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Updated: 5 hours ago

Ellsworth is the latest community to see a sign of ‘Hopeful’

A composite image shows a sign on top of a building Photo / Courtesy Hopeful Ellsworth Initiative This composite image shows what the Hopeful sign will look like in downtown Ellsworth.
By Laurie Schreiber

A group of partners in the Hancock County city of Ellsworth is injecting hope into the downtown neighborhood — with the installation of one of the lighted “Hopeful” signs that are proliferating around the state.

A group called the Hopeful Ellsworth Initiative said it completed a fundraising campaign that raised $40,000 to bring the "Hopeful" sign to downtown Ellsworth. The year-long campaign raised funds from corporate and private donors, according to a news release. 

Sponsors and donors include Cross Insurance, Maine Community Foundation, Holt Family Fund, City of Ellsworth, Franklin Savings Bank, Bangor Savings Bank, Penobscot Financial Advisors, Patrick Marino Fund, TRiO Gifts and local private individuals.

The sign will be installed this week and lit Sept. 29.

Created by artist and Lewiston native Charlie Hewitt, the artistic sign will be installed on the roof of the former Newbury building, also called the JB Atlantic building and recently dubbed the Newberry Exchange. 

The Newberry Exchange, owned by Bill Sanborn and John Hutchins, is a prominent building near city cornerstones such as the Grand Theater and the Ellsworth City Hall. Space there was leased this year to Black Moon Public House, TRiO Gifts and Vinyl Vogue.

The LED installation will overlook the Franklin Street Parklet and will be positioned at an angle facing down Main Street.

The plan is to keep it illuminated year-round. 

‘Hopeful’s origin

Hewitt is a Lewiston native whose artwork is represented in numerous collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York Public Library and Brooklyn Museum; the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; and the Portland Museum of Art. His paintings, prints and sculptures are rooted in expressionism and surrealism.

When he became interested in making neon-lighting sculptures, he visited Neokraft Signs Inc., a sign manufacturer in Lewiston whose work includes neon lighting.

Charlie Hewitt holds one of his neon signs.
Photo / Courtesy Hopeful Ellsworth Initiative
Lewiston artist Charlie Hewitt is seen with one of his Hopeful signs.

“It was the chance to illuminate my images as retro marquee sculpture and on a huge scale,” he told Mainebiz several years ago.

Hewitt had a concept in mind — a bold statement with a message spelled out in bright colors and marquee lights. The word “hopeful” popped up as a message that was right for the moment.

He asked David Wolfe at Wolfe Editions — a printer and publisher of letterpress and fine art books, prints and posters in Portland — to help him design a font that would “carry” the message. Wolfe conceived of a retro automotive sign design.

The first, 24-foot-long Hopeful sign was installed in 2019 on the roof of Speedwell Projects, a nonprofit gallery in Portland.

Since then, Hewitt has completed Hopeful commissions for other places. To date, Hopeful signs have been made for dozens of sites, both public and private, in seven states, including an appearance at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, according to Hewitt’s website.

The plan is to light the Hopeful installation Sept. 29 at 5 p.m., with a community gathering in the Franklin Street Parklet — and Hewitt  on hand to flip the switch.

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