Think [Outside] The Box

So, we were driving home to our Airbnb after running errands, and we passed a small sign that said ART EXHIBIT and had an arrow.  What??!!  We went by so fast, that we went back later to take a better look and gather information. We quickly discovered “Rock Row: Inside, Outside The Box”, an outdoor public art installation. It was such a neat find just a few minutes from where we were staying!

The Basics:

For this outdoor exhibit, ten Maine artists contributed works, most using 20 ft. long shipping containers as their base. Two of the containers were open and visitors are invited to step in and become a part of the art! 

Rock Row is a multi-use commercial site. It is a huge site, but the part you are looking for is behind the Market Basket grocery store. Head towards where you figure their loading dock would be, and you will see the exhibition site off to the side. There is a parking lot nearby, but we pulled way off the road, put up our placard, and used our emergency flashers while we were parked. This gave us a smoother route to the exhibit.

The Art:

Artist Amy Stacey Curtis created mirror V, one of the participatory artworks with lots of wood blocks that guests are invited to arrange and then remove two blocks to take home with them. It makes this piece ever-changing and dynamic.  

Artist Kayte Demont created the other participatory piece, KaleidoSea. You enter this shipping container and it is like walking into an underwater garden, complete with music, lights, and a throne you can actually sit on.  

Striped Canary, a collective of Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen, created the tenth piece in this exhibition, Sketch for Rock Row. A huge wooden sculpture spilling out of a tilted shipping container. It was ever-changing too. We visited several times and would see changes happening right in front of us. It reminded us of both a jumble of picnic tables and at the same time a looping roller coaster track. It kept growing and growing! Fun Fact: They used the shipping container to store additional wood lengths that they would add on-site.  

With ten pieces to wander between, there was a style for everyone.

This retro-postcard style artwork shows the diversity of Rock Row: future concert space, nature preserve, shopping, and the giant quarry in the background!

Accessibility:

Oh my gosh! These people really seem to get it! The two shipping containers that were open inside not only had ramps, but they were smooth, gradual incline ramps with smooth access paths leading from the road, up to the ramps. It’s incredible for a temporary exhibit space to pay so much attention to access. It was better than we see in many permanent sites. We were shocked, but for once, in a good way. Thank you Rock Row!  

With my freewheel attachment, I was able to roll on the grassy areas and get up close to the sculptures and other shipping containers. Without it, the grass or rocks would have been a problem for me, so if it is for you too, remember that these are right along a service road that gets a lot of distracted shopping center traffic. Stay close to the edge of the road and make sure traffic knows you are there.