Rising from the Rails

The story that inspired the Saco Transportation murals appears in "Rising from the Rails", by Larry Tye, chapter 5! There are many good resources for learning more about the important history of the Pullman Porters. You can start learning more

about them by watching these videos available online: “Miles of Smiles,Years of Struggle” “The Road Taken” “Ordinary Men,Extraordinary History"

STEAM for transportation history!

 A big thanks to the Sedgwick Elementary School students and their teacher,

jeweler Sarah Doremus for acting as "testers" on a cardboard cable car model project I designed for the Seashore Trolley Museum.  They did a spectacular job and I really appreciate their feedback.

Pullman Porter story mural installed!

We were finally able to install the two mural panes created by students in the APEX afterschool program.They illustrate a true story about some white children playing baseball in a field in Freeport in 1918. One of the boys hit a fly ball that happened to coincide with a train enroute to Halifax,Nova Scotia.A tall black Pullman Porter standing in the vestibule caught the ball and that started a relationship between a group of young,white children and possibly the only black man they ever met. Stop by and see the murals! On view from the Train platform 24/7. Thanks to the City of Saco for supporting this installation! and to Andrew Dickinson for these photographs.

 I'm really excited to be sending a Gear to the RUINS PROJECT https://ruins.sagermosaics.com/as part of a member collaboration with the New England Mosaic Society. All of our Gears will be displayed on a wall of the project with others from around the country and around the world.

Images to come.....

 Planning for summer 2021 and hope to be in person for small groups!

Current projects:

Arts Integration 2021

February

Installation mural project on the history of the Pullman Porters for Black Heritage Month.

June

Legacy Exhibition on the Life and Career of Maine jeweler Peggy Johnson who died in August.

In collaboration with the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk. The exhibition is aimed at establishing a scholarship fund for Maine jewelers and metalsmiths (TBD) and an archive in Maine for the records of Maine artisans.

 We are pivoting to finish four to six more mosaics for this Arts Integration Residency with Saco Middle School students. We were interrupted by Covid 19 in March. On October 4th, teacher Alison Crofton-MacDonald and I presented virtually about our experience for the Annual Meeting of the New England Mosaic Society.

Students are receiving mosaic materials individually.  They will be given adhesive mesh cut to fit the empty areas.They can assemble the remaining patterns remotely--according to their drawings-- and then these sections will be installed and grouted on the wheels by Alison and myself.

Three are done!  Seven more coming in the Fall!  Stay tuned....