Press Release: Portland Museum of Art Presents Mass Timber Maine Conference
Contact:
Ashleigh H. McKown | Director of Philanthropy, Portland Museum of Art
207.494.5346 | email
Be Inspired into Action and Explore at the Mass Timber Maine Conference!
For Immediate Release
Portland, ME—The Portland Museum of Art is thrilled to announce the Maine Mass Timber Conference, taking place from November 13 to 15, 2024, in Portland, Maine. This groundbreaking event will bring together industry leaders, artists, innovators, and visionaries to explore the future of construction through mass timber technology.
Are you ready to revolutionize the way we build our cities and communities?
Maine has long been a leader in sustainable wood products, and this conference will delve into how the state can continue to play a pivotal role in the development of mass timber. Attendees will experience an immersive event, complete with "Timber Talks," lectures, discussions, and field trips that showcase the cutting-edge of sustainable construction.
We invite you to join us in embracing regenerative, climate-smart wood products and processes that lead us on a path towards long-lasting, positive outcomes for our economies and environment. Together, we can support a better future, one that fosters the people, communities, and industries poised to revitalize and reimagine our state and the Northeast.
Conference Highlights:
November 13, 2024—Field Trips
Participants will embark on insightful field trips to local mass timber projects, forests, and research and manufacturing facilities. These excursions will provide an up-close look at innovative buildings, sustainable forestry practices, and state-of-the-art production processes, guided by experts shaping the future of the industry.
Trip 1: Wood/Mass Timber R&D and
Product Innovations
University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) in Orono
TimberHP in Madison
Trip 2: Mass Timber Buildings and Prefabrication
Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College in Brunswick
The Ellis-Beauregard Foundation in Rockland
OPAL Build in Belfast
Trip 3: Portland Area Taste of Timber
New England Forestry Foundation’s Arnold Family Forest in Freeport
317 Main in Yarmouth
Patrons Oxford Insurance Building in Portland
Plus, a tour of the Portland Museum of Art’s Winslow Homer Studio on Prouts Neck
November 14-15, 2024: Timber Talks, Keynotes, and Signature Lectures
Over two days, attendees will immerse themselves in thought-provoking presentations from pioneers, change-makers, and visionaries. The agenda includes dynamic keynotes and signature lectures, offering insights into the latest advancements, innovations, and real-world applications of mass timber in sustainable construction.
Featured Speakers Include:
Amelia Baxter, Co-founder and CEO, WholeTrees Architecture and Structures
Mark H.C. Bessire, Judy and Leonard Lauder Director, Portland Museum of Art
Dennis Carlberg, Chief Sustainability Officer & Associate Vice President for Climate Action, Boston University
Tom S. Chung, Principal & Mass Timber Design Lead, Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Sophie Davis and Luke Fatora, Artistic Directors, Halcyon
Matt Delany, Library Director, Jesup Memorial Library
Pamela Franks, Director, Williams College Museum of Art
Kathleen Kolb and Verandah Porche, Authors of Shedding Light on the Working Forest
Chris Newell, Co-Founder/Director of Education, Akomawt Educational Initiative; Tribal Community Member in Residence, the University of Connecticut
Chandra Robinson, Principal, LEVER Architecture
Lucas St. Clair, President, Elliotsville Foundation, Inc.
Lindsey Wikstrom, Founding Principal, Mattaforma
Special Women in Timber Breakfast
The Women in Timber breakfast is designed to make space for women who have interest in Mass Timber as a place to connect with peers, share resources, and build relationships without agenda. Empowering women to bring forward and advocate their achievements, influence, and areas of growth to create new pathways with this novel material through cultivation, use and installation, as opportunities in art, design, engineering, and construction. We envision strengthening and spotlighting how Mass Timber is opening new avenues for women to create inspiration in their areas of interest. Brief remarks will be shared by our invited women speakers at the midpoint of the breakfast with the majority of the time dedicated to connecting and networking.
Keynote Speakers Include:
Thursday: Alan Organschi, Principal & Partner, GOAarchitecture
Friday: Peter MacKeith, Dean and Professor, Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas
Why is an Art Museum Hosting a Mass Timber Conference?
An art museum is an ideal host for a mass timber conference because art has a unique power to unite people around complex and forward-thinking ideas. Art transcends traditional boundaries, creating a space where conversations about innovation, industry, and impact can flourish. By bringing diverse perspectives together in a cultural setting, the Portland Museum of Art is fostering a dialogue that blends creativity with sustainability, helping to shape the future of architecture and construction. This approach aligns with the museum's mission to inspire and engage the community in meaningful ways, making it a natural venue for such an important discussion.
In addition, the Portland Museum of Art is at the forefront of a movement to spark a mass timber economy in Maine. Recently awarded $300,000 by the USDA for The PMA Blueprint, and a $2- million-dollar Federal Grant to support mass timber construction, the PMA’s sustainable campus expansion and unification project in collaboration with LEVER Architecture is dedicated to spurring industry and supporting the State of Maine.
Mass Timber Maine Conference Planning Committee
Andy Lilienthal, PMA Trustee, Committee Chair
Tae Chong, PMA Trustee
Tom S. Chung, Principal, Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Russell Edgar, Wood Composites Manager Advanced Structures and
Composites Center, University of Maine
Thomas Robinson, Founding Principal, LEVER Architecture
Joe Short, Vice President, Northern Forest Center
Jen Shakun, Bioeconomy Initiative Director, New England Forestry Foundation
Mass Timber Maine Conference is Sponsored By
The Portland Musuem of Art is an equal opportunity provider.