The free, interactive exhibition invites visitors to experience Maine’s coast through sound, sight, taste, and touch
CONTRIBUTED STORY | Art of Biddeford
Art of Biddeford, a program of Heart of Biddeford, will present Sensing the Coast: An Art-Science Collaboration, a free exhibition that transforms scientific observations of Maine’s coast into immersive artistic experiences. The exhibition will be on view July 10–30, in Building 13 of the Pepperell Mill Campus.
The exhibition opens Friday, July 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. with beverages and refreshments from Nibblesford and short presentations at a storytelling “Collider” by participating artists and scientists from 7 to 8 p.m.
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Drawing on scientific data collected from locations across the Maine coast, Sensing the Coast invites visitors to explore coastal environments through sound, sight, taste, and touch. Contemporary artworks, drone photography, and community-based projects offer new ways to engage with the landscapes and waterways that shape life in Maine.
Visitors will encounter artwork inspired by ocean temperatures, wind patterns, estuary conditions, and coastal observation, while also viewing drone photography documenting Biddeford’s changing shoreline. The exhibition includes contributions from students and faculty at the University of Maine and the University of New England, alongside community partners in Biddeford.
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“Sensing the Coast creates an opportunity for people to experience science in a way that is engaging, accessible, and rooted in this place,” said Larry Weyand, program director of Art of Biddeford. “Whether you’re interested in art, science, Maine’s coastline, or simply community connection, there’s something here that invites curiosity and conversation.”
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Exhibition space has been generously provided by Pepperell Mill Campus developer Todd Finard of Core Finard.
For more information, please visit artofbiddeford.org/sensingthecoast
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION | Sensing the Coast originated through a collaboration between students in the University of Maine’s School of Earth and Climate Sciences and School of Marine Sciences and graduate students in the Intermedia course Data Translation, taught by artist and educator Lindsey French. Scientific datasets from locations across the Maine coast were translated into artistic works that make environmental information more accessible and experiential.
The project has since expanded to include faculty and students from the University of New England, community climate engagement efforts, the city of Biddeford’s Public Art and Sustainability Commissions, Heart of Biddeford and Art of Biddeford.
Funding for the project is supported by a University of Maine Arts Initiative Seed Grant and the Student Community Outreach Program Experience through the University of Maine College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. University of Maine science students’ participation is supported by the Maine Space Grant Consortium and the Maine SMART project through the National Science Foundation. Contributions from the University of New England are supported by the Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Fund and the University of New England.
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