AUGUSTA — Works by more than 30 artists will be displayed in the Hall of Flags at the State House on May 2 for “Lest We Forget,” a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the closing of the Pineland Center in New Gloucester.
“This exhibit will bring the voices of the people with disabilities we serve into our celebration,” Mary Lou Dyer, managing director of the Maine Association for Community Service Providers, said in a statement.
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“The remarkable diversity and creativity of the pieces underscore the value of supporting community integration and self-expression for everyone, including individuals with disabilities.”
The decision to close Pineland and integrate its residents in communities speaks to the commitment by Mainers to inclusion and fairness, Dyer said.
In 1907, the Maine Legislature established the school for “idiotic and feeble-minded” children at Pineland. In the late 1950s, 1,700 residents lived in about 50 buildings there. The last resident left in 1996.
The Maine Association for Community Service Providers includes almost 70 organizations. Services provided to people with intellectual disabilities include preschools, community, work and home supports, respite and parent education.
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