Thompson’s Point in Portland once served as a hub for shipyard and rail traffic, but in recent years, it’s become a destination for art, music, culture, and community gatherings. It’s the connectivity with the community that inspired Northern Light Health to team up with Thompson’s Point and artists Ryan and Rachel Adams, who Down East Magazine dubbed the “first family of Portland art,” on three new murals at Thompson’s Point – two of these are collaborations between Ryan and Rachel, and one a new mural they’ve curated by artist Madison Poitrast-Upton. The partnership between Northern Light Health and Thompson’s Point also includes the creation of the Thompson’s Point ArtMap which will provide locations for and information about the various long term and rotating public-facing art installations at Thompson’s Point.
This initiative is a timely one for all of the participants. In recent years, the sense of loneliness and isolation has been on the rise. Through these public works of art, Northern Light Health is hoping to inspire community members to develop connections with the art, with one another, and with their own physical and mental wellbeing. Places like Thompson’s Point have helped people rediscover a sense of togetherness, and the two phrases featured in these pieces – Be here now and It’s a beautiful day when you’re with us – are encouraging people to be present. They serve as a reminder to cherish their time with friends and family, and to take care of themselves so that they can live a long, healthy life full of those moments.
My ‘gem’ style of work was developed through the study of letterforms and the layering techniques used in experimenting with spray paint to add shadows and highlights to create depth and movement throughout the pieces.
The backbone of the work is lettering, so this affords the opportunity to directly convey a statement or saying within the piece that is camouflaged within the bending and intertwining geometric shapes. I often try to take that opportunity to express a thought or bit of knowledge that draws from lessons learned from diverse array of life experiences. The fact that there is a statement masked within the piece adds a layer to the viewing experience in which the audience becomes directly involved in trying to decipher the message within the piece. This interactive and immersive viewing experience is shared with the Cubist and American Graffiti movements that heavily influence this style of work. The duality of the work, being viewed as a geometric abstraction while also including a direct statement, is exhibited in the naming of the ‘gem’ style. It alludes to the dimensional shapes reflecting the look of natural gemstones and also alludes to the slang term of ‘gems’ meaning an important piece of knowledge handed down through a witty statement.
Rachel Gloria Adams is a multidisciplinary artist living in Portland, ME. Adams has developed a vibrant, graphic pattern-based visual language filled with references to the natural world that posses an heirloom quality. Her work takes form by way of quilting, painting, design and large scale murals.
She moved to to Maine in 2005 to pursue her BFA from the Maine College of Art and Design. She has gone on to exhibit artwork at New Systems Laundry, George Marshall Store Gallery, Able Baker, Notch8, Alice Gauvin Gallery and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. She has attended residencies at Speedwell, Pace House and is an Indigo Arts Alliance David C Driscoll Fellow. In addition to her studio practice, Adams has been commissioned to create murals for several institutions including the Childrens Museum of Portland, University of Maine and the Farnsworth Museum. Rachel also serves as a board member for Space Gallery.
Jared Goulette was born and raised in the Green Mountains of Vermont and moved to Maine to attend The Maine College of Art in the heart of Portland. After graduating from MECA he began working full-time as a Professional Mural Painter and has since painted numerous murals in New England and over 80 murals in MAINE! From geometric to organic, Jared is creating completely custom, large-scale interior and exterior wall murals constantly. He uses a vibrant color palette of premium spray paint to create his artwork and often showcases a multitude of shadowing, highlight effects and more to push the dimension and realism of his paintings, murals, and digital designs.
“My Medium of choice is Molotow Premium spray paint. Spray paint isn't just spray-able paint. It's about the skill and finesse of controlling the can and the subtle application of pressure. It’s about the enjoyment of pushing tiny particles of vibrant pigment over a soft three-color fade or the simple beauty of a crisp outline, or intentional drip. Painting is a mental release for me personally. It is a chance to be taken on a journey by my creativity, to explore the endless possibilities.”
Madison Poitrast-Upton
@madison_poitrast_upton
Madison is a fashion and illustration artist located in Portland Maine. She received her BFA in Textile & Fashion Design from Maine College of Art (2020). Her undergrad thesis primarily focused on ethically designed performance wear for women. Having been a thespian herself for many years, she understood the dangers and lack of representation surrounding this demographic. Through her design work she has continued her path as a conscious member of the fashion industry. She currently works in the studio at @jillmcgowaninc, an apparel company focused on quality and comfortable women's wear and @loquatshop, a fashion and Design company focused on empowering BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people and causes through materials, collaborations, motifs and education.
Spenser Macleod
@leonardodevinci
Spenser Macleod is an illustrator and muralist in New England. He has developed a loose, flowy, illustrative style and line work that is uniquely all his own. His work draws inspiration from vintage pop culture cartoons and comics, resulting in scenes that are funny, kinetic and invoke a strange yet exciting flashback all at once.