Stillwater River Project No. 1
Artist: Concept, Allison McCleary; Director/Coordinator, Charles Shepard III; Construction, other UMaine art students and Penobscot Job Corps students
Stillwater River Riverside Recreation Area, north of the Steam Plant Parking Lot, College Avenue
Visible in all seasons (unless the snow is really deep) are mysterious posts rising out of the ground and circling earthen mounds. What you see, in fact, is a carefully planned artistic arrangement of railroad ties and earthworks. It was created in 1982 by students in the advanced sculpture class under the supervision of (now) professor emerita of art Deborah de Moulpied, whose own work can be found on campus. The concept for this environmental sculpture was influenced by McCleary’s observation of Native American burial mounds. The sculpture is a testament to student creativity and construction skill.