Norma's Creations
Art. Craft. Design.
Various Projects
Here are some of the different projects I am currently working on and past projects.
Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine
Earlier this year, there was a call to artists from the Children's Museum in Portland for a mural in their IDEXX STEM Learning Hub.
The theme: an Abenaki Watershed, focusing on the Presumpscot River with a map like depiction, no place names and meant to encourage future water protectors. Knowing how big and wide of cast this call to action was, I applied and waited patiently to learn who they selected. To my delighted surprise, I saw in my email that I was chosen, my design was the winner! What an honor. This month, in September, I went to Portland for 4 days to bring my drawing to life, and also with much thanks to my man for helping me. It was an amazing experience and is still continuing with a planned reveal on Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, Sept. 12th!
Read more about the story at the CMTM's blog.
Wilson Museum, Castine, Maine
Penobscot Portraits for Signage
This summer I spent some time dreaming and conjuring up images of well known Penobscot people and lineage associated with the Late Charles Shay, including Madockawando, well known Penobscot sὰkəmα. These Penobscot portraits will be featured along with educational information about them on signs around the Wilson Museum. Images to follow soon.
UMass Boston Harborwalk
Friends of the Boston Harborwalk have been creating engaging and inclusive interpretive signs along Boston's 43-mile Harborwalk for the past decade. This is one of the signs installed along the stretch of Harborwalk that circles the University of Massachusetts, Boston and was developed in close partnership with the Massachusett Tribal Council.
Here I have digitally painted the Massachusett Tribe in their homelands before European Arrival.
To learn more information, you can visit their website here.
You can view the full image on my fresh page.
Transformer Tales
I have the great opportunity of working, learning, and collaborating with linguist members of the Penobscot Nation, English Professor, and Linguist Professor with continuing their work on the Transformer Tales as told by Penobscot Newell Lyon to Frank Speck. Working closely with them breaking down the language for readers while creating scenes from the stories carried through time.
Click the link below to read more about their first volume.
Children's Book working with Author Minquansis Sapiel
This summer I had the opportunity to work with my cousin Minquansis Sapiel, (children's author and Wabanaki tour guide) on illustrating a cultural children's book featuring a Wabanaki Story.
Purchase here on Amazon
Audubon Seabird Institute at the Downeast Birding Festival at Cobscook Institute, May 2025
Boat Trip
We started the weekend early with a crew of Wabanaki folks interested in birding and kindly sponsored by Audubon to visit the Machias Bay Area
Wabanaki Perspectives
Fellow Audubon Seabird Institute staff and myself gave presentations - I provided my individual Wabanaki perspective of history, the importance of caring for the land, water, plants and animals and the collaborative efforts between Audubon and Wabanaki. They followed up with their work in bird/land/water conservation and important information about the endangered Least Tern..
Least Tern Decoys
We followed up our presentations with an easy and fun Least Tern Bird decoy painting session that people could then take home with them.
Fun & Friends
With every collaborative event I participate in, I am grateful for the fun and friendly people I get to work with.
2025 Maine Land Conservation Conference
In April 2025, I participated in a Maine Land Network Trust conference panel featuring Wabanaki perspectives and how they relate to and correspond with Maine conservation sites and organizations all while featuring my art - from collaboration with Maine Coast Heritage Trust and fellow Wabanaki members as well as art that ties me to ancestral lands.
Sipuhsisuwi-Kcihq
Riverfront Woods in the Town of Yarmouth
January - October 2025
Another great collaborative project - creating signage for trails in the Riverfront Woods that speak about the Wabanaki people. These signs inform and educate hikers about the Wabanaki culture and their values towards nature, while looking at artwork and language. The folks involved are from the Town of Yarmouth, the Yarmouth Rotary Club, The Yarmouth Indigenous Club, Fluent Passamaquoddy speaker Dwayne Tomah and Maliseet member, Ron Siviski, who advocated for Wabanaki education and presence in the town of Yarmouth, and myself, creating the art. You can learn more on the Town of Yarmouth's website.
Poetry Book
In the beginning of 2025, I spent my time working and creating illustrations of native plant and animal species to the New England / Wabanaki Territory area.
The book features many different poets with my artwork accompanying their poems. The book is planned to be released in 2026, and will be titled
"Cape Cod to Nova Scotia: Art, Ecology, Poetry of the Gulf of Maine",
stay tuned for more information.
In 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to create murals, while collaborating with fellow Wabanaki members and MCHT staff, that celebrate the rich Wabanaki history of the Camden/Rockport area. Three out of four panels highlight the unique stories and traditions of the Wabanaki people, promoting their values of respect, community, and connection to nature. Through vibrant colors and thoughtful imagery, these murals invite viewers to reflect on the deep cultural heritage that is of the local landscape. The last panel, a community paneI, showcases the healing and interconnectedness one can gain when participating in this vibrant community garden and working with the land. These pieces inspire appreciation and understanding of Wabanaki culture within our community.
To learn more about this, visit Maine Coast Heritage Trust's website.