Joline Blais fills digital frames with local color

woodbrey_ben_bdn_lobsteringMaine has long held a fascination for out-of-state writers and artists, who have evoked the state’s pristine forests and rocky coastline in stories and paintings. But what is it like to grow up here? The Bangor Daily News recently showcased a series of “digital postcards” created for a New Media class taught by Still Water Co-Director Joline Blais.

Blais asked her students to find words and imagery to represent their home state in a concise form that could be shared on the Web and in social media.

bangor_daily_news_logo

As Erin Rhoda of the BDN reports,

With all the submissions we received, and with the UMaine students’ work, you feel such a strong sense of place. If you need a reminder of what’s great about Maine, look no further than these compilations. From lobstering to growing up in Madawaska, to experiencing the state’s art scene, the students wrote fond accounts of their lives here.

Joline 3d-prints her own Lego piece.
Joline 3d-prints her own Lego piece.

The article ends with student Kevin Boucher’s description of growing up in Madawaska:

Everyone knows everyone so there are no mistakes. My best memories consist of going into the woods or biking around town with my siblings. Whether I was alone or not, nothing beat an escape from reality with a long walk in what seemed like the wilderness. This photo is a reminder of that part of my childhood, the beauty of being lost in the woods, even though I never got lost.”

The idea for digital postcards originated with Liam Riordan of the University of Maine history department.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top