Drivers in Portland, Me., are now the benefactors of New Hope artist Mark Pettigrow, whose soaring sculpture has transformed an everyday traffic circle into an encounter with beauty. SeacoastOnline pounded out the details.

The piece, entitled “Passing the Torch,” comprises three soaring flames made of bronze, which soar 8-12 feet into the air. Anchoring them to the site is a foundation of Maine granite.

The torch, which is lit at night, is positioned as a “gateway” icon into Portland, a significance that resonated with Pettigrow.

“Since Portland was my first home after graduating from the University of Maine, having my work placed here represents something of a homecoming for me,” he said.

Because the work was to speak to a wide — and perhaps distracted — audience, Pettigrow worked to ensure its accessibility.

He arrived at the flames as a “a resonant cultural symbol. … Lighted torches are placed to each side of a path to show the way; they drive out the dark. A lighted torch leads you home,” he explained.

Pettigrow came to the area to study at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts. He still maintains his New Hope studio.

The Portland Public Art Committee commissioned the work in 2019; its ribbon-cutting was in Nov.

More on this faraway, high-trafficked art icon with a Bucks County twist is at SeacoastOnline.