Design Wire July 2025
Fourteen Maine artists were selected for CREATIVE PORTLAND’s eighth juried art exhibition, Acceptance, which opened in May and will run through April 2026. The show represents a diverse group of established and emerging artists from Portland, Falmouth, Saco, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook and features a variety of paintings, photography, prints, drawings, and two-dimensional mixed-media work for sale. Creative Portland executive director Dinah Minot, who acted as a juror and helped narrow down the 110 submissions, noted that “there were many artists who submitted that I’ve never seen or heard of before. The selection process was rewarding, even though we didn’t initially have alignment in our choices. It was fascinating to hear everybody’s perspective and to find common ground and excitement with the final results.”
DEVELOPERS COLLABORATIVE and DUCAS CONSTRUCTION recently completed the renovation of a 1929 brick building on Forest Avenue, creating 38 apartments and 12,000 square feet of commercial space. Known as RUMERY LOFTS, the building contains a mix of studio and one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 415 to 1,000 square feet, along with 42 underground parking spaces. Ten units are reserved for affordable housing. The $16 million rebuild is part of a block of five close buildings purchased by Developers Collaborative in 2022, the rest of which will likely remain commercial structures.
An initiative to use innovative fishing gear known as ropeless or on-demand gear is growing in popularity in an effort to protect North Atlantic right whales. Maine’s DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES is offering compensation to lobstermen who are willing to test out and provide feedback on the new technology, which uses acoustic signals to locate and release traps on the ocean floor rather than floating a buoy at the surface connected to a long vertical line that can pose a threat to swimming animals. While some fishermen express concerns about the cost and practicality of the new gear, others see it as a necessary adaptation to ensure both the sustainability of the lobster industry and the protection of endangered whales.
PORTLAND YACHT SERVICES (PYS) is working with KEELEY CONSTRUCTION of South Portland to construct its eighth and largest service building at 100 West Commercial Street. The 45,000-square-foot facility, which will consist of two connecting buildings, will provide additional space for the company’s servicing of recreational and commercial power and sailboats. “We have a high weekly turnover of outboard service,” Jason Curtis, vice president of operations, told MaineBiz. “We work on everything from 2.5 horsepower to 330 tons.” PYS, which was started by Joanna and Phineas Sprague in 1987, also recently acquired the family-friendly PORTLAND BOAT SHOW, held in late February at the PORTLAND SPORTS COMPLEX.
Canadian multidisciplinary practice DIALOG DESIGN is making highways safer for drivers and animals through innovative wildlife overpass design. In partnership with ALBERTA TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC CORRIDORS, Dialog developed the award-winning BOW VALLEY GAP WILDLIFE OVERPASS across six lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway, one of the busiest stretches of roadway in the province that acts as a key access point to the Canadian Rockies. The wildlife overpass structure consists of twin corrugated steel plate arches, one over each direction of travel on Highway 1, supported by cast-in-place concrete footings and backfilled with gravel. A thick layer of clay and topsoil provides the opportunity for naturalized landscaping on top of the structure. According to Dialog, the overpass location “was selected based on traditional migration patterns, and the design responds to the topography and local ecology of the surroundings to integrate it into the landscape in a manner that is sensitive and thoughtful.”
The ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF MAINE (AGC MAINE) recognized five construction companies and their employees with the announcement of the 2025 BUILD MAINE AWARDS. Winners were selected through a competitive, confidential process by representatives of design, engineering, construction, and owner perspectives. Criteria include safety, innovation, construction techniques/materials, contribution to the community, meeting the challenge of a difficult job, environmental sensitivity, responsiveness to client needs, and customer satisfaction. In the Building Division, TURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY was recognized for the MALONE FAMILY TOWER project at MAINE MEDICAL CENTER, which features a striking facade and seven-story atrium. CONSIGLI CONSTRUCTION COMPANY won honors in the Building Renovation Division for its THOMPSON BLOCK project, which sets a new standard for the adaptive reuse of landmark properties in Maine. The BACK COVE SOUTH STORAGE FACILITY by N.S. GILES won the Specialty/Subcontractor Division for maintaining top-tier quality and an unwavering commitment to safety. REED & REED’s MADAWASKA INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE won the Bridge Division and acts as a symbol of Maine’s commitment to building critical infrastructure that connects people, economies, and cultures across borders. The Overall Project of the Year is WRIGHT-RYAN CONSTRUCTION’s TEKAKAPIMəK CONTACT STATION at KATAHDIN WOODS AND WATERS NATIONAL MONUMENT, which exemplifies excellence in sustainable construction, cultural significance, and community impact while setting a new standard for environmentally responsible construction and fostering a deeper connection between visitors and Wabanaki culture.
VIRGINIA TECH assistant professor of industrial design YOON JUNG CHOI led a team of researchers in developing a student-friendly, SUSTAINABLE ART PAINTING TOOLKIT that converts compost into watercolor paint. The three-step process consists of sorting food scraps into color-coded bins, extracting the pigments using a device similar to a French coffee press, and mixing pigments with gum arabic (a thickener) to create usable paint. “By reframing discarded fruits and vegetables as a valuable resource, we offer a sustainable alternative to conventional paints while empowering students to think critically about waste and sustainability,” the team told Dezeen. “Blending design, science, and education, this initiative empowers students to be active participants in shaping a more circular, resourceful future.”
Rockland’s FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM recently unveiled a new mural by renowned artist, writer, and naturalist JAMES PROSEK that will be on display until May 2027. Entitled Gulf of Maine Pictographs No. 1, the mural replaces an existing piece by local artists RYAN ADAMS and RACHEL GLORIA ADAMS on the museum’s Elm Street exterior wall. Prosek’s 90-foot mural focuses on the dynamic exchange of life and biomass between land and sea, featuring large-scale silhouettes of organisms that inhabit the Gulf of Maine. “James Prosek’s art has a remarkable ability to bridge the realms of art, science, and the natural world,” said chief curator Jaime DeSimone. “This project offers a powerful reflection on the natural world and the intricate relationships within Maine’s ecosystems.”