Gulf of Maine and ECOARTS

The Bigelow Project

Gulf of Maine ECOARTS (GMEA) is an arts/science educational nonprofit focussing on changes in biodiversity in the Gulf of Maine due to human impact. The central focus of GMEA’s initial project – THE BIGELOW PROJECT – is the two year building of a collaborative sculpture installation of an ecosystem that will be hung and displayed in 2021/22 at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay. The sculpture, all made with 90% recycled/purposed materials, will be created by over 130 students – middle grades through college levels, and a team of 7 professional Maine artists. The project is designed as a work of art in itself – evolving from an original idea in one person’s brain into a collaborative working and planning community of about 200 students, teachers, artists, scientists, and advisors.

On Wednesday, April 29th, Gulf of Maine ECOARTS launched a special year-long online program. Each Wednesday we will POST an interview with some of the teachers, artists and scientists that are part of the Bigelow Project community.  The posts can be found on Gulf of Maine ECOARTS Facebook page, Instagram, our Youtube channel (other films there too) and soon – on the website.

The project has come a long way in a year and a half, and although the Coronavirus pandemic interruption of the Outreach branch of the project has shaken things up a bit, we’re making various readjustments and moving forward. The installation at Bigelow Lab is still slated for 2021, marine animals continue to be designed and built by the artists, the students will pick up where they left off in the fall, some of art and science teachers continue work this spring on a special project involving sculpture and science regarding threatened and endangered bird species in the Gulf of Maine.

You can follow this work on the projects FACEBOOK,, Instagram, and please help spread the word through social media platforms and tell your friends and colleagues.