A special mural unveiling took place on May 3 at the Kenduskeag Pump Station on Washington Street in Bangor. Running from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Penobscot River Ecology Mural was the result of collaborative efforts between students at the University of Maine, Bangor and Brewer high schools and Bangor Beautiful, a local nonprofit organization. It was created to breathe new life into the downtown Bangor scenery, and provide information regarding local Penobscot wildlife.
Jill Fedarick, a PhD candidate at the UMaine Department for Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, was one of the leading forces behind the mural project. This past semester, Fedarick taught an Ecology course titled “Art in the Ecologies” to over 20 undergraduate students.
As part of her doctoral dissertation, Federick pitched the idea of a mural to Bangor Beautiful as a means to bring attention to Penobscot wildlife. With the approval of Intermedia Program Director Susan Smith, the project required further collaboration between Fedarick’s course and students in the Intermedia course, “Social Practices,” who helped in the mural’s design process.
Freshwater mussels were a primary focus in Fedarick’s dissertation, being featured prominently across the mural. Designs of mussels, such as the eastern elliptio and floater, in addition to a life cycle chart of the yellow lampmussel, were created with the extended help of students from Bangor and Brewer high schools.
On top of educating people on important Penobscot species, of which also included migratory fish, flies and various top predators, the mural also acknowledges the Abanaki names of Penobscot wildlife. Furthermore, it pays tribute to culturally important landmarks in the Penobscot region.
“This is probably one of the biggest collaborations between art and science at the University of Maine. It’s been a huge success, and ideally it would be great if we could repeat it in the future,” said Fedarick.
Bangor Beautiful President Annette Dodd has been involved in several projects that range from public art to planting trees and creating public trails in downtown Bangor. Having previously created ecology-centered murals spanning from Bangor to Rockland, Dodd was eager to work with UMaine students.
“I literally had an email drafted already to go to the art students. I was really trying to find a class that could work with me, and when Jill came to me and said ‘Let’s do this!’ We both agreed that getting Susan Smith on board was the way to go” said Dodd.
Alongside the unveiling included many conservation organizations in the Greater Bangor area. Dodd gave a special thanks to the many sponsors of the mural. Future projects are already in progress with Bangor Beautiful and Fields Pond Audubon Center partnering to create murals along the Family Dollar Retaining Wall on Broadway Street. The project will bring attention to native Maine birds and is scheduled for completion this fall.
With Fedarick and Dodd’s shared idea, UMaine’s collaboration with Bangor Beautiful helps to educate Mainers, spread awareness of Penobscot’s freshwater population and beautify downtown architecture. The collaborative efforts of the Penobscot River Ecology Mural marks another step in meaningful and informative mural designs that will be continued into the future.
