Almost all Bates students find their way to downtown Lewiston’s Lisbon Street, whether for a world-famous bagel, some Somali tea, a concert or exhibit at LA Arts, a grassroots organizing meeting at Maine People’s Alliance, or a weekly volunteer engagement at Safe Voices, the New Mainer’s Public Health Initiative, or the District Courthouse. But what do we know about the past lives of this storied street?

As the new year comes into focus, we are zooming in on a digital media project undertaken last semester by Bates students in “Introduction to Digital Media,” taught by professor Courtney Smith. As their final project in the class, students worked in small groups to research Lewiston’s iconic Lisbon Street. They then used archival materials to create a digital story of Lisbon Street through the years, which was projected outward from a gallery for three weeks so that passersby could enjoy the 10-minute visual narrative as they walked or drove down Lisbon Street. Our friends at the Sun Journal wrote a lovely article, including photos at the “big reveal” event for the project. This link should take you to the article. If the paper’s paywall gets in the way, you could also consider a $2.50/week subscription, which provides access to the Sun Journal, the Portland Press Herald, and several other Maine papers.

Enjoy!