Mural at 645 Congress Street, just one block from the State Theatre, celebrates the community behind Hearts of Pine.
PORTLAND, Maine — The people who have helped make Hearts of Pine part of Portland are at the center of a new four-story mural now taking shape downtown.
Portland artist Ryan Adams has begun work on a large-scale Hearts of Pine mural at 645 Congress Street, bringing the energy of the club, its supporters and the city to one of downtown Portland’s most visible walls. The project was made possible through a collaboration between Portland Hearts of Pine, Portland Downtown and Jamey Gaston, owner of 645 Congress Street.
Hearts of Pine believes art has an inherent value in strengthening community, reflecting identity and creating a deeper sense of connection to place. Since the club’s earliest days, Hearts has looked for opportunities to support and collaborate with local artists and creatives in ways that extend beyond matchday. The new mural grew naturally from that approach.
“This is a very special moment for our club. This is Hearts of Pine’s first major public art installation, and it’s a direct celebration of the community that has embraced and uplifted this club,” said Josh Lane, Vice President of Marketing for Hearts of Pine. “We’re so grateful to Jamey for welcoming this giant community portrait to 645 Congress Street, to Portland Downtown for their incredible partnership, and of course to Ryan and his team.”
“While the portraits Ryan is painting are of fans in the stands at Fitzpatrick Stadium, this mural is intended to be a portrait of our community, and a celebration of the many ways in which this invitation to ‘lead with our hearts’ has rallied Portland and Maine around a shared love of the place we call home,” Lane said.
The project also depended on a property owner willing to turn a prominent downtown wall into something the entire community could experience.
“We’re very happy to be a part of this project,” said Jamey Gaston, owner of 645 Congress Street. “Hearts has built a phenomenal movement, and the energy they bring to the city made this an undeniable yes for us. We’d also had our eye on Ryan Adams for a while, so we were very happy when he joined the project. The team, the passion and the art all make this a fulfilling investment in our community. I hope it makes people love Portland even more.”
“I’ve collaborated with the Hearts of Pine on a few projects, and each and every time I feel honored to work with such a great team of people that shares my pride in my hometown and has brought so much positivity and good energy into the city,” said Adams.
Bringing a project of this scale to Congress Street carries particular meaning for the Portland native.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to paint some pretty large pieces over the years, so this is not my largest. Although, being the proud townie that I am, having a massive piece downtown on Congress St is indescribable,” Adams said. “The younger, graffiti-obsessed kid that I once was wouldn’t believe this is a real thing. I’m trying not to go too far down that lane until it’s complete, but there are a lot of connections to this act in this particular location that really mean a lot to me.”
Adams uses a VR headset as part of his process to scale the linework to the wall before blocking in colors, blends, cuts and fades with spray paint. The work begins well before paint reaches the building, with weeks spent preparing reference images, selecting colors, estimating paint quantities, coordinating lifts and wall preparation, and making sure the design will remain readable at scale.
“One of the things we talk about a lot at Portland Downtown is ‘turning details into delights,’” said Cary Tyson of Portland Downtown. “Taking a once-blank wall and turning it into a celebration of both community and the thing that brings community together, the beautiful game, is the epitome of turning what was once a detail into an incredible delight. Few things have brought our community together more in recent years than Hearts of Pine. We’ve seen this with our World Cup Watch Parties in Monument Square. Now we’ll get to see it every day in the Arts District. Partnering with Ryan, Hearts and Jamey to make this happen is a thrill.”
The mural will continue taking shape over the next week at 645 Congress Street, giving the community a chance to watch Adams at work as one of downtown Portland’s newest pieces of public art comes to life.
Adams expects the project to be finished on September 24, with a community gathering at 2:00PM-3:00PM at 645 Congress Street to mark its completion. Supporters and community members are invited to see the finished piece and join Hearts of Pine, Adams and project partners for the occasion.