Hopeful, c. 2019
Hopeful, c. 2019
Bates Mill No. 5 Weave Shed, c.1914 Bates Mill Complex, c. 1850 Great Falls, Androscoggin River
Main Canal, Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine
From the Echoes, Still: Maine's Industrial Remnants Collection (2024–2028)
Murals Portfolio
Historical Narrative
Hopeful at Bates Mill No. 5: The Intersection of Public Art and Industrial Heritage
Kevin LeDuc Pigment print on Hahnemühle Baryta Edition of 5 + 1 Artist's Proof (Portfolio of 40 Images)
Paper Size: 40 × 55 inches Image Size: 31.33 × 37 inches Borders: Approximately 4 inches (All Sides)
Historic Significance
The Hopeful installation at Bates Mill No. 5 holds historic significance because it represents the connection between Lewiston’s industrial past and its ongoing transformation. The Bates Manufacturing Company complex was once a major textile manufacturing center in New England and played a defining role in the economic and physical development of the city. The historic mill buildings remain important reminders of Lewiston’s industrial heritage, reflecting the city’s transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a community focused on preservation, redevelopment, and new uses for historic spaces. The placement of Hopeful on the exterior wall of Bates Mill No. 5 strengthens this connection by bringing contemporary public art into a historic setting.
Created by Lewiston native Charlie Hewitt and illuminated in 2019, Hopeful has become a significant cultural landmark within the city. The artwork’s simple illuminated message expresses themes of optimism, resilience, and renewal while allowing residents and visitors to interpret its meaning in relation to their own experiences. Positioned on a historic industrial building, the installation demonstrates how public art can contribute to the continued relevance of historic places. Over time, Hopeful has become associated with Lewiston’s identity and its ability to preserve its past while embracing future possibilities.
Historical Narrative
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Hopeful at Bates Mill No. 5: Public Art, Industrial Heritage, and Community Renewal in Lewiston, Maine
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
Portland Press Herald, "Artist Charlie Hewitt Brings 'Hopeful' to Lewiston," December 2019.
Bates Mill Redevelopment Company, History of Bates Mill, accessed July 30, 2026.
Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., Maine's Visible Black History: The First Chronicle of Its People (Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House Publishers, 2020).
Charlie Hewitt, Hopeful, Charlie Hewitt Studio, accessed July 30, 2026.
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.
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.