Portland Museum of Art - April 24

Observations and Reactions:

            I had visited the Portland Museum of Art about a dozen times. Most of the visits were school fieldtrips. One visit was for an Art History class (Professor Virginia Goodlett: super awesome teacher). I’m not an art type of guy but I’ve always enjoyed visiting the museum. Cubism and landscape art are my two favorite types of art and the museum has plenty of that, even a Picasso. In my visit for Art History I had to write a formal analysis paper. From this paper I came to an understanding that History and Art History are not the same thing. The grade I got on the paper proves it. Other than an average grade on my paper I also received an understanding of what art and Art History are. They are definitely not spatters of paint that seven year-olds can do.

            At the visit to the museum for our History of Maine class I focused on the art of Maine. Obviously, I enjoyed the section dedicated to Winslow Homer and his painting in the Maine Marines section. My favorite painting of all time, also studied in my Art History class, was by Frederick Edwin Church. During class and during the visit to the museum I learned that Maine has way more art than I had thought before. What I also learned was that these artists, and authors, attracted people to Maine as a vacation away from the busy city life.

Historical Background:

            The Portland Museum of Art was founded in 1882 originally as the Portland Society of Art. It acquired the McLellan House in 1908. The museum has gradually grown since its creation and has acquired a significant amount of Maine art. Maine art at the museum included that of Winslow Homer, Marsden Hartley, Rockwell Kent, John Marin, and Andrew Wyeth. The museum has obtained different collections about Maine and European art from different donors.

            The museum has also made a tremendous effort to maintain and expand its collection. In 2000 the museum started a fundraiser to reopen the MecLellan House and the L. D. M. Sweat Memorial Galleries. The result of this effort was the joining of the two buildings and the “restoration of the neoclassical elegance” to the MecLellan House. In addition to restoring and preserving, the museum wants to further its value for educational and interpretational uses. In 2007 the Museum purchased Winslow Homer’s studio and home on Prouts Neck. Other buildings are also being purchased and restored in the Portland area in order to expand its collection.

            “Currently the Museum is visited by 150,000 visitors a year, approximately 10,000 of whom are school children. Museum membership is at an all-time high of 8,000 members and continues to grow. Now and into the future, the Museum is committed to serving as a dynamic center for the visual arts and strives to be an essential resource for the people of Maine and New England.”

http://www.portlandmuseum.org/about/facts.shtml

Sorry about not having pictures. I forgot. But you saw me! 

LL Bean April 2

Observations and Reactions:

            I had not visited LL Bean in a while. As soon as I arrived I remembered how cool it was. As a kid my parents would take me there to get their winter clothing. It looks the same as it did eight years ago. The employees are very friendly and the shoppers and tourists seemed to be in a good mood despite the weather. The items in the stores, along with the displays, are clearly superior to a lot of other brands. Even Subaru had an LL Bean edition car. What surprised me the most was how big the entire campus was. I forgot that there were about five buildings in total (including the huge corporate office down the road). Everything was in great condition and there were signs everywhere telling you what things were or how things got that way. The surrounding area was nice, the restaurants and stores were relatively empty. I suspect that will change when the warm weather arrives.

The Goon Squad.

Goons in their unnatural habitat. I mean fish.

The fish pond I think of every time I think of LL Bean

Serious business canoe.

Maine Signs

Mr. Bean

Historical Background:

            Leon Leonwood Bean invented the Maine Hunting shoe in 1911. In 1912 he opened started his family business. Originally, the store sold only by mail order but that soon changed. Bean counted on customer satisfaction as a form of success and advertisement. In the 1920s the automobile made Freeport more accessible to tourists and the business expanded. A large part of Bean’s success was due to his personality as his grandson states:

The most important legacy of L.L.'s genius was the power of his personality.It transcended the buying and selling of products. His personal charisma based on down-home honesty, a true love for the outdoors and a genuine enthusiasm for people, inspired all who worked for him and attracted a fanatic loyalty among his customers (Pp. 3).

            Again, means of travel made it easier to go to Freeport as the interstate highway system expanded. When Leon Leonwood Bean passed away in 1967 and his grandson took charge, the company underwent a change. He built the corporate offices down the road and modernized the way LL Bean did business (Pp.4). With the invention of the credit card the business continued to expand. Since 1988 LL Bean has increased the number of stores it has significantly. Its first store outside of Maine went to Virginia in 2000. It currently has fourteen stores outside of Maine and it even has a store in Japan. The internet also played a role in the company’s expansion allowing more people to access the store.

            LL Bean has created a company that is associated with Maine. I think, when people think of Maine they think of three things: Lobsters, almost Canadian accents, and LL Bean. Freeport is also an example of Maine’s tourist economy. During the summer the entire area of down town Freeport is filled with tourists. Even in the colder months when there are not that many tourists, those ‘from away’ can still access the iconic Maine brand with the internet.