{"id":835801,"date":"2026-07-31T14:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T14:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/835801\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T14:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T14:31:10","slug":"this-maine-artist-is-bringing-morse-code-to-the-old-port","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/835801\/","title":{"rendered":"This Maine artist is bringing Morse code to the Old Port"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\tJosh Brill at the site of his art installation in the Old Port (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Becker\/Longfellow Communications)<\/p>\n

PORTLAND \u2013 Though artist Josh Brill has lived in the Old Port for about 17 years, his first public art installation in Portland will be appearing this summer.<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional public art like a sculpture or mural painted on a building, Brill\u2019s piece will include art spread across the vertical surfaces of two stairways, guiding pedestrians through the Old Port using Morse code.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brill said that working on an art piece in the area was both meaningful and convenient.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is so close to my house,\u201d he said. \u201cI go up these stairs all the time.\u201d <\/p>\n

When Brill heard about the open call by Old Port Square and local nonprofit TEMPOart, he felt inspired to apply in part because of the challenge of designing on stairs. He thought that a repeating abstract pattern would work well, but Morse code would be more interesting and thought-provoking. Morse code also has a history in Maine, where it was used nautically until the late \u201990s. The art piece, set to be installed later this summer, will be featured in the Old Port for approximately two years, depending on how the vinyl holds up to the weather and foot traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t TEMPOart\u2019s first art installation. The nonprofit, which was founded ten years ago, has commissioned several other temporary public artworks<\/a> throughout Portland. Last year, they began a collaboration with Old Port Square, a project by real estate business East Brown Cow and design firm Safdie Architects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think temporary art can be really exciting because it changes our shared landscape, our community\u2019s shared landscape for a brief moment in time, right?\u201d said TEMPOart executive director Laura McDermit. \u201cSo it provides this moment of excitement and interest and then also gives additional artists opportunities to then also reimagine the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Josh Brill at the site of his art installation in the Old Port (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Becker\/Longfellow Communications)<\/p>\n

McDermit said that Brill\u2019s Portland roots appealed to TEMPOart, as did his vision of telling a navigational story through Morse code.<\/p>\n

Brill has designed<\/a> for prominent brands like Nike, Lowe\u2019s, and Petco. His art and design label, Lumadessa, features geometric illustrations of flora and fauna.<\/p>\n

Brill\u2019s artwork in Old Port will be divided into three narrative phases \u2013 including two murals, wrapped lamp posts, and the stairs \u2013 all of which involve QR codes that will help guide the viewer through an immersive experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As pedestrians climb the stairs, the narrative arc of the artwork will be resolved.<\/p>\n

Brill said that he wanted to keep the resolution of the story a secret, but that it offers perspective to the Old Port\u2019s current community by contrasting it with its history. The narrative is open-ended and invites viewers to reflect on the community and history of the Old Port themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jacob Soley, who is the director of development at East Brown Cow, one of the organizations behind\u00a0Old Port Square, said that he, like McDermit, appreciated Brill\u2019s ties to the region.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is someone that knows this site and has seen the evolution of Old Port Square,\u201d said Soley.<\/p>\n

Brill said that part of the history of the Old Port that he found especially compelling was the Great Fire of 1866.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything got rebuilt in two years. And you had to have come together as a community. Everybody helping out everybody to make this a thing. While you\u2019re probably bringing outside people, you\u2019re helping your neighbor. You\u2019re doing what it takes. It\u2019s really galvanizing it through the struggles and trying to make something better coming from that tragedy,\u201d said Brill.<\/p>\n

Though a project based on history must include tragedies like the Great Fire, Brill said that he also wants to show the positive parts of the Old Port\u2019s history as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also like the idea of just showing something that grows and is ever-changing,\u201d said Brill, adding that viewing the ups and down in history and the present day can allow us to think of the city and our own lives with more perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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