A new art exhibition sponsored by Brunswick Public Art honors an iconic span that served as the primary connection between Brunswick and Topsham for almost 100 years.
Titled “Light on the Bridge,” the show features drawings, photographs, paintings and mixed-media works depicting the historic Frank J. Wood Bridge, which is set to be demolished sometime this year. The works will be on display at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick from Jan. 4-30.
The celebration of the 93-year-old bridge comes just after the opening of a newly constructed bridge just upstream from the old one.
The effort to replace the bridge, which carries Route 201 over the Androscoggin River, began construction in April 2023, after the Maine Department of Transportation rated the bridge in poor condition.
It initially faced lengthy legal delays as historic preservation groups sought to stop the demolition of the 1932 bridge, though challenges were ultimately rejected in federal court.
The new bridge officially opened on Dec. 12 after a partial opening briefly in November.
Michael Branca, a member of the Brunswick Public Art board and artist featured in the library art show, said he hopes “Light on the Bridge” helps viewers — especially those that were against the bridge demolition — see the legacy of the Frank J. Wood Bridge in a new way.
“There were a lot of people in the community who felt like they weren’t heard, and they wanted a different outcome with the bridge being replaced,” Branca said. “Rather than this being a negative memory, people can look back at this art show.”
The inspiration for the name of the show came from a photograph submitted by David Gillis of Brunswick titled “Light Under the Bridge.”
The photo, taken just after a snowstorm in 2018, depicts morning fog rolling beneath the familiar green structure, before any construction work began.
“During that time, there was a lot of discussion about whether the green bridge should live,” Gillis said.
A self-described “amateur photographer” and professional graphic designer, Gillis has taken several photos of the bridge over the years. He grew up in the area and graduated from Mt. Ararat High School, so he has fond memories of running over the Frank J. Wood in track and marching over it during parades for band.
The photo he chose for the Curtis Memorial Library show “had an ethereal quality to it,” he said.
Brunswick Public Art is also planning to commission a sculpture for the Brunswick entrance of the new bridge using steel from its soon-to-be dismantled predecessor. The library show was a more immediate way to honor the bridge, since the sculpture project will likely take a long time, Branca said.
Brunswick Public Art advertised the non-juried exhibition over the summer, and received submissions from more than 40 community members, students and professional artists — the youngest being only 7 years old, Branca said.
“I think it’s unusual to have an art show that is so specific in its subject matter,” Branca said.
“I’m really excited to be in the room with 40-plus works of art, all of which show 40 different perspectives on the same exact thing.”
Gillis said he was equally excited to see the many different interpretations artists have on the Frank J. Wood. He hopes the Curtis Memorial Library show is “cathartic” for the community.
“It’s a nice commemoration,” he said.
Each of the pieces will be up for display during a public reception on Jan. 9 in the Morrell Meeting Room.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Katie Langley can be reached at klangley@mtln.org.