Portland Region

This specialized gallery represents living artists who honor their cultural traditions. Located in an 1813 post and beam barn in the village of Kennebunkport, Home & Away features Inuit and Native American art and jewelry. The owner’s love of Inuit art began during a childhood trip to Canada, and he began collecting during a later trip to Alaska, and added to the collection over the years. His fascination with indigenous art led him to want to share the work with other collectors as well as members of the public who are not familiar with it. The gallery features the work of artists whose vision allows them to step beyond tradition into unexplored territory, continuing the evolution of their culture’s artwork that has taken place over hundreds or even thousands of years.

Address: 26 Maine St, Kennebunkport, ME 04046

Website: http://homeandaway.gallery

Inuit art photo courtesy to Home and Away Gallery, Kennebunkport.

Here you will find a unique combination of historically significant rare maps and outstanding Maine and New England collections, with a gallery featuring new exhibits every two years. The Osher Map Library’s vast collections include both print and manuscript maps and atlases relating to the founding of Maine, Massachusetts, New England, and coastal navigation; the second largest public historic globe collection in the nation; and a large number of rare to one-of-a-kind maps, including the first modern printed map from 1475, and the first cartographic images of the New World engraved by Sebastian Münster. The Osher Map Library also holds an extensive collection of maps of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as contemporary prints, diaries, and other items from the era of Arctic exploration.

Address: 314 Forest Ave., Portland, ME 04101

Website: http://oshermaps.org/

Image courtesy to the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, Portland.

Among its collections, the Maine Historical Society holds the archives of the Portland Company, an engineering firm and foundry incorporated in 1846. Known for both locomotive and marine work, the Portland Company continued as a formidable force in the field until the early 1970s. In 1904, Robert E. Peary contracted with the Portland Company to design and build a marine boiler for the Peary Arctic Club’s ship, SS Roosevelt. The Maine Historical Society houses the engineering drawings of Marine Boiler #257, Engine #93, and Scotch Boiler “For Peary Arctic Club”.

Address: 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

Website: https://www.mainehistory.org

Photo courtesy of Maine Historical Society.

A major Icelandic shipping company, Eimskip moved its US headquarters to Portland in 2013, providing a direct shipping link between Maine and the Arctic. Their offices are closed to the public, but you might catch a glimpse of one of their ships in the harbor—usually on a Thursday. Eimskip also sponsors charitable and cultural events in Portland.

Address: 460 Commercial St., Portland, ME 04101

Website: http://www.eimskip.com/

Photo courtesy of Corey Templeton and John Erlandsen.