Hallowell resident and Ā鶹APP (UMA) art professor Robert Katz spent the past 10 months researching the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement in an effort to design a meaningful and enduring memorial dedicated to Dr. Kingā€™s life and legacy.

As a finalist in the MLK design competition sponsored by the City of Portland, Katz assembled a team of educators, artists, architects, historians and craftspeople to join him in a collaborative design process.

On his team were numerous Maine residents, including: Ben Stoodley and Arielle Cousens of Readfield, who are both graduates of Ā鶹APP art and architecture programs and who are established architectural designers; Chris Meyers Asch of Hallowell, who is a nationally recognized civil rights historian; and Douglas Quin, a Professor of Communications at Syracuse University. In addition, Noah Katz, a 9th grader at Kents Hill School, provided background research and graphic images for the teamā€™s initial conceptual plans. Katz invited his son, Noah, to be a part of the team because he felt that it was imperative to have a young personā€™s perspective of Dr. Kingā€™s achievements. He believed that his teamā€™s design would serve as a resource for future generations of Maine students who need to be aware of Dr. Kingā€™s place in American history and the ongoing struggle for equality and social justice in our society.

On March 3, Katz and his team arrived at Portlandā€™s City Hall to present their final design to the selection committee. They were the only design team left in the competition. After their presentation, discussions and questions followed. Then Katz and his team began their drive back to Augusta. The committeeā€™s deliberations were live streamed, and, before they arrived home, their phones were ringing with friends and colleagues from around the country informing them that the committee had decided not to move forward with their, or any other, submitted design proposal.

He reminded his team of his opening remarks that evening when he addressed the committee members, ā€œWe are honored to be a part of the process to design a permanent memorial dedicated to the life of Dr. King. Regardless of the decision that this committee comes to, I wish to thank you for the opportunity to share with you today our design entitled ā€˜The Welcome Tableā€™, an aspirational goal often referenced by Dr. King. We must remember that the story of Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement must remain in the forefront of our collective consciousness as we continue to negotiate our way through an imperfect society.ā€œ

In the days following the decision, comments from the community arrived bolstering Katzā€™s team vision for their memorial design.

Cumberland resident Nick Mills, an award winning journalist and combat photographer wrote, ā€œI have visited Maya Linā€™s Wall in Washington DC a number of times and it always buckles my knees. For many veterans, her Wall perfectly captures the essence of the Viet Nam experience like no figurative work can do. Similarly, Katzā€™s (MLK) design invites communication and thought, not simply about a man but about what he stood for and died for.ā€

Judith Sobol, the curator of collections for the Iris and Gerald Cantor Foundation wrote ā€œI am impressed by the thoughtful symbolism, complicated yet never overpowering, and the grace and lyricism of the whole sculpture project. I bow to you and your teamā€.

Then Katz received an unexpected message from Dr. Aaron Rosen, Director of the Henry Luce lll Center for the Arts and Religion in Washington DC, and a native of Pittsfield, Maine. ā€œYours is precisely the type of memorial Dr. King would have wanted, pushing the struggle forward, together.ā€ With those remarks, Dr. Rosen then invited Katz to bring the model and renderings to Washington D.C., where it is expected to go on permanent display at the Wesley Theological Seminary. In addition, discussions will begin for the possible fabrication of the memorial.

Originally designed for the Bayside Trail site in Portland, The Welcome Table may now be installed in the city of the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King gave his memorable, ā€œI Have A Dreamā€ speech in 1963 to a gathering of 250,000 people.

As Katz reminded his team a few weeks ago, ā€œWhen one door closes, another opens.ā€

For more information about Katzā€™s design and photographs of the model and renderings, contact him at rkatz@maine.edu or at 592-8639.

Images provided courtesy of Robert Katz

Image 1 ā€“ Rendering Scene 1

Image 2 ā€“ Rendering Scene 2

Image 3 ā€“ Professor Robert Katz working on the model in the workshop of Dan Mitchell, also pictured at right.

Robert Katz, UMA art faculty member, is one of two finalists selected from a rigorous competition to design and fabricate a permanent memorial dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that will be located on the Bayside Trail in Portland.

Robert Katz, UMA Art Faculty

The Portland City Council established the Martin Luther King Jr. Recognition Task Force to consider how Portland could acknowledge and recognize the legacy of the civil rights leader. Members of this task force established a memorial selection committee to oversee the competition and selection process. A request for proposals garnered nine entries that the task force narrowed down to two design teams for final presentations.

Katz gathered a team of designers, architects, and historians, all who have a connection with UMA to work on the submission. These include both educators and graduates of the Art and Architecture programs. He will present his final design concept to the MLK Memorial Selection Committee on March 3, 2020 at Portland’s City Hall in the Council Chambers, room 209. The event is open to the public and the committee welcomes feedback from those in attendance.

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City of Portland seeks to acknowledge and recognize legacy of civil right leader

Robert Katz, who serves on the art faculty at the Ā鶹APP (UMA), has been selected as one of the three finalists to design and fabricate a permanent memorial dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that will be located on the Bayside Trail in Portland.

This past winter the Portland City Council established the Martin Luther KingĀ Jr. Recognition Task Force to consider how Portland could acknowledge and recognize the legacy of the civil rights leader. Members of this task force established a memorial selection committee to oversee the competition and selection process.

After learning about this competition, Katz spent most of the early summer developing a conceptual plan that he submitted in mid-June. A few weeks ago, he was notified that his 14-page proposal was chosen as a finalist. Two other established architectural design/landscaping firms from Maine and New Hampshire were also selected as finalists.

Katz put together a team of designers, architects, and historians all who have a direct relationship with UMA. These include both teachers and past students of the art and architecture programs. He will continue to collaborate with members of his team through the final design process. He will present his model and drawings at the Portland City Hall on November 14, 2019. The successful finalist is anticipated to be announced on January 2020. This will be one of the most ambitious public art projects in the State of Maine.

For more information about the team and their design concepts, you can contact Professor Katz a 592-8639 orĀ rkatz@maine.edu.

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About Professor Robert Katz

Robert Katz joined the UMA art faculty in 1981 and since then he has been teaching classes in sculpture, 3 D design and drawing.

As an artist, his sculptures are often fabricated in welded steel as well as mixed-media constructions. His art has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the country and he was one of seven North American artists invited to exhibit his work at the Jiangsu Art Academy in China. He has been commissioned to design numerous Maine Percent for Art projects. In 2018, his sculptural installation entitled, The Five Books of Moses was permanently installed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

Most recently, he has served as a visiting artist and lecturer in England, Israel, Poland, China, and Newfoundland. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine. He received his undergraduate degree from New York University and his MFA from the University of Montana.