Tides Rise Us All

20 years of Compass Project

August 19 – November 11, 2022

Opening Reception: Friday September 16th, 5:30-7:30PM during ArtWalk

The Compass Project was founded in 2002 in Portland Maine with the goal of engaging youth in hands-on, experiential, and cooperative learning through the building of wooden boats. In 2015, Engine adopted the Compass Project and partnered with local schools and colleges to bring boat building to their classrooms. In 2019 the Covid 19 pandemic forced a dramatic shift in how Compass classes were taught. Instead of in-person collaborative boat building, students were taught similar skills virtually through the building of model boats. In recent years, as restrictions have eased, we have returned to in person classes at Biddeford High School with renewed focus on helping youth develop a more meaningful relationship community and environment. Today, in addition to building boats, Compass students work on independent projects, exploring areas of personal interest, and work on projects for organizations within our Biddeford community, allowing students to see their contributions in the real world. Compass Project has brought together thousands of individuals and families through the joy of launching these vessels into the world. Tides Rise Us All is a celebration of the work completed by Compass students in the past year as we set a new course.

Featuring the work of many hands, this exhibition invites you to respond to the question, “What Anchors You?” and will seed a series of events and engagements with our 2022-2023 Compass Project Youth.