Portland Museum of Art
Portland, ME
The McLellan House at the Portland Museum of Art re-opened in October of 2002 after a complete restoration that returned the Federal-era building to its former elegance. At one time the home of museum founder Margaret Sweat, the building now serves as both a gallery for the museum’s outstanding collection of 19th century American art, and a center for learning about the architectural and cultural heritage of New England.
Through video and interactive media produced by Chedd-Angier-Lewis, visitors learn the story of this historic home, its meticulous restoration and its ongoing preservation.
Build It challenges visitors to finish an empty, three-dimensional Victorian parlor with architectural details, ultimately comparing the cost and appearance of their choices to those of a similar room in the McLellan House.
Points of interest throughout the building are highlighted in Behind These Walls, a virtual tour of the site punctuated with ‘hotspots‘ that invite the visitor to view historic photos, documents, and video clips of the restoration process.
Mapping Portland encourages visitors to explore the surrounding city using historical maps from three distinct time periods. A virtual magnifying glass permits them to browse contextual media on each map, with an emphasis on sites that are significant to the evolution of Portland’s art community.