IN THE CITY
by Thomas Stevens
The city of Presque Isle has received many positive comments from people throughout the community about the newly installed education-themed mural, located on Main Street in downtown Presque Isle, and we couldn’t be more pleased. I hope that if you have not seen the mural that will you take an opportunity to view it.
This mural, which depicts the city’s three educational institutions – the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College and SAD 1 – was created to assist in the city’s downtown revitalization efforts and was completed through the hard work and collaboration of many people. This was truly one of those projects that would not have been possible unless everyone worked together, for it was too large of a project for any one person or entity to bring together.
In addition to the educational entities, Key Bank, the Downtown Revitalization Committee and city officials worked together with 27 Sign Place and UMPI’s graphics team on this multi-month project. Creating a mural on a long wall was not an easy task.
The contributions of one of those individuals in particular was not mentioned in detail during the official unveiling or in the news stories that followed, but this project could not have been completed without his hard work.
Dick Harrison, UMPI’s coordinator of graphic design, photography and Web site, worked over the course of six months to bring the mural design from a draft stage to its final version, transforming a series of photos into a montage that stretches 104 feet in length. His time and labor served as an in-kind donation from the university for the project.
This project, and the hard work of all involved, is a testament to how a collaborative effort can produce an absolutely superb finished product that can be enjoyed by members of the community and visitors for years to come.
Those involved hope that this mural will provide creative ideas for future murals in our community and other communities in Aroostook County.
We all hope that everyone enjoys the mural for many years.
This article was submitted by Thomas Stevens, city manager. He can be reached at tstevens@presqueisleme.us.
