History Gathering Stones is a collection of six large sculpted stone groupings by Maine artist Jesse Salisbury, arranged for interaction and social gathering. The artwork is located at Fish Point along Portland’s Eastern Promenade Trail and was originally commissioned as a temporary art installation by TEMPOArt, a non-profit arts organization based in Portland, Maine. The… Read more »
Pinecone
History Pinecone is a sculpture made of salvaged steel shovels by Maine artist Patrick Plourde, located in Deering Oaks Park and accepted as a gift to the public art permanent collection to honor Alice Spencer, founder of TEMPOArt, a non-profit arts organization based in Portland, Maine, for her public art support and leadership in Portland…. Read more »
Passing the torch
History Passing the Torch is a collection of three illuminated bronze sculpture mounted on Maine granite by artist, Mark Pettegrow. The artwork contributes as a visual gateway into Portland, located within the Deering Avenue Roundabout that was completed in 2021. Artist statement The lighted torch has come to symbolize “the light of spirit, knowledge, and… Read more »
Fresh Milk, 1911
Story #16: On this spot in 1911 mothers could pick up fresh milk for their babies. The Portland Civic Club (now the Woodfords Club), with some funding from the Portland Board of Health, operated an infant milk station and free dispensary in the basement of this building from 1911 to 1918. The purpose was to reduce infant… Read more »
More people than you know get sober, everyday
Story #15: On this spot every day more people than you know get sober. The Milestone Foundation supports people facing addiction and homelessness in Maine. Milestone operates the only homeless shelter that admits individuals under the influence of alcohol or other drugs in the state of Maine. Milestone runs a detox program and hosts regular… Read more »
A Neighborhood was Lost
Story #12: On this spot in 1967 a neighborhood was lost. Originally the India Street neighborhood extended beyond what is now known as the Franklin Arterial. Homes lined small streets where you now see one prominent throughway. It was argued that Portland needed a wider street system that could accommodate traffic. You can see the… Read more »
First Jewish Wedding, 1872
Story #10: On this spot in 1872, the first Jewish wedding in Portland took place. India Street is a historically Jewish neighborhood. In a conversation with Rabbi Gary at Etz Chaim, we learned that the first Jewish wedding took place in the neighborhood. It took a bit of sleuthing to figure out the exact location—the… Read more »
Heather Stood Up, 2009
Story # 30: On this spot in 2009 Heather stood up for what she believed in. Heather Tanguay used to attend church at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Heather also believes all people should have the right to marry. One day at church in 2009 Heather’s bishop said that gay marriage was a threat… Read more »
Rabbi Harry Sky Brought Jews without Borders, 2004
Story #29: On this spot in 2004, Rabbi Harry Sky brought Jews Without Borders to Congregation Etz Chaim. Rabbi Harry Sky is someone you want to meet. He’s an activist, a rebel, and in the words of his mother “a rascal”. Rabbi Sky gave 50 years of service to Portland, Maine. He’s the kinda person… Read more »
A Woman Felt Safe, 2025
Story #28: On this spot in 2025, a woman felt safe walking home alone. Hi Portland Brick, My hope for India Street – the stretch of road I walk every morning to work – is that it becomes safer and friendlier toward women. I’ve been harassed several times on India Street, and a block away… Read more »
Rocco Germani
Story #25: On this spot in 1936, Rocco Germani bought a house for his family of ten. My family has deep roots on India Street or “Little Italy” as we knew it. My 92 year old father is still living and has vivid memories of horse drawn deliveries, what business was in each storefront, etc. … Read more »
Replanting of the Neighborhood, 1988
Story #24: On this spot in 1988, Jay and George York inspired the replanting of the neighborhood. In 1988 I started my photography business in the then empty Lewis Garage on Federal Street. With my brother George York and our friend Armand Moreau we renovated and shared the end of the garage that abutted the… Read more »
William Wilberforce Ruby Threw Wet Blankets, 1866
Story #21: On this spot in 1866, William Wilberforce Ruby threw wet blankets on the roof saving the Abyssinian from burning. What you may not know is that The Abyssinian Meeting House was a cultural center in Portland, Maine. You may not know that it was a key player in The Underground Railroad. You also… Read more »
Chad Conley 21st Birthday, 2007
Story #13: On this spot Chad Conley celebrated his 21st birthday. Chad Conley grew up in Portland. His family has lived in the neighborhood for five generations. When Chad was twenty-one he worked long hours in the kitchen across the street at Hugo’s. He had just started dating a new person and he dreamed of… Read more »
Eden Wondered, 2014
Story 8: On this spot in 2014 Eden wondered if adolescence ever ends. During the fall of 2014 I collaborated on Portland Brick with a freshman seminar class at The Maine College of Art. Students did artist residencies in the neighborhood and collected research on the neighborhood’s history. The aim of this project is also… Read more »
Ringling Brothers
Story #6: On this spot in 1932, the Ringling Brothers marched their elephants up India St. In the 1900’s India Street was home to many Italian Americans. Louis Germani grew up in The India Street Neighborhood. He took me on a walking tour to share his memories. One that stuck out was watching the circus… Read more »
Free Clinic Open, 2011
Story #27: On this spot in 2011, The Free Clinic fought to remain open and continues to go strong today. We had a very momentous meeting on June 27, 2011. At that time, the head of Health and Human Services for the City of Portland (Doug Gardner) informed us that Mercy Hospital had ended their… Read more »
Harm Reduction Saves Lives, Everyday
Story #26: On this spot every day, harm reduction saves lives. The Portland Needle Exchange reduces the spread of blood-borne pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C by exchanging clean needles and supplies for used equipment at no cost. In addition, participants receive education on risk reduction, case management services, testing for HIV,… Read more »
Standing in a Swamp, 1775
Story #23: On this spot in 1775 you would be standing in a swamp. The India Street neighborhood is now at the center of town, but we wanted to peel back architectural layers to enable people to imagine this location’s past. At one point, cattle grazed up the hill from India Street. At one point… Read more »
Tony Played Craps, 1942
Story #22: On this spot Tony played his first game of craps. He was twelve years old. I met Tony when Marianne Reali and I crashed a closed poker game at The Italian Heritage Center. We walked into the room where a group of about ten men between the ages of seventy-something and ninety-something were… Read more »
Priscilla and Loretta’s Shoes, 1956
Story #20: On this spot in 1956, Priscilla and Loretta’s shoes could be heard click clacking on their way to church. Marianne Reali grew up in The India Street Neighborhood. One grandmother lived in the same building, another lived “within shouting distance”. Marianne’s parents were very strict. She and her sister were not allowed to… Read more »
Amato’s made 1,500 Sandwiches, 1930
Story #19: On this spot in 1930 Amato’s made 1,500 sandwiches a day. They cost 15 cents. Looking at India Street today, it can be hard to imagine that it was once a bustling working class neighborhood. Giovanni Amato started a a small sandwich cart on the nearby docks in 1902 that eventually became Amato’s… Read more »
Outdoor Market, 2019
Story #18: On this spot in 2019 there was an outdoor market like they do in Italy. Jeff Reali owns Reali Reality located at 129 Newbury Street. His mom grew up in the neighborhood. His father owns Amato’s. In collecting stories about the neighborhood, I asked Jeff what he wished for its future. Jeff remembers… Read more »
Tom Wrote the Next Great American Novel, 2020
Story #17: On this spot in 2020 Tom wrote the next great American novel. Tom is a regular at Coffee By Design. Every day he sits down to write his “morning pages” from The Artists Way either before or after work. Each day he writes and each day he throws away the entirety of what… Read more »
Jun Sing First Chinese Laundries, 1898
Story #14: On this spot in 1898 Jun Sing operated one of the first Chinese Laundries. Like many of Portland’s Chinese hand laundries, the ownership of the laundry at 60 India Street changed frequently during its short existence. Between its opening in 1898 and its closure in 1906 that laundry had three owners. Jun Sing opened it in 1898. … Read more »
Jordan’s Meats Opened, 1962
Story #11: On this spot in 1962, Jordan’s Meats opened its plant. The Jordan’s Meat Factory took up an entire block of The India Street Neighborhood. Many people associate it with the iconic red hot dog. When Jordan’s closed in 2004 almost three hundred people lost their jobs. The building remained standing. A number of… Read more »
Micucci’s Every Christmas
Story #9: On this spot every Christmas Micucci’s is packed with friends and family. Miccuci’s is a staple of The India Street Neighborhood. It’s an Italian grocery store frequented by many Portlanders. Ayumi interviewed the Micucci family to look for a way to celebrate the grocery store’s presence in the neighborhood. In the interview Mrs…. Read more »
Swimming in Broadcove, 1632
Story #7: On this spot in 1632, you would have been swimming in Broad Cove. Over time the physical features of The India Street neighborhood have changed. In the words of tour guide Jeane Boule, “you have to imagine looking out at the water and seeing ships. You have to imagine how loud it was… Read more »
1 Snowy Owl
Story #5: On this spot in 2014, one snowy owl took up residence. There are some stories about One India Street, the lone historic brick building that was the train station that was Mile 0.0 for the Grand Trunk RR which ran from that spot up to Canada. I got a job in 1999 working… Read more »
One of Portland’s First Streets
Story #4: On this spot in 1680, India Street became one of Portland’s first streets. The base of India Street was one of the first European settlements in Portland. Well actually, Portland wasn’t even Portland at that point. It was known as Falmouth. 1680 marks the construction of Fort Loyal. In the 1700 and 1800’s… Read more »
Abyssinian Meeting House, 1898
Story #3: On this spot in 1898 The Abyssinian Meeting House tragically lost a third of its members in a shipwreck. During the research phase of Portland Brick, Ayumi and I took a walking tour of Portland’s Freedom Trail with artist Daniel Minter. During the walk Daniel shared the story of the SS Portland. He… Read more »
Celebrate Becoming a U.S. Citizen, Every Year
Story #2: On this spot every year Ghassan Hassoon celebrates becoming a U.S. citizen. Ghassan Hassoon is twenty-one years old. He is studying to become a biochemist. Ghassan moved to Maine from Iraq. His first language is Arabic. On September 17th 2014 Ghassan became a U.S. citizen near the India Street Neighborhood. Since Ghassan received… Read more »
Wabanaki Land
Story #1: All of these spots are on Wabanaki Land. The first story of this project commemorates the longest standing human connection to Maine. Portland Brick would like to honor and acknowledge the first people of Maine, members of The Wabanaki Confederacy. Portland Brick appropriates the historical handle “on this spot” to commemorate significant moments… Read more »
Great Black Hawk
The Great Black Hawk is a bronze sculpture by Maine wildlife sculptor, David Smus. It is in commemoration of the rare appearance of a juvenile great black hawk in Portland, Maine in the early winter of 2018-2019. The juvenile hawk, native to Central and South America, arrived in Deering Oaks in November 2018 and immediately… Read more »
Luminous Arbor
In its simplest interpretation, Luminous Arbor is a light fixture. It is composed of a cluster of streetlights in keeping with familiar public lighting features. Here, however, the lights come to life. Rising from a single foundation, the light poles gradually diverge into individual intertwining paths . . . suggesting a tree, a swarm, or… Read more »
Figure
Over a lifetime, Don Meserve explored multiple themes in a variety of media and techniques. Best known for artworks carved in granite and basalt, he loved to demonstrate sculpting methods, particularly at the first international Schoodic Sculpture symposium where he completed a massive installation piece for the waterfront at Winter Harbor. Don also pursued liturgical… Read more »
Rabbit
Lise Becu is an intuitive artist who has been carving stone with an extraordinary sense of touch. Her stone carvings of humans, animals, and/or human-animal relationships are loving and at times, dream-like. Her sensual, spare, figurative forms evolve from found stones in ways that seem inevitable. Becu was born in the town of Chandler in… Read more »
Gyre Falcon
Andreas von Huene strives to create art that comes alive. The artist wants his medium itself to almost breathe life. He enjoys challenging himself to create different levels of imagination within each individual work. While he is continuously delighted to find new materials and skills to incorporate into his art practice, it is the wide… Read more »
Puffin
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Lion’s Head
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Portland Brick
What if…when someone walked down the street in Portland, they could encounter the stories that make this place so well loved? Portland Brick aims to highlight what is significant about Portland through the stories happening here. It aims to celebrate the layers of local culture by combining the past, present, and future memories of the… Read more »
Standing Bear
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Birdhouse Heads at Casco Bay High School
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Birdhouse Heads at Deering High School
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Birdhouse Heads at Portland High School
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Link
Jesse Salisbury’s Link series is a sculptural experiment of modular interlocking forms. The forms are carved and split from a single rectangular granite block and then the separated forms are moved around each other to form the finished sculpture arrangement. The result is a reductive sculpture larger than the original block with various forms possible depending on… Read more »
Acrobatic Dogs
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
Elephant
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »
A Spirit Of Its Own
A Spirit Of Its Own was inspired by Jay Sawyer’s close friend and mentor, David McLaughlin, also a welder/sculptor. McLaughlin passed away in 2010 and bequeathed to Sawyer his coveted collection of steel shear rings, used in the construction of the trusses in hangars at the Brunswick Naval Air Station. His hope was that Sawyer… Read more »
Playing Bears
Artist Bernard Langlais said of his native Maine, “I feel a sense of oneness with the state.” Langlais forged his early career in Europe and New York City, but his rustic sensibilities, desire to work more immediately with his hands, and to work on a larger scale brought him back to Maine in the late… Read more »