Hopeful at Bates Mill No. 5 Weave Shed: The Intersection of Public Art and Industrial Heritage

The illuminated Hopeful sign on the exterior of Bates Mill No. 5 in Lewiston, Maine, has become one of the city's most recognizable public artworks. Created by Maine artist Charlie Hewitt and installed in 2019, the large-scale LED sculpture transforms a historic industrial building into a contemporary symbol of resilience and optimism. Situated on a former textile mill that once powered Lewiston's economy, the installation connects the city's industrial heritage with its ongoing economic and cultural revitalization. More than an artistic landmark, Hopeful reflects the power of public art to shape civic identity and inspire community during periods of change.¹

The Bates Mill complex occupies a central place in Lewiston's history. Established in the mid-nineteenth century, the mills became one of New England's largest textile manufacturing operations and attracted thousands of workers, including immigrants from Canada, Ireland, and later many other parts of the world.² Like many industrial communities in the Northeast, Lewiston experienced economic decline during the second half of the twentieth century as textile production moved elsewhere. Although many mill buildings survived, they required new purposes through redevelopment and adaptive reuse.³

Charlie Hewitt's installation recognizes this history while looking toward the future. Hewitt, who grew up in Lewiston, developed the Hopeful series to encourage optimism and civic engagement. Inspired by vintage American marquee signs, the artwork uses a single illuminated word to invite reflection rather than prescribe a specific interpretation.⁴

The placement of Hopeful on Bates Mill No. 5 is central to its meaning. The historic brick mill represents Lewiston's industrial past, while the illuminated sign symbolizes renewal and confidence in the city's future. As the former textile complex has been transformed into offices, educational facilities, housing, and commercial space, the artwork reinforces the relationship between historic preservation and economic redevelopment.⁵

Installed following approval by the Lewiston City Council in late 2019, the approximately thirty-foot-wide LED sign quickly became an iconic element of the city's skyline. During the COVID-19 pandemic and following the October 2023 Lewiston mass shooting, many residents viewed the installation as a visible reminder of resilience, solidarity, and hope.⁶

Footnotes

1. Portland Press Herald, "Artist Charlie Hewitt Brings 'Hopeful' to Lewiston," December 2019.

2. Bates Mill Redevelopment Company, History of Bates Mill, accessed July 30, 2026.

3. Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., Maine's Visible Black History: The First Chronicle of Its People (Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House Publishers, 2020).

4. Charlie Hewitt, Hopeful, Charlie Hewitt Studio, accessed July 30, 2026.

5. Portland Press Herald, "Lewiston City Council Gives Informal Approval to 'Hopeful' Artwork," December 11, 2019.

6. Portland Press Herald, "Maine Voices Live with Artist Charlie Hewitt," January 30, 2025.

Bibliography

Bates Mill Redevelopment Company. History of Bates Mill. Accessed July 30, 2026.

City of Lewiston, Maine. Public Art and Hopeful Installation. Accessed July 30, 2026.

Hewitt, Charlie. Hopeful. Charlie Hewitt Studio. Accessed July 30, 2026.

Portland Press Herald. "Artist Charlie Hewitt Brings 'Hopeful' to Lewiston." December 2019.

Portland Press Herald. "Lewiston City Council Gives Informal Approval to 'Hopeful' Artwork." December 11, 2019.

Portland Press Herald. "Maine Voices Live with Artist Charlie Hewitt." January 30, 2025.

Shettleworth, Earle G., Jr. Maine's Visible Black History: The First Chronicle of Its People. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House Publishers, 2020.

The HOPEFUL Project in Maine: Charlie Hewitt, Neokraft Signs, and the Story of Ten Public Art Installations

Introduction

Across Maine, the illuminated word HOPEFUL has become a recognizable feature of the public landscape. Displayed on commercial rooftops, municipal buildings, a police station, a public library, and a highway visitor center, these sculptures convey a message that is both encouraging and thought-provoking. Created by Maine artist Charlie Hewitt, the signs invite viewers to consider hope not simply as a feeling, but as a commitment to action, shared responsibility, and the well-being of their communities. Since the project's inception in Portland in 2019, the distinctive illuminated sculptures have spread to communities throughout Maine and beyond.¹

The HOPEFUL Project began with a single illuminated sculpture commissioned for the rooftop of Speedwell Projects, a contemporary art gallery on Forest Avenue in Portland. Hewitt conceived the work amid concerns about political division, violence, and growing uncertainty in American society. He envisioned an artwork that would brighten Maine's long winter evenings while offering a public expression of optimism and human connection. What began as a single commission subsequently developed into a broader initiative involving local businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipal governments, and individual supporters.²

Two central participants shaped the project's development: Hewitt, whose artistic vision established its distinctive appearance and message, and Neokraft Signs, the Lewiston-based manufacturer whose technical expertise made the large illuminated sculptures possible. Their collaboration illustrates how public art emerges through the combination of artistic imagination, skilled craftsmanship, and institutional support. The ten installations documented in Maine also reflect the project's decentralized approach to funding. Some signs were donated by the artist or private benefactors, while others became possible through organized fundraising campaigns, business sponsorships, and partnerships with local institutions.³

The Project's Beginnings in Portland, 2019

The origins of the HOPEFUL Project can be traced to late 2018 and early 2019, when Jocelyn Lee, an artist and director of Speedwell Projects, invited Hewitt to develop a sculpture for the gallery's rooftop at 630 Forest Avenue in Portland. Hewitt initially envisioned an artwork centered on light. Maine's prolonged winter darkness offered an appropriate setting for an illuminated sculpture, while the social and political tensions of the period gave the proposed work a broader significance.⁴

Born in Lewiston in 1946, Hewitt established an artistic career spanning painting, printmaking, sculpture, and public art. His work has been exhibited widely and is represented in major museum collections. The HOPEFUL Project differs from much of his other work through its directness: a single word rendered in oversized, colorful lettering and illuminated by rows of lights.

The first sculpture, measuring approximately twenty-four feet in length, was unveiled at Speedwell Projects in May 2019. Its visual design drew inspiration from mid-twentieth-century roadside attractions, drive-in theaters, and the bold lettering of American automobile culture. Rather than blending discreetly into its architectural surroundings, the sculpture was designed to attract attention from a distance and become a recognizable presence in the neighborhood.⁵

The word hopeful was chosen deliberately. Hewitt's intention was not to promote passive optimism or suggest that difficult circumstances would resolve themselves without effort. Instead, his artistic statement connected hope with awareness, personal commitment, decision-making, and active participation in community life. The sculpture consequently serves as both an expression of encouragement and an invitation to consider how individuals can contribute to a better society.

The project also emerged from Hewitt's concerns about mass shootings, violence, and the divisions affecting American life. He considered the possibility of placing similar sculptures in communities affected by tragedy and in locations serving people experiencing homelessness. From its earliest stages, the project demonstrated how public art could communicate solidarity and compassion through a simple but powerful visual statement.⁶

Speedwell Projects supplied the original setting and commissioned the first sculpture. This distinction is significant when examining the project's financial development: the Portland installation was the starting point for a growing series of works, not the result of a single statewide funding initiative. Subsequent installations depended on individual agreements, and partnerships with organizations and communities interested in displaying the artwork.

Charlie Hewitt: Artist, Designer, and Advocate for Community

Hewitt's artistic background helps explain why the HOPEFUL Project combines a recognizable commercial style with a message about social responsibility. His work has included monumental public sculpture as well as painting and printmaking. One of his best-known public works, Urban Rattle, was installed on New York City's High Line and subsequently appeared in Maine. His visual language frequently reflects the industrial communities, family traditions, and working-class culture surrounding his upbringing in Lewiston.⁷

The HOPEFUL signs are more direct than many of Hewitt's other works, but they retain his interest in scale, color, material, and the relationship between art and its surroundings. Their lettering is designed to be recognized from the street or from a considerable distance. At the same time, the work is adaptable: a sign can be placed on an industrial building, a downtown commercial property, a public institution, or a community facility.

Hewitt's own account of the project's development emphasizes the importance of working with local makers. He recognized that translating the original concept into a large, illuminated sculpture required specialized knowledge of metal fabrication, electrical components, structural supports, and outdoor signage. His collaboration with Neokraft Signs provided that practical foundation.⁸

As the project expanded, Hewitt also worked with local organizers to identify locations, develop installations, and communicate the meaning of the work. The resulting signs were not all commissioned or funded in the same way. Some communities raised money through businesses and nonprofit organizations; some received gifts from the artist or a private donor. This flexibility allowed the project to develop without relying on a single centralized source of funding.

The artist's role consequently extends beyond creating a recognizable design. He has participated in a network of local relationships through which the artwork has acquired different meanings. In one community, it may represent confidence in downtown revitalization; in another, it may serve as a gesture of gratitude or a reminder of solidarity following a difficult event.

Neokraft Signs: The Manufacturing Partnership

Neokraft Signs, based in Lewiston, has played a central role in producing the HOPEFUL sculptures. The company specializes in custom signage and possesses the technical capabilities required to construct large, illuminated displays. Its involvement allowed Hewitt's design to move from an artistic concept into durable structures suitable for prominent outdoor locations.⁹

Hewitt's account of the project's beginnings describes his visit to Neokraft's fabrication shop as a revelation. He had been exploring the use of neon and illuminated forms, but he needed a way to produce a sculpture at the scale envisioned for Speedwell Projects. The shop introduced him to possibilities for creating a large, retro-style marquee sculpture using custom-fabricated components and lighting.¹⁰

The collaboration also has a geographic significance. Hewitt grew up in Lewiston, a city whose identity was shaped by textile mills, shoe manufacturing, industrial labor, and successive generations of workers. Neokraft's production work continues a different form of skilled manufacturing in the same community. The HOPEFUL signs therefore connect contemporary public art with Maine's broader traditions of craftsmanship and industrial production.

Neokraft's role has included fabrication for the Portland and Bangor installations, and the company has produced signs in different sizes for other locations. Phil Bolduc, who owned Neokraft during an important phase of the project's expansion, also donated the Rumford sign to his hometown. In November 2023, Hewitt brought another sign to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston as a gift honoring medical professionals, first responders, and volunteers who helped care for victims of the October 2023 mass shooting. Reporting at the time identified Neokraft as the manufacturer of the donated hospital sign.¹¹

These examples show that the company's involvement was not confined to selling a finished product. Through fabrication expertise and at least one documented donation, Neokraft and its leadership became participants in the project's wider community history.

Nevertheless, the financial arrangements must be distinguished carefully. The public record does not establish that Neokraft donated its labor or materials for every installation, nor does it provide a comprehensive list of fabrication prices. A donated sign, a sign made at a discounted price, and a sign purchased at its full commercial value represent different financial arrangements. Without individual invoices or written confirmation, those distinctions cannot be resolved for every location.

The Project Expands Beyond Portland

After the first sign appeared in Portland, Hewitt began working with communities interested in displaying the word HOPEFUL in prominent public settings. Lewiston became an early location, followed by Brunswick and Bangor. By January 2022, the artist's studio was reporting installations and related artworks across several states, including illuminated sculptures, paintings, and digital billboards. The work subsequently spread to additional Maine communities and international locations.¹²

The project's expansion was supported by several different forms of participation. Artists and designers contributed to the visual development; fabricators constructed the signs; property owners provided locations; nonprofit organizations coordinated fundraising; businesses contributed money; and individuals sometimes donated complete installations. This varied approach helped the project reach communities that might not otherwise have commissioned a large-scale public sculpture.

The word itself was flexible enough to accommodate different local circumstances. A sign on a library could encourage learning and connection; one at a police department could express a commitment to community service; and one in a former mill district could suggest confidence in a city's future. Although the visual design remained recognizable, each installation acquired a meaning shaped by its location and the circumstances surrounding its creation.

The official project directory identifies ten installations in Maine: Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Hallowell, Kittery, Lewiston, Portland, and Rumford. Their individual histories reveal both the project's geographic reach and the variety of people and organizations that helped bring it into public view.¹³

Funding and Sponsorship: A Community-Based Model

The financial history of the HOPEFUL Project is best understood installation by installation. There is no single publicly documented statewide budget that establishes the total cost of all ten Maine signs or the aggregate contributions made by Hewitt, Neokraft Signs, businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and private donors.

Some projects were financed through direct gifts. In Brunswick, Hewitt donated the sign to Curtis Memorial Library after it had been displayed there temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Hallowell, he gave a sign to the city after it had appeared temporarily in the aftermath of the December 2023 Kennebec River flood. In Rumford, Phil Bolduc donated a sign through Neokraft, dedicating it to his father's memory.¹⁴

Other installations depended on organized fundraising. Bangor's sign was supported by a campaign led by United Way of Eastern Maine, while Ellsworth's installation relied on a local campaign coordinated by businessperson Leslie Harlow. Augusta's installation was developed with United Way of Kennebec Valley and several area businesses. Bath's sign was made possible through a combination of private contributions, fundraising efforts, and a donation from Hewitt.¹⁵

These funding arrangements also reveal why the advertised value of a sign should not automatically be treated as the amount paid by a host community. A sign may be donated, partially funded by a sponsor, or financed through a mixture of cash contributions and other assistance. Fabrication, transportation, structural mounting, electrical work, installation, and long-term maintenance can represent separate expenses.

The following account distinguishes named donors and sponsors from organizations whose involvement was primarily administrative or organizational. It also identifies cases where the available public documentation does not establish the complete list of contributors or the total cost.

Augusta: United Way and Local Business Sponsorship

Augusta's approximately twenty-five-foot sign was installed on Water Street in September 2022, at 330 Water Street. The project was organized with United Way of Kennebec Valley and supported by The Boulos Company, Central Maine Power, and Kennebec Savings Bank. A public lighting event on September 20 marked the installation and coincided with the kickoff of United Way's annual fundraising campaign.¹⁶

The collaboration gave the sign a clear civic purpose. It was intended to be visible across downtown and to offer encouragement to people who live and work in the capital region. The project also illustrates the importance of nonprofit organizations in coordinating public art: United Way provided an organizational framework, while businesses supplied sponsorship and support.

The published announcements identify the principal sponsors but do not itemize the contribution of each organization or provide a total project budget. The installation should therefore be described as a business-supported community project rather than assigned an undocumented dollar cost.

Bangor: A $33,000 Community Fundraising Campaign

Bangor's sign, installed at 152 Main Street in December 2021, represents one of the clearest examples of organized community fundraising. Jesse Moriarty of United Way of Eastern Maine helped initiate the effort after seeing the installations in Portland and Lewiston. The campaign raised $33,000 during the spring and summer of 2021.¹⁷

The named partners were Bangor Savings Bank, Cross Insurance, and Bangor's Commission on Cultural Development. The money was intended to cover fabrication by Neokraft Signs, installation in downtown Bangor, and continued maintenance. The individual contributions of the named partners were not published in the contemporary reports.

The sign became a visible part of downtown's cultural landscape, complementing other artwork on the building and adding an illuminated message to a busy street. Its financing illustrates a model in which a nonprofit organization coordinates the effort, businesses and civic partners contribute, and the sign manufacturer turns the design into a permanent installation.

The $33,000 figure is the reported fundraising total, not necessarily an independently audited total of final expenditures. The public reporting does not provide a detailed budget or a breakdown of each payment.

Bath: The Police Department Installation

Bath's HOPEFUL sign was dedicated on December 6, 2024, at the Bath Police Department, 250 Water Street. The project developed from discussions involving Deputy Chief Michelle Small and city officials, who considered how the sculpture might strengthen connections between the police department and the wider community.¹⁸

The project encountered questions about whether municipal resources should be spent on a public-art installation and how the proposal could reflect local priorities. Small and Hewitt subsequently worked together to adjust the project's scale and develop a funding arrangement. Small businesses including Brackett's, Lisa Marie's, The Fountain, and Bath Print assisted fundraising efforts, while Hewitt donated HOPEFUL pins and stickers to help raise money. Bangor Savings Bank also contributed, and Hewitt made a personal donation to complete the fundraising.¹⁹

The installation's setting gives the word a particular civic meaning. Bath's deputy police chief described hope as something that people can offer one another, connecting the sculpture with community service, integrity, and professionalism. The project was therefore both an artistic installation and an attempt to build a shared message between a public-safety institution and the people it serves.

The records reviewed do not establish a complete itemized budget or the amount provided by every contributor. Nevertheless, the city documentation identifies a combination of small-business support, a bank contribution, and the artist's own donation.

Brunswick: A Gift to Curtis Memorial Library

The Brunswick sign was displayed at Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, beginning in November 2020. Hewitt subsequently donated it to the library in April 2021, making it a permanent feature of the building's interior.²⁰

The installation acquired significance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when libraries and other public institutions were adapting to restrictions and community uncertainty. The sign offered a visible message of encouragement to people entering the building. Hewitt also had a personal connection to Brunswick: he attended Brunswick High School after moving to the area during his youth and remembered using Curtis Memorial Library as a place to study.

Because the sign was donated, the library did not need to finance a conventional purchase. The available reporting does not establish the original fabrication cost or a separate cash contribution by the library. The installation is best understood as an artist's gift to a public institution with which he had a personal connection.

Ellsworth: A $40,000 Fundraising Effort

Ellsworth's sign was installed on the former J.B. Atlantic building near the corner of Main and Franklin Streets in September 2024. Businessperson Leslie Harlow led the local fundraising effort, and the project reached its reported $40,000 target before the installation was illuminated on September 29.²¹

The named supporters included Cross Insurance, Franklin Savings Bank, Bangor Savings Bank, Penobscot Financial Advisors, the Maine Community Foundation, and the City of Ellsworth. Cross Insurance pledged $10,000 during the fundraising phase. The Grand Auditorium served as the fiscal agent, allowing contributions to be handled through a nonprofit organization. The public reporting does not provide the exact contribution made by each of the other named sponsors.

Ellsworth's installation demonstrates how a community can finance public art through a combination of private business support, a foundation, municipal participation, and individual contributions. Its rooftop position also makes it a prominent feature of the downtown streetscape.

The $40,000 figure represents the reported fundraising target and amount raised, rather than a publicly itemized account of final expenditure. The sources reviewed do not provide the final invoices for fabrication, installation, electricity, or maintenance.

Hallowell: An Artist's Gift Following the Flood

Hallowell's sign was first displayed temporarily after the December 2023 Kennebec River flood. It had previously been displayed at the Blaine House in Augusta. Hallowell resident Alex AuCoin asked Hewitt to lend the work to the city, and the sign was subsequently displayed in the community. In January 2025, the Hallowell City Council voted to accept it permanently as a gift from the artist.²²

The sign is displayed on the Winthrop Street side of City Hall, at 1 Winthrop Street. Its local meaning is closely connected to the flood and the community's response, when residents and business owners helped one another protect property and recover from damage.

The artist's donation meant that the city did not have to purchase the sculpture. Contemporary reporting placed the general value of comparable signs at approximately $12,000 to $20,000, but this was an estimate rather than a documented purchase price for Hallowell's installation. The city and community members have discussed ways to cover electricity and maintenance costs through donations.

Hallowell's experience demonstrates how a temporary artwork can become a permanent civic symbol. The sign's history is rooted in an emergency, but its continued presence at City Hall gives it a longer-term role as a reminder of mutual support and community connection.

Kittery: A Welcome at the Gateway to Maine

The Kittery installation is located at the Maine Visitor Information Center serving northbound Interstate 95 traffic and U.S. Route 1. Unlike the downtown and municipal installations, its audience includes many people who are traveling through Maine rather than living in the immediate community.²³

The sign's location makes the word HOPEFUL a greeting as well as a statement of encouragement. It introduces the project to travelers entering the state and places public art within a transportation setting where people might not ordinarily expect to encounter a large sculptural message.

The official project directory confirms the location, but the public sources reviewed do not establish the installation date, full donor list, total cost, or precise financing arrangement. It would therefore be inappropriate to attribute the sign to a particular sponsor without additional documentation from the artist, Neokraft Signs, or the agency responsible for the visitor center.

Kittery's installation illustrates the geographic reach of the project while also demonstrating the limits of the existing financial record. The sign is documented as part of the statewide series, but its specific funding history remains to be established.

Lewiston: A Hometown Project and an Industrial Landmark

Lewiston's HOPEFUL installation emerged in 2019, shortly after the Portland original. The proposed sculpture was approximately thirty feet long and was intended for the Main Street side of Bates Mill No. 5. Hewitt collaborated with mill developer Tom Platz and Neokraft Signs, bringing together the artist, a private property partner, and the manufacturer.²⁴

The sign's location connects the project with Lewiston's industrial history. The former mill complex stands within a landscape shaped by waterpower, textile production, and generations of workers who migrated to the city. Hewitt, himself a Lewiston native, described the sculpture as a message to his hometown during a period of uncertainty about the political climate and the future of the community.

Contemporary reporting identified Hewitt and Platz as the principal private partners in the original proposal. However, the sources reviewed do not provide a complete itemized budget or establish the precise contributions of each participant. Neokraft's fabrication role is documented, but its work on the project should not automatically be treated as a donation.

A related but distinct act of generosity occurred in November 2023, when Hewitt donated another HOPEFUL sign to Central Maine Medical Center. That sign honored the medical professionals, first responders, and volunteers who assisted victims of the October 25 mass shooting in Lewiston. It should be distinguished from the ten-location directory's Lewiston entry at 10 Mill Street.²⁵

Together, these installations show how the project became associated with Hewitt's hometown through both industrial public art and a separate gesture of support for people affected by tragedy.

Portland: The Original Speedwell Projects Sculpture

Portland remains the birthplace of the HOPEFUL Project. The original sign was installed on the roof of Speedwell Projects at 630 Forest Avenue in May 2019. Commissioned by the gallery, the approximately twenty-four-foot sculpture established the visual style and message subsequently adopted by other communities.²⁶

The sign's design was inspired by colorful roadside lettering and illuminated marquees. Its location near the intersection of several Portland neighborhoods made it visible to passing motorists and pedestrians. The gallery's commission provided the setting in which Hewitt could develop his idea into a large-scale public artwork.

The original sculpture was conceived as an answer to anxiety and violence, including mass shootings and the divisions of contemporary American life. Rather than creating a memorial to one specific event, Hewitt selected a word that could be understood broadly and applied to different circumstances.

The Portland installation became the prototype for the statewide project. Later signs retained its basic design language while adapting their dimensions and locations to individual buildings. Although the first sign was commissioned by Speedwell Projects, the public sources reviewed do not establish a complete breakdown of the original fabrication and installation costs.

Rumford: A Gift from Neokraft's Phil Bolduc

Rumford's HOPEFUL sign was dedicated in May 2023 at 150 Congress Street, on the building occupied by Oxford County Mental Health Services. The town's official announcement identifies the installation as a gift from Neokraft Signs and its owner, Phil Bolduc, who grew up in Rumford. Bolduc dedicated the sign to the memory of his father, Jean Bolduc, who immigrated from Quebec to Rumford in 1957.²⁷

The donation is one of the clearest examples of a complete sign being provided as a gift rather than purchased through a conventional commission. Neokraft manufactured the sculpture, while the host organization provided a prominent location for it. The town's announcement also described the sign as larger than earlier installations and noted the addition of the words “In Rumford,” giving the message a specific local identity.

Rumford's industrial and immigrant history gives the donation an additional dimension. The town developed around paper manufacturing and related industries, attracting workers and families who established new lives in western Maine. Bolduc's dedication to his father, an immigrant from Quebec, connects the sign's message with personal and community history.

The location on a mental-health services building also places the word HOPEFUL within a setting associated with support and well-being. The public documentation identifies the donation, dedication, and location, but it does not provide a monetary valuation or a breakdown of fabrication and installation expenses.²⁸

The Ten Signs as Public History

Taken together, the ten Maine installations show how public art can acquire different meanings through the buildings and communities that host it. The same word appears in commercial districts, municipal settings, a police department, a library, and a visitor center. Each installation retains the recognizable design of Hewitt's original sculpture while reflecting the circumstances of its own location.

The signs also reveal a network of civic participation. Nonprofit organizations coordinated fundraising; businesses and banks contributed money; private individuals donated sculptures; municipal governments accepted gifts; and Neokraft Signs supplied manufacturing expertise. The project did not depend on a single statewide appropriation or one permanent funding organization. Instead, it grew through a series of local partnerships and decisions.²⁹

This pattern is important to the project's historical significance. Public art is sometimes understood primarily as the work of an individual artist, but the HOPEFUL Project demonstrates the role of institutions, sponsors, fabricators, and residents in making art visible and accessible. A design becomes part of public life when a community decides to host it, finds a way to finance or receive it, and gives it a place within the everyday landscape.

The project's different funding arrangements also explain why its total cost remains uncertain. Bangor's $33,000 fundraising campaign and Ellsworth's $40,000 campaign are documented, while the values of donated signs and the exact contributions of many sponsors remain unavailable. The figures should not be combined into a statewide budget because they represent different projects and different forms of financial information.

Conclusion

The HOPEFUL Project began in Portland in 2019 as Charlie Hewitt's response to the darkness of Maine winters and the wider atmosphere of anxiety and division in American society. The original Speedwell Projects commission established a visual statement that could be understood quickly while encouraging a deeper question: what does it mean to remain hopeful, and what responsibilities accompany that choice?

The partnership between Hewitt and Neokraft Signs made it possible to realize the concept at a scale suitable for prominent public spaces. Through fabrication, local sponsorship, donations, and community fundraising, the work expanded to ten Maine locations and to installations beyond the state. Its development demonstrates how a public-art project can grow through the combined efforts of an artist, skilled manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, municipalities, and individual donors.

Each Maine installation has its own history. Augusta's sign emerged from United Way and business sponsorship; Bangor's was supported by a $33,000 community campaign; Bath's was developed through local fundraising and artist support; Brunswick and Hallowell received gifts from Hewitt; Ellsworth raised $40,000; Kittery's funding history remains incompletely documented; Lewiston's sign connected Hewitt's hometown with its industrial landscape; Portland provided the original commission; and Rumford received a donated sign from Neokraft's Phil Bolduc.

The project's history is therefore not only a record of ten illuminated signs. A History of the HOPEFUL Project in Maine: Charlie Hewitt, Neokraft Signs, Community Patrons, and Ten Public Installations

Introduction

Across Maine, the illuminated word HOPEFUL has become a distinctive form of public art. Displayed on rooftops, municipal buildings, a police station, a public library, and a highway visitor center, the signs created by artist Charlie Hewitt communicate a message that is at once simple and demanding. They invite people to maintain hope during periods of uncertainty while reminding them that optimism must be accompanied by action, responsibility, and participation in community life. Since the project's beginning in Portland in 2019, the signs have appeared in communities throughout Maine and in several other states and countries.¹

The HOPEFUL Project began with a single illuminated aluminum sculpture commissioned for the roof of Speedwell Projects, a contemporary art gallery on Forest Avenue in Portland. Hewitt developed the concept during a period of anxiety about the political climate, violence, and divisions in American society. He wanted to create an artwork that would brighten Maine's winter darkness while encouraging people to consider their relationships with one another. The project subsequently expanded through partnerships with local businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipal governments, and individual donors.²

Two figures have been particularly important to this development: Hewitt, whose artistic vision established the project's identity, and Neokraft Signs, the Lewiston-based sign manufacturer that helped translate his designs into large, illuminated structures. Their collaboration demonstrates how an artistic idea can develop through the combined efforts of a creative practitioner, skilled tradespeople, and communities willing to support public art. The ten Maine installations also reveal that the project has no single funding model. Some signs were donated, others were financed through organized fundraising campaigns, and still others were supported by private sponsors or community partnerships.³

The Birth of the Project in Portland, 2019

The HOPEFUL Project originated in late 2018 and early 2019, when Jocelyn Lee, artist and director of Speedwell Projects, invited Hewitt to consider creating a sculpture for the gallery's rooftop at 630 Forest Avenue in Portland. Hewitt recalled that his first thought was that the work should be about light. Maine's long, dark winters provided a practical reason for illumination, while the social and political climate gave the proposed artwork a larger purpose.⁴

Hewitt was born in Lewiston in 1946 and developed an artistic career encompassing painting, printmaking, sculpture, and public art. His work has been exhibited widely and is represented in major museum collections. Although his artistic practice includes a variety of subjects and forms, the HOPEFUL Project uses an unusually direct visual statement: one word, presented in large, colorful letters and illuminated by rows of bulbs.

The first installation, approximately twenty-four feet long, was unveiled at Speedwell Projects in May 2019. Its design drew inspiration from the bold signage associated with mid-twentieth-century roadside attractions, drive-in theaters, and American automobile culture. Rather than adopting the understated appearance of conventional architectural lettering, Hewitt created a bright, retro-inspired sculpture that could attract attention from a considerable distance.⁵

The work's title was deliberately straightforward. Hewitt did not intend hopeful to mean passive optimism or an expectation that difficulties would resolve themselves without effort. In his accompanying artistic statement, he connected hope with commitment, awareness, decision-making, and participation in one's community. The sign thus functions as both encouragement and challenge. It asks viewers not merely to feel hopeful but to consider what they can do to make their communities better.

Hewitt also conceived the work in response to mass shootings and a broader atmosphere of fear and political division. He considered the possibility of installing similar works in communities affected by violence and in places serving people experiencing homelessness. The original Portland sculpture therefore established a theme that would continue throughout the project: public art could communicate solidarity and concern without requiring a lengthy explanation.⁶

Speedwell Projects provided the first location and commissioned the initial sculpture. This distinction is important when tracing the project's financial history. The Portland work was the starting point for a series of installations, not the product of a single statewide fundraising campaign. Its subsequent expansion depended on separate arrangements with organizations and communities interested in hosting their own signs.

Charlie Hewitt: Artist, Designer, and Advocate for Community

Hewitt's artistic background helps explain why the HOPEFUL Project combines a recognizable commercial style with a message about social responsibility. His work has included monumental public sculpture as well as painting and printmaking. One of his best-known public works, Urban Rattle, was installed on New York City's High Line and subsequently appeared in Maine. His visual language frequently reflects the industrial communities, family traditions, and working-class culture surrounding his upbringing in Lewiston.⁷

The HOPEFUL signs are more direct than many of Hewitt's other works, but they retain his interest in scale, color, material, and the relationship between art and its surroundings. Their lettering is designed to be recognized from the street or from a considerable distance. At the same time, the work is adaptable: a sign can be placed on an industrial building, a downtown commercial property, a public institution, or a community facility.

Hewitt's own account of the project's development emphasizes the importance of working with local makers. He recognized that translating the original concept into a large, illuminated sculpture required specialized knowledge of metal fabrication, electrical components, structural supports, and outdoor signage. His collaboration with Neokraft Signs provided that practical foundation.⁸

As the project expanded, Hewitt also worked with local organizers to identify locations, develop installations, and communicate the meaning of the work. The resulting signs were not all commissioned or funded in the same way. Some communities raised money through businesses and nonprofit organizations; some received gifts from the artist or a private donor. This flexibility allowed the project to develop without relying on a single centralized source of funding.

The artist's role consequently extends beyond creating a recognizable design. He has participated in a network of local relationships through which the artwork has acquired different meanings. In one community, it may represent confidence in downtown revitalization; in another, it may serve as a gesture of gratitude or a reminder of solidarity following a difficult event.

Neokraft Signs: The Manufacturing Partnership

Neokraft Signs, based in Lewiston, has played a central role in producing the HOPEFUL sculptures. The company specializes in custom signage and possesses the technical capabilities required to construct large, illuminated displays. Its involvement allowed Hewitt's design to move from an artistic concept into durable structures suitable for prominent outdoor locations.⁹

Hewitt's account of the project's beginnings describes his visit to Neokraft's fabrication shop as a revelation. He had been exploring the use of neon and illuminated forms, but he needed a way to produce a sculpture at the scale envisioned for Speedwell Projects. The shop introduced him to possibilities for creating a large, retro-style marquee sculpture using custom-fabricated components and lighting.¹⁰

The collaboration also has a geographic significance. Hewitt grew up in Lewiston, a city whose identity was shaped by textile mills, shoe manufacturing, industrial labor, and successive generations of workers. Neokraft's production work continues a different form of skilled manufacturing in the same community. The HOPEFUL signs therefore connect contemporary public art with Maine's broader traditions of craftsmanship and industrial production.

Neokraft's role has included fabrication for the Portland and Bangor installations, and the company has produced signs in different sizes for other locations. Phil Bolduc, who owned Neokraft during an important phase of the project's expansion, also donated the Rumford sign to his hometown. In November 2023, Hewitt brought another sign to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston as a gift honoring medical professionals, first responders, and volunteers who helped care for victims of the October 2023 mass shooting. Reporting at the time identified Neokraft as the manufacturer of the donated hospital sign.¹¹

These examples show that the company's involvement was not confined to selling a finished product. Through fabrication expertise and at least one documented donation, Neokraft and its leadership became participants in the project's wider community history.

Nevertheless, the financial arrangements must be distinguished carefully. The public record does not establish that Neokraft donated its labor or materials for every installation, nor does it provide a comprehensive list of fabrication prices. A donated sign, a sign made at a discounted price, and a sign purchased at its full commercial value represent different financial arrangements. Without individual invoices or written confirmation, those distinctions cannot be resolved for every location.

The Project Expands Beyond Portland

After the first sign appeared in Portland, Hewitt began working with communities interested in displaying the word HOPEFUL in prominent public settings. Lewiston became an early location, followed by Brunswick and Bangor. By January 2022, the artist's studio was reporting installations and related artworks across several states, including illuminated sculptures, paintings, and digital billboards. The work subsequently spread to additional Maine communities and international locations.¹²

The project's expansion was supported by several different forms of participation. Artists and designers contributed to the visual development; fabricators constructed the signs; property owners provided locations; nonprofit organizations coordinated fundraising; businesses contributed money; and individuals sometimes donated complete installations. This varied approach helped the project reach communities that might not otherwise have commissioned a large-scale public sculpture.

The word itself was flexible enough to accommodate different local circumstances. A sign on a library could encourage learning and connection; one at a police department could express a commitment to community service; and one in a former mill district could suggest confidence in a city's future. Although the visual design remained recognizable, each installation acquired a meaning shaped by its location and the circumstances surrounding its creation.

The official project directory identifies ten installations in Maine: Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Hallowell, Kittery, Lewiston, Portland, and Rumford. Their individual histories reveal both the project's geographic reach and the variety of people and organizations that helped bring it into public view.¹³

Funding and Sponsorship: A Community-Based Model

The financial history of the HOPEFUL Project is best understood installation by installation. There is no single publicly documented statewide budget that establishes the total cost of all ten Maine signs or the aggregate contributions made by Hewitt, Neokraft Signs, businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and private donors.

Some projects were financed through direct gifts. In Brunswick, Hewitt donated the sign to Curtis Memorial Library after it had been displayed there temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Hallowell, he gave a sign to the city after it had appeared temporarily in the aftermath of the December 2023 Kennebec River flood. In Rumford, Phil Bolduc donated a sign through Neokraft, dedicating it to his father's memory.¹⁴

Other installations depended on organized fundraising. Bangor's sign was supported by a campaign led by United Way of Eastern Maine, while Ellsworth's installation relied on a local campaign coordinated by businessperson Leslie Harlow. Augusta's installation was developed with United Way of Kennebec Valley and several area businesses. Bath's sign was made possible through a combination of private contributions, fundraising efforts, and a donation from Hewitt.¹⁵

These funding arrangements also reveal why the advertised value of a sign should not automatically be treated as the amount paid by a host community. A sign may be donated, partially funded by a sponsor, or financed through a mixture of cash contributions and other assistance. Fabrication, transportation, structural mounting, electrical work, installation, and long-term maintenance can represent separate expenses.

The following account distinguishes named donors and sponsors from organizations whose involvement was primarily administrative or organizational. It also identifies cases where the available public documentation does not establish the complete list of contributors or the total cost.

Augusta: United Way and Local Business Sponsorship

Augusta's approximately twenty-five-foot sign was installed on Water Street in September 2022, at 330 Water Street. The project was organized with United Way of Kennebec Valley and supported by The Boulos Company, Central Maine Power, and Kennebec Savings Bank. A public lighting event on September 20 marked the installation and coincided with the kickoff of United Way's annual fundraising campaign.¹⁶

The collaboration gave the sign a clear civic purpose. It was intended to be visible across downtown and to offer encouragement to people who live and work in the capital region. The project also illustrates the importance of nonprofit organizations in coordinating public art: United Way provided an organizational framework, while businesses supplied sponsorship and support.

The published announcements identify the principal sponsors but do not itemize the contribution of each organization or provide a total project budget. The installation should therefore be described as a business-supported community project rather than assigned an undocumented dollar cost.

Bangor: A $33,000 Community Fundraising Campaign

Bangor's sign, installed at 152 Main Street in December 2021, represents one of the clearest examples of organized community fundraising. Jesse Moriarty of United Way of Eastern Maine helped initiate the effort after seeing the installations in Portland and Lewiston. The campaign raised $33,000 during the spring and summer of 2021.¹⁷

The named partners were Bangor Savings Bank, Cross Insurance, and Bangor's Commission on Cultural Development. The money was intended to cover fabrication by Neokraft Signs, installation in downtown Bangor, and continued maintenance. The individual contributions of the named partners were not published in the contemporary reports.

The sign became a visible part of downtown's cultural landscape, complementing other artwork on the building and adding an illuminated message to a busy street. Its financing illustrates a model in which a nonprofit organization coordinates the effort, businesses and civic partners contribute, and the sign manufacturer turns the design into a permanent installation.

The $33,000 figure is the reported fundraising total, not necessarily an independently audited total of final expenditures. The public reporting does not provide a detailed budget or a breakdown of each payment.

Bath: The Police Department Installation

Bath's HOPEFUL sign was dedicated on December 6, 2024, at the Bath Police Department, 250 Water Street. The project developed from discussions involving Deputy Chief Michelle Small and city officials, who considered how the sculpture might strengthen connections between the police department and the wider community.¹⁸

The project encountered questions about whether municipal resources should be spent on a public-art installation and how the proposal could reflect local priorities. Small and Hewitt subsequently worked together to adjust the project's scale and develop a funding arrangement. Small businesses including Brackett's, Lisa Marie's, The Fountain, and Bath Print assisted fundraising efforts, while Hewitt donated HOPEFUL pins and stickers to help raise money. Bangor Savings Bank also contributed, and Hewitt made a personal donation to complete the fundraising.¹⁹

The installation's setting gives the word a particular civic meaning. Bath's deputy police chief described hope as something that people can offer one another, connecting the sculpture with community service, integrity, and professionalism. The project was therefore both an artistic installation and an attempt to build a shared message between a public-safety institution and the people it serves.

The records reviewed do not establish a complete itemized budget or the amount provided by every contributor. Nevertheless, the city documentation identifies a combination of small-business support, a bank contribution, and the artist's own donation.

Brunswick: A Gift to Curtis Memorial Library

The Brunswick sign was displayed at Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, beginning in November 2020. Hewitt subsequently donated it to the library in April 2021, making it a permanent feature of the building's interior.²⁰

The installation acquired significance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when libraries and other public institutions were adapting to restrictions and community uncertainty. The sign offered a visible message of encouragement to people entering the building. Hewitt also had a personal connection to Brunswick: he attended Brunswick High School after moving to the area during his youth and remembered using Curtis Memorial Library as a place to study.

Because the sign was donated, the library did not need to finance a conventional purchase. The available reporting does not establish the original fabrication cost or a separate cash contribution by the library. The installation is best understood as an artist's gift to a public institution with which he had a personal connection.

Ellsworth: A $40,000 Fundraising Effort

Ellsworth's sign was installed on the former J.B. Atlantic building near the corner of Main and Franklin Streets in September 2024. Businessperson Leslie Harlow led the local fundraising effort, and the project reached its reported $40,000 target before the installation was illuminated on September 29.²¹

The named supporters included Cross Insurance, Franklin Savings Bank, Bangor Savings Bank, Penobscot Financial Advisors, the Maine Community Foundation, and the City of Ellsworth. Cross Insurance pledged $10,000 during the fundraising phase. The Grand Auditorium served as the fiscal agent, allowing contributions to be handled through a nonprofit organization. The public reporting does not provide the exact contribution made by each of the other named sponsors.

Ellsworth's installation demonstrates how a community can finance public art through a combination of private business support, a foundation, municipal participation, and individual contributions. Its rooftop position also makes it a prominent feature of the downtown streetscape.

The $40,000 figure represents the reported fundraising target and amount raised, rather than a publicly itemized account of final expenditure. The sources reviewed do not provide the final invoices for fabrication, installation, electricity, or maintenance.

Hallowell: An Artist's Gift Following the Flood

Hallowell's sign was first displayed temporarily after the December 2023 Kennebec River flood. It had previously been displayed at the Blaine House in Augusta. Hallowell resident Alex AuCoin asked Hewitt to lend the work to the city, and the sign was subsequently displayed in the community. In January 2025, the Hallowell City Council voted to accept it permanently as a gift from the artist.²²

The sign is displayed on the Winthrop Street side of City Hall, at 1 Winthrop Street. Its local meaning is closely connected to the flood and the community's response, when residents and business owners helped one another protect property and recover from damage.

The artist's donation meant that the city did not have to purchase the sculpture. Contemporary reporting placed the general value of comparable signs at approximately $12,000 to $20,000, but this was an estimate rather than a documented purchase price for Hallowell's installation. The city and community members have discussed ways to cover electricity and maintenance costs through donations.

Hallowell's experience demonstrates how a temporary artwork can become a permanent civic symbol. The sign's history is rooted in an emergency, but its continued presence at City Hall gives it a longer-term role as a reminder of mutual support and community connection.

Kittery: A Welcome at the Gateway to Maine

The Kittery installation is located at the Maine Visitor Information Center serving northbound Interstate 95 traffic and U.S. Route 1. Unlike the downtown and municipal installations, its audience includes many people who are traveling through Maine rather than living in the immediate community.²³

The sign's location makes the word HOPEFUL a greeting as well as a statement of encouragement. It introduces the project to travelers entering the state and places public art within a transportation setting where people might not ordinarily expect to encounter a large sculptural message.

The official project directory confirms the location, but the public sources reviewed do not establish the installation date, full donor list, total cost, or precise financing arrangement. It would therefore be inappropriate to attribute the sign to a particular sponsor without additional documentation from the artist, Neokraft Signs, or the agency responsible for the visitor center.

Kittery's installation illustrates the geographic reach of the project while also demonstrating the limits of the existing financial record. The sign is documented as part of the statewide series, but its specific funding history remains to be established.

Lewiston: A Hometown Project and an Industrial Landmark

Lewiston's HOPEFUL installation emerged in 2019, shortly after the Portland original. The proposed sculpture was approximately thirty feet long and was intended for the Main Street side of Bates Mill No. 5. Hewitt collaborated with mill developer Tom Platz and Neokraft Signs, bringing together the artist, a private property partner, and the manufacturer.²⁴

The sign's location connects the project with Lewiston's industrial history. The former mill complex stands within a landscape shaped by waterpower, textile production, and generations of workers who migrated to the city. Hewitt, himself a Lewiston native, described the sculpture as a message to his hometown during a period of uncertainty about the political climate and the future of the community.

Contemporary reporting identified Hewitt and Platz as the principal private partners in the original proposal. However, the sources reviewed do not provide a complete itemized budget or establish the precise contributions of each participant. Neokraft's fabrication role is documented, but its work on the project should not automatically be treated as a donation.

A related but distinct act of generosity occurred in November 2023, when Hewitt donated another HOPEFUL sign to Central Maine Medical Center. That sign honored the medical professionals, first responders, and volunteers who assisted victims of the October 25 mass shooting in Lewiston. It should be distinguished from the ten-location directory's Lewiston entry at 10 Mill Street.²⁵

Together, these installations show how the project became associated with Hewitt's hometown through both industrial public art and a separate gesture of support for people affected by tragedy.

Portland: The Original Speedwell Projects Sculpture

Portland remains the birthplace of the HOPEFUL Project. The original sign was installed on the roof of Speedwell Projects at 630 Forest Avenue in May 2019. Commissioned by the gallery, the approximately twenty-four-foot sculpture established the visual style and message subsequently adopted by other communities.²⁶

The sign's design was inspired by colorful roadside lettering and illuminated marquees. Its location near the intersection of several Portland neighborhoods made it visible to passing motorists and pedestrians. The gallery's commission provided the setting in which Hewitt could develop his idea into a large-scale public artwork.

The original sculpture was conceived as an answer to anxiety and violence, including mass shootings and the divisions of contemporary American life. Rather than creating a memorial to one specific event, Hewitt selected a word that could be understood broadly and applied to different circumstances.

The Portland installation became the prototype for the statewide project. Later signs retained its basic design language while adapting their dimensions and locations to individual buildings. Although the first sign was commissioned by Speedwell Projects, the public sources reviewed do not establish a complete breakdown of the original fabrication and installation costs.

Rumford: A Gift from Neokraft's Phil Bolduc

Rumford's HOPEFUL sign was dedicated in May 2023 at 150 Congress Street, on the building occupied by Oxford County Mental Health Services. The town's official announcement identifies the installation as a gift from Neokraft Signs and its owner, Phil Bolduc, who grew up in Rumford. Bolduc dedicated the sign to the memory of his father, Jean Bolduc, who immigrated from Quebec to Rumford in 1957.²⁷

The donation is one of the clearest examples of a complete sign being provided as a gift rather than purchased through a conventional commission. Neokraft manufactured the sculpture, while the host organization provided a prominent location for it. The town's announcement also described the sign as larger than earlier installations and noted the addition of the words “In Rumford,” giving the message a specific local identity.

Rumford's industrial and immigrant history gives the donation an additional dimension. The town developed around paper manufacturing and related industries, attracting workers and families who established new lives in western Maine. Bolduc's dedication to his father, an immigrant from Quebec, connects the sign's message with personal and community history.

The location on a mental-health services building also places the word HOPEFUL within a setting associated with support and well-being. The public documentation identifies the donation, dedication, and location, but it does not provide a monetary valuation or a breakdown of fabrication and installation expenses.²⁸

The Ten Signs as Public History

Taken together, the ten Maine installations show how public art can acquire different meanings through the buildings and communities that host it. The same word appears in commercial districts, municipal settings, a police department, a library, and a visitor center. Each installation retains the recognizable design of Hewitt's original sculpture while reflecting the circumstances of its own location.

The signs also reveal a network of civic participation. Nonprofit organizations coordinated fundraising; businesses and banks contributed money; private individuals donated sculptures; municipal governments accepted gifts; and Neokraft Signs supplied manufacturing expertise. The project did not depend on a single statewide appropriation or one permanent funding organization. Instead, it grew through a series of local partnerships and decisions.²⁹

This pattern is important to the project's historical significance. Public art is sometimes understood primarily as the work of an individual artist, but the HOPEFUL Project demonstrates the role of institutions, sponsors, fabricators, and residents in making art visible and accessible. A design becomes part of public life when a community decides to host it, finds a way to finance or receive it, and gives it a place within the everyday landscape.

The project's different funding arrangements also explain why its total cost remains uncertain. Bangor's $33,000 fundraising campaign and Ellsworth's $40,000 campaign are documented, while the values of donated signs and the exact contributions of many sponsors remain unavailable. The figures should not be combined into a statewide budget because they represent different projects and different forms of financial information.

Conclusion

The HOPEFUL Project began in Portland in 2019 as Charlie Hewitt's response to the darkness of Maine winters and the wider atmosphere of anxiety and division in American society. The original Speedwell Projects commission established a visual statement that could be understood quickly while encouraging a deeper question: what does it mean to remain hopeful, and what responsibilities accompany that choice?

The partnership between Hewitt and Neokraft Signs made it possible to realize the concept at a scale suitable for prominent public spaces. Through fabrication, local sponsorship, donations, and community fundraising, the work expanded to ten Maine locations and to installations beyond the state. Its development demonstrates how a public-art project can grow through the combined efforts of an artist, skilled manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, municipalities, and individual donors.

Each Maine installation has its own history. Augusta's sign emerged from United Way and business sponsorship; Bangor's was supported by a $33,000 community campaign; Bath's was developed through local fundraising and artist support; Brunswick and Hallowell received gifts from Hewitt; Ellsworth raised $40,000; Kittery's funding history remains incompletely documented; Lewiston's sign connected Hewitt's hometown with its industrial landscape; Portland provided the original commission; and Rumford received a donated sign from Neokraft's Phil Bolduc.

The project's history is therefore not only a record of ten illuminated signs. It is also a history of the partnerships that made them possible and of the ways communities have chosen to express solidarity, optimism, and civic responsibility through public art.

Footnotes

Source note: The newspaper and institutional materials consulted for this essay are primarily online editions and web pages without stable printed pagination. Their page numbers are therefore unavailable; no page numbers have been invented. The original print editions, where applicable, should be consulted if page-specific citations are required.

1. Hopeful Maine, “About Hopeful,” official project history, accessed October 2026; Maine Arts Commission, “Maine Artist Charlie Hewitt Launches First Digital Collection of NFTs,” 2022, section discussing the HOPEFUL Project.

2. Speedwell Projects, “A Hopeful Prayer for Portland,” May 31, 2019; Hopeful Maine, “The Hopeful Project,” artist's account of the project's origins.

3. Hopeful Maine, “Hopeful Signs,” official directory of Maine installations; Hopeful Maine, “About Hopeful.”

4. Hopeful Maine, “The Hopeful Project”; Speedwell Projects, “A Hopeful Prayer for Portland,” May 31, 2019.

5. Bob Keyes, “Artist Hopes Lighted Sculpture in Woodfords Corner Will Give Off Positive Vibes,” Portland Press Herald, May 28, 2019; Speedwell Projects, “A Hopeful Prayer for Portland,” May 31, 2019.

6. Speedwell Projects, “A Hopeful Prayer for Portland,” May 31, 2019.

7. Maine Arts Commission, “Maine Artist Charlie Hewitt Launches First Digital Collection of NFTs,” 2022; Bill Trotter, “A ‘Hopeful’ Sign May Soon Grace Downtown Ellsworth,” Bangor Daily News, May 28, 2024.

8. Hopeful Maine, “The Hopeful Project.”

9. Trotter, “A ‘Hopeful’ Sign May Soon Grace Downtown Ellsworth”; Christopher Wheelock, “Lewiston-Born Artist Brings Hopeful Message to CMMC to Honor Medical Professionals,” Sun Journal, November 9, 2023.

10. Hopeful Maine, “The Hopeful Project.”

11. Wheelock, “Lewiston-Born Artist Brings Hopeful Message to CMMC to Honor Medical Professionals”; Portland Press Herald, “Artist Plans a New ‘Hopeful’ Installation in Lewiston,” December 9, 2019; Town of Rumford, “Hopeful Press Release,” May 12, 2023.

12. Charlie Hewitt Studio, “Hopeful Sculptures, Paintings, and Billboards Send Optimistic Message Across America,” press release, January 18, 2022.

13. Hopeful Maine, “Hopeful Signs,” official directory.

14. Times Record, “Brunswick Library's New Hopeful Sign Is Here to Stay,” April 4, 2021; Ethan Horton, “Hallowell's ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Stay Permanently on City Hall,” Kennebec Journal, January 15, 2025; Town of Rumford, “Hopeful Press Release,” May 12, 2023.

15. Bangor Daily News, “Newest ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Light Up Augusta,” September 20, 2022; Emily Burnham, “Bangor's ‘Hopeful’ New Piece of Public Art, Meant to Send a Message, Is Lit Up,” Bangor Daily News, December 16, 2021; Trotter, “A ‘Hopeful’ Sign May Soon Grace Downtown Ellsworth”; City of Bath, Community Development Committee and City Council meeting materials concerning the HOPEFUL sculpture, 2022–2024.

16. Bangor Daily News, “Newest ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Light Up Augusta,” September 20, 2022; REM, “Hopeful Sign,” announcement of the Augusta installation and sponsors, September 2022.

17. Emily Burnham, “Bangor's ‘Hopeful’ New Piece of Public Art, Meant to Send a Message, Is Lit Up,” Bangor Daily News, December 16, 2021.

18. Portland Press Herald, “Bath Police Department to Install ‘Hopeful’ Sign on Its Building,” December 4, 2024.

19. City of Bath, Community Development Committee and City Council meeting materials concerning the HOPEFUL sculpture, 2022–2024; Portland Press Herald, “Bath Police Department to Install ‘Hopeful’ Sign on Its Building,” December 4, 2024.

20. Times Record, “Brunswick Library's New Hopeful Sign Is Here to Stay,” April 4, 2021.

21. Trotter, “A ‘Hopeful’ Sign May Soon Grace Downtown Ellsworth”; Chris Popper, “Feeling Hopeful in Ellsworth,” WDEA, September 27, 2024.

22. Horton, “Hallowell's ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Stay Permanently on City Hall.”

23. Hopeful Maine, “Hopeful Signs,” official directory.

24. Portland Press Herald, “Artist Plans a New ‘Hopeful’ Installation in Lewiston,” December 9, 2019.

25. Wheelock, “Lewiston-Born Artist Brings Hopeful Message to CMMC to Honor Medical Professionals”; Hopeful Maine, “Hopeful Signs,” official directory.

26. Keyes, “Artist Hopes Lighted Sculpture in Woodfords Corner Will Give Off Positive Vibes”; Speedwell Projects, “A Hopeful Prayer for Portland,” May 31, 2019.

27. Town of Rumford, “Hopeful Press Release,” May 12, 2023.

28. Town of Rumford, “Hopeful Press Release,” May 12, 2023.

29. Hopeful Maine, “Hopeful Signs”; Burnham, “Bangor's ‘Hopeful’ New Piece of Public Art”; Trotter, “A ‘Hopeful’ Sign May Soon Grace Downtown Ellsworth”; Horton, “Hallowell's ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Stay Permanently on City Hall.”

Bibliography

Bath, City of. Community Development Committee and City Council meeting materials concerning the HOPEFUL sculpture. 2022–2024.

Burnham, Emily. “Bangor's ‘Hopeful’ New Piece of Public Art, Meant to Send a Message, Is Lit Up.” Bangor Daily News. December 16, 2021.

Charlie Hewitt Studio. “Hopeful Sculptures, Paintings, and Billboards Send Optimistic Message Across America.” Press release. January 18, 2022.

Horton, Ethan. “Hallowell's ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Stay Permanently on City Hall.” Kennebec Journal. January 15, 2025.

Hopeful Maine. “About Hopeful.” Official project history.

Hopeful Maine. “Hopeful Signs.” Official directory of Maine installations.

Hopeful Maine. “The Hopeful Project.” Artist's account of the project's origins.

Keyes, Bob. “Artist Hopes Lighted Sculpture in Woodfords Corner Will Give Off Positive Vibes.” Portland Press Herald. May 28, 2019.

Maine Arts Commission. “Maine Artist Charlie Hewitt Launches First Digital Collection of NFTs.” 2022.

Popper, Chris. “Feeling Hopeful in Ellsworth.” WDEA. September 27, 2024.

Portland Press Herald. “Artist Plans a New ‘Hopeful’ Installation in Lewiston.” December 9, 2019.

Portland Press Herald. “Bath Police Department to Install ‘Hopeful’ Sign on Its Building.” December 4, 2024.

REM. “Hopeful Sign.” Announcement of the Augusta installation and sponsors. September 2022.

Speedwell Projects. “A Hopeful Prayer for Portland.” May 31, 2019.

Times Record. “Brunswick Library's New Hopeful Sign Is Here to Stay.” April 4, 2021.

Town of Rumford. “Hopeful Press Release.” May 12, 2023.

Trotter, Bill. “A ‘Hopeful’ Sign May Soon Grace Downtown Ellsworth.” Bangor Daily News. May 28, 2024.

Wheelock, Christopher. “Lewiston-Born Artist Brings Hopeful Message to CMMC to Honor Medical Professionals.” Sun Journal. November 9, 2023.

Bangor Daily News. “Newest ‘Hopeful’ Sign to Light Up Augusta.” September 20, 2022.

The HOPEFUL Project began in Portland, Maine, in 2019 when artist Charlie Hewitt created an illuminated sculpture for Speedwell Projects at 630 Forest Avenue. Inspired by concerns about political division, violence, and uncertainty in American society, Hewitt envisioned an artwork that would offer a message of optimism while encouraging people to take an active role in their communities. The sculpture's bold lettering and colorful lights drew inspiration from mid-twentieth-century roadside signs and illuminated marquees. More than a decorative display, the word HOPEFUL represented Hewitt's belief that hope requires commitment, compassion, and participation in the lives of others.

The project's growth depended on the collaboration between Hewitt and Neokraft Signs, a custom sign manufacturer based in Lewiston, Maine. Neokraft's fabrication expertise helped transform Hewitt's artistic vision into large, illuminated sculptures suitable for prominent public locations. As interest in the project spread, communities throughout Maine embraced the signs as expressions of encouragement, civic pride, and solidarity. The ten Maine installations are located in Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Hallowell, Kittery, Lewiston, Portland, and Rumford. Each installation reflects the character of its setting, whether displayed at a public library, police department, municipal building, commercial district, or highway visitor center.

The financial history of the HOPEFUL Project illustrates the importance of community participation in public art. Funding arrangements varied by location, encompassing private donations, business sponsorships, nonprofit partnerships, and local fundraising campaigns. Bangor raised $33,000 to support its installation, while Ellsworth's campaign reached $40,000. Other communities benefited from gifts by Hewitt or private benefactors. In Rumford, Neokraft owner Phil Bolduc donated a sign in memory of his father, Jean Bolduc, who immigrated from Quebec in 1957. Although the available records do not establish a complete statewide budget or the individual contributions of every sponsor, they demonstrate how artists, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local residents worked together to bring the project to life.

The HOPEFUL Project's significance extends beyond its illuminated sculptures. It demonstrates how public art can create a shared message across communities with different histories, institutions, and needs. In Portland, the original sign expressed Hewitt's response to uncertainty and social division; in Hallowell, the sculpture became associated with recovery after flooding; in Rumford, it connected hope with family history and immigration; and in Lewiston, the project reflected the artist's ties to his industrial hometown. Together, the ten installations form a statewide network of public artworks that encourage resilience, mutual support, and civic responsibility. Their history is not only the story of one artist's vision, but also an account of the people and partnerships that made that vision part of Maine's public landscape.