Grand State of Maine — Maine Tribute Moose

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Grand State of Maine turns a bronze moose into a playful gathering of symbols. Also known locally as the Maine Tribute Moose, the Van Buren artwork is Nina Katchadourian's unusual welcome near the international border. The large animal draws attention first, but the smaller forms around it provide the more surprising experience. Instead of presenting one solemn historical figure, the sculpture assembles familiar creatures, food and objects into a humorous picture of a state.

The General Services Administration identifies the work as a 2013 bronze commission for the Van Buren land port of entry. Aroostook County Tourism includes the sculpture in its Van Buren visitor route. Because the setting is an active border facility, organize any stop around lawful public access and current on-site directions. Keep inspection approaches and traffic clear, and use only a permitted observation position. The artwork is a reason to look carefully, not to improvise a route through restricted port areas.

Katchadourian's own project statement explains the reference to roadside welcome sculptures and the contrast between informal humor and bronze, a material often used for important public monuments. She describes the elements as close to life size and links the title with the state song. That intention offers a useful way to look: the moose can be both recognizable public art and a deliberately excessive assembly, asking how many objects are needed to describe the identity of one place.

The making involved another Maine artist. GSA explains that Katchadourian acquired an existing bronze moose made by wildlife sculptor Glenn Hines in 1998. Under her artistic direction, Hines modeled additional elements in clay, produced molds, cast the forms and joined them to the original animal. Distinguishing those roles gives both artists their contribution. The finished work combines a conceptual arrangement with the practical skills needed to make separate forms read as one sculpture.

Look for changes in scale within that arrangement. A cat sits on the moose, birds perch above and smaller references gather around the base. The county tourism account points out details including Moxie, a salmon and symbols associated with Maine food and natural history. Rather than treating the work as a checklist to complete, choose a familiar object and an unfamiliar one. Their unlikely proximity is part of the sculpture's humor, and a good beginning for conversation about what a state chooses to recognize.

The sculpture also has a conservation story. McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory's original treatment account describes cleaning and applying a protective wax coating to the outdoor bronze. The account records work already undertaken, not a statement about the surface's condition today. It is a reminder that a substantial metal sculpture still depends on care. Observe its details without touching, climbing or adding anything to the bronze.

Two individual Tripadvisor accounts offer modest perspectives on the stop. Becky H describes noticing it during a September 2019 road trip, while cmeego admired the bronze and its Maine references during an August 2018 visit. Their experiences belong to those dates. For photographs today, work only from a safe permitted position and select the artwork rather than port operations as the subject. Grand State of Maine rewards a closer look at how a large moose can carry a surprisingly varied collection of ideas.

Fun facts

1. Nina Katchadourian directed the 2013 public-art commission.
2. Glenn Hines made the original moose and fabricated the added forms.
3. The work’s title references Maine’s state song.

Read the official sources →

Visitor perspectives

1. Becky H’s September 2019 road-trip account found the moose and its additional Maine symbols interesting.
2. In an August 2018 visit account, cmeego appreciated the bronze work and its collection of Maine references.

Capture

1. From a permitted position, show the whole grouping before selecting a smaller symbol.
2. Choose a tight artwork detail that avoids border operations and identifiable travelers.

Social

Grand State of Maine transforms a bronze moose into an unusual welcome.

The Van Buren commission is Nina Katchadourian’s 2013 artwork.

Glenn Hines contributed the original moose and the fabrication of added symbols.

The title looks to Maine’s state song.

A familiar object beside an unexpected one can reveal the sculpture’s humor.

Outdoor bronze requires care as well as careful looking.

Follow current port directions and keep inspection traffic clear.

Which Maine reference would you recognize first?

Hashtags

1. #Cre8Travel
2. #Maine
3. #VanBuren
4. #PublicArt

Sources & visitor information

• art.gsa.gov
• www.ninakatchadourian.com
• www.visitaroostook.com
• mckaylodge.com
• www.tripadvisor.com