Passing the torch

History

Passing the Torch is a collection of three illuminated bronze sculpture mounted on Maine granite by artist, Mark Pettegrow. The artwork contributes as a visual gateway into Portland, located within the Deering Avenue Roundabout that was completed in 2021.

Artist statement

The lighted torch has come to symbolize “the light of spirit, knowledge, and life.” In modern times this upraised torch has become a common emblem of both enlightenment and hope. Academically it represents the ability for each of us to serve as a guiding light for others, the torch as a beacon of light, eradicating ignorance. The torch is also a symbol of home and welcome- to keep the home fires burning, to light the torches to guide you home. The phrase “passing on the torch” has also come to represent the passing on of knowledge and expertise through the generations. The upheld torch has become a cross c

ultural, fertile and meaningful symbol and seems the perfect thematic element to define a space positioned adjacent to a center of higher learning and tasked with becoming a new gateway into Portland.

Contributors

Bronze casting by Peter Dransfield, South Portland ME

Stainless steel and bronze fabrication by Ray Mathis, Thomaston ME

Landscape Design by Amy Segal, Sebago Technics, South Portland ME

Granite boulders by Millennium Granite, Wells ME

Images courtesy of Gillian Cook © 2023