Farewell to "The Pinkies"
We have been thrilled to host Pamela "Posey" Moulton's public art installations from October, 2024 — April, 2026
The Pinkies—a trio of monumental steel sculptures sheathed in reclaimed fishing gear from beaches and coastal waters—were created by artist Pamela Moulton aka "Posey" with the help of fishermen, nonprofits, and over 5000 volunteers. These tall, huggable sculptures stood strong on the lawn in front of Freeport’s Town Hall from October 2024 through April 2026. As a landmark of public art, they did more than just spark joy; they proved how deeply our community values bold, accessible creativity that celebrates our working waterfront and coastal resilience.
While we will miss our pink friends, their success has paved the way for a vibrant new chapter of public art in Freeport. We aren't leaving that lawn empty for long, and we’ve been pining to share what’s coming next! Keep an eye out June, 2026, for a majestic new installation that honors an iconic symbol of the Maine woods.
Sculptor Pamela "Posey" Moulton brought her luminous creatures north from Portland and Meetinghouse Arts and FreeportCAN led the effort to secure them a civic home, assembling the coalition and winning town support through the Downtown Momentum Grant. We are grateful to the Town of Freeport for hosting the installation on Town Hall Lawn and to the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, Freeport Oyster Bar, Spartan Sea Farms and the Center for Arts and Ecology at the Desert of Maine for making their arrival possible. The programming that followed deepened that work, thanks to Team Zostera and COBALT, the Freeport Historical Society, Sidle House Gallery and artists Ian Trask and Mandana MacPherson.
Together these organizations turned a public art installation into an ongoing community conversation about the past and future of Freeport's working waterfront, marine ecosystems and the materials we leave behind.
THE PINKIES inspired a full series of events at Meetinghouse Arts this past May—including an art exhibition, panel discussions, performances, and workshops!
These unforgettable experiences were made possible through the invaluable partnerships we shared with the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Freeport Historical Society, COBALT & Team Zostera, and Freeport Climate Action Now.
Just as each Pinkies sculpture is supported by four legs, this multidisciplinary installation stood on four thematic pillars—Community & Place, Industry & Resources, Sustenance & Ecology and Recreation & Destination—to trace how generations have worked, thrived, and adapted along these shores. The waterfront is not simply a backdrop, it is a working and evolving partner in the life of the town.
Visitors experienced Freeport as one continuous story of ingenuity, resilience, and care. Grounded by the living history of Freeport’s coast, this exhibition explored the powerful relationships between people, place, and the sea.
ON SCREEN
Voices and Visions of the Waterfront
One of the star moments of this exhibition was a viewing room for a series of short films sharing some of the lived experiences of our working waterfront. This screening loop featured stories, memories & reflections from Maine’s coastal community. Watch them all using the links below:
MAINE COAST FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION SERIES
Created by: Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association | Directed by: David McLain
Featured: Amanda Lyons | Lubec, ME
Real hands — not machines — harvest the clams and kelp from Maine’s coastal waters
How to Catch a Scallop
Featured: Captain Seth Walker (Harpswell, ME)
Captain Seth Walker shares the fun and skill behind scallop fishing along Maine’s coast.
I Shudder to Think
Featured: Captain Jeremy Cates (Cutler, ME)
Captain Jeremy Cates explains the challenges and complexity of lobstering—and why it's harder than it looks.
MAINE COAST HARVEST SERIES
Created by: Maine Coast Harvest | Produced by: GoodFight Media
Funded by: The ZFund, Bill & Patty Zimmerman | Production support: Maine Aquaculture Association
Emily’s Oysters + Lane’s Island Shellfish
Featured: Emily Selinger & Amanda Moeser | Freeport and Yarmouth, ME
Emily and Amanda share their challenging journey as women in aquaculture, their unique direct-to-consumer
business approach, and the importance of oysters as a vital, sustainable food for the future.
Nautical Farms
Featured: Jake Patryn & Morgan-Lea Fogg (Machias, ME)
Jake, who grew up in a lobstering family, and co-founder Morgan looked for a new way to return to Maine and
build a life on the water—finding an unexpected path through seaweed farming.
Ice House Oysters
Featured: John Cotton & Toni Small (Port Clyde, ME)
After years apart while John fished offshore, Ice House Oysters gave John and Toni a way to work side-by-side on
the water—building a new future together along Maine’s coast.
Tidal 9 Fisheries
Karen Cooper & Foy Brown | North Haven, ME
Karen had no doubt that kelp farming would be a great complement to her lobstering, her father Foy on the other hand, needed a little more convincing.
North Haven Oyster Co.
Adam Campbell | North Haven, ME
Adam’s oyster farm has helped support his fishing and his family for the past two decades. Now he’s passing his knowledge on to his son and other young Mainers looking for new ways to be part of the working waterfront.
Baymen
Created by: Freeport Shellfish Commission (2013)
Produced by: Pinkhouse Productions & Tiffany Converse Photography
A short film about stewardship and sustainability on Freeport’s coast. Local harvesters share how small actions—like picking up after pets, maintaining septic systems, and avoiding lawn chemicals—help protect the clam flats and preserve the health of the working waterfront.
Oyster Farming in Maine
Eric Horne and Valy Steverlynck raise Flying Point Oysters at their farm in Freeport’s clean, cold waters, producing
oysters prized for their distinctive flavor and sweetness.
Meet Captain Coombs – Lobsterman
Fishermen like Herman Coombs harvest the day's catch by hand, trap by trap, following the traditions passed
down by generations. In lobstering life, the sea never sleeps—and neither do those who make their living from it.
Programming throughout May invited audiences to engage with themes of ecology, economy, and culture—from fisheries and aquaculture to climate resilience and coastal identity!
Creator of the Pinkies herself, Pamela Moulton aka Posey, ran a youth workshop where students created 3-D soft sculptural fish from recycled jeans!
On May 15th, we teamed up with the Freeport Historical Society for an evening of storytelling that dove into Freeport’s deep and evolving connection to the sea. From clamming and shipbuilding to charter boats and aquaculture, the coast has shaped generations of lives and livelihoods.
Through personal stories, reflections, and a bit of humor, longtime residents and voices from the working waterfront shared how life by the water had influenced families and our community. Together, we explored the threads of Freeport’s coastal identity—and reflect on how these stories continue to shape our future.
On May 22, Meetinghouse Arts hosted Becoming Seagrass, an extraordinary participatory performance that brought together Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to illuminate the importance of Casco Bay’s seagrass meadows. With powerful guidance from Dr. Dwayne Tomah (Passamaquoddy) and Chief Hugh Akagi (Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik), alongside Glenn Page of COBALT and the Team Zostera dive team, the event created a deeply moving shared experience for the audience.
Participants engaged in a ceremonial Snake Dance and collectively embodied a living seagrass meadow, affirming the interconnectedness of people and place. The event drew a global audience through its live stream, with over 80 computers tuned in, including several watch parties around the world. Becoming Seagrass honored the efforts of the Pinkies partnership, merging science, storytelling, ceremony, and movement in a one-of-a-kind communal moment.
Learn More About "The Pinkies"
Project partners: FreeportCAN, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Freeport Oyster Bar, Meetinghouse Arts, Center for Arts & Ecology at Desert of Maine
Prolific collaborator, as both teacher and artist, Pamela Moulton (Franco-American, b.1961) tries to foster an ethos of generosity and creative exchange through making art and collaborating with multi-generational communities. Posey’s installations are playful, large-scale, hands-on, and exploratory. Posey is a multi-disciplinary environmental artist whose work targets climate issues. Rooted in world-building and collaboration, she recently collaborated with over 5,000 community partners, including lobstermen, neurodivergent patients, schools, artists and many more in her TEMPOarts installation in Portland’s Payson Park. Her interactive spaces may be crawled through, climbed upon and occupied—allowing the public to explore its environmental consciousness in a direct, material way.
About Meetinghouse Arts
Meetinghouse Arts’ mission is to cultivate Greater Freeport as a vibrant center for arts and culture by fostering creative collaborations, expanding access to arts and cultural resources, and amplifying the arts and culture as tools to economically strengthen, educate, and connect the community.
About Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association
The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association (MCFA) is an industry-based nonprofit that advocates for the needs of community-based fishermen present and future, and works to enhance the sustainability of the Gulf of Maine’s fisheries.
About Freeport Climate Action Now (FreeportCAN)
Freeport Climate Action Now (FreeportCAN) is a local grassroots organization whose mission is to transform the reliance of its citizens on a fossil fuel-based lifestyle to one that enhances the life systems of our planet. Through our action groups, we help educate and advocate for our community to take advantage of opportunities to decarbonize our lifestyle.
About Freeport Oyster Bar
Freeport Oyster Bar is a popular seafood spot in Freeport, Maine, offering a selection of fresh, locally-sourced oysters and seafood. Located in a historic building near the iconic LL Bean flagship store, the bar features oysters from local farms like Spartan Sea Farms and the Maine Family Sea Farm Cooperative. With a focus on sustainability, Freeport Oyster Bar celebrates Maine’s coastal heritage, serving oysters alongside carefully curated drinks and local flavors.
About Center for Arts & Ecology at the Desert of Maine
The Center for Arts & Ecology at the Desert of Maine is a nonprofit that operates onsite at the iconic Freeport attraction. The “desert” has long stood as a visual reminder of the power of nature, made visible by the communities of plants that are actively restoring the land after the intense ecological disturbance of historic overfarming. Through immersive arts and ecology programming, their mission is to inspire people to channel the wonder they feel in the presence of nature and the creative process into meaningful action for future generations.
Questions about the project?
Contact: Suzanne Watson, Executive Director
director@meetinghousearts.org (207) 865-0044
Meetinghouse Arts, 40 Main St. Freeport, ME 04032