Gov. Mills, local artist unveil new sculpture outside Blaine House

AUGUSTA (WGME) – A sculpture of a pair of pinecones now sits outside the Blaine House in Augusta.

Governor Janet Mills and Maine artist Patrick Plourde unveiled the sculpture in Augusta Thursday.

The sculpture, called “Pinecone Pair with Tassel,” celebrates Maine’s natural landscape and working history.

To hold true to that legacy, it’s made of reclaimed hand tools.

“Many people don’t see the shovels. They see the pinecone. They see the shape, they see the silhouette. It’s not until they get up closer that they see it is made of shovels, and you can see in their eyes and their heads that there’s a connection being made to who used the shovel and why,” Plourde said.

The artwork was chosen through a statewide process and paid for with private donations.