. He moved to the island last week with his 13-year-old beagle, Beatrice, cats Henry and Ruth, and Portia Mae, who has already achieved attention.

“I took my first trip with her to Geronimo’s on Friday and she caused quite a stir,” he said. “She loves walking on a leash, so I’m sure she will be spotted on the street from time to time.”

I