New artwork captures Western Maine’s most significant geological sites through story, science, and design
BETHEL, MAINE — (May 2026) — The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum (MMGM) has unveiled its new Geological Heritage Map, an original, hand-illustrated artistic rendering that reimagines Western Maine’s most significant geological sites, mining history, and cultural landmarks through watercolor, storytelling, and design.
Developed as part of the museum’s “Stones & Stories: Sharing Maine’s Legacy Through Interpretive Storytelling” initiative, supported by the Maine Office of Tourism and VisitMaine.com, the map is designed as both an interpretive piece and a collectible work of art, inviting visitors to engage more deeply with the region’s geological identity.
Created by artist Brian McGregor, a graduate of Bowdoin College, the map is hand-drawn in watercolor and ink, using layered earth tones and detailed linework to reflect the textures of Maine’s landscape. Throughout the composition, elements of the state’s geological identity are woven directly into the design, including tourmaline, Maine’s state gemstone, alongside other minerals, landforms, and features that define the region.
The Geological Heritage Map acts as a unifying piece within the broader Stones & Stories initiative, bringing together the museum’s video series, oral histories, and place-based storytelling to connect new audiences with Maine’s geological and cultural heritage. The map translates filmed conversations into a visual landscape, with sites featured in interviews with miners, quarry workers, and community voices reappearing across the composition. Linking personal stories to the places where they unfolded allows visitors to move between story and landscape.
Featured across the map are some of Western Maine’s most significant geological sites, each a chapter in the region’s mineral story, including:
- Plumbago Mountain: The site of the legendary “Big Find” of the 1970s, miners uncovered the largest cache of gem-quality tourmaline ever discovered.
- Emmons Quarry: Where MMGM continues active pegmatite research.
- Mount Mica: the birthplace of Maine’s tourmaline discovery.
- Mount Marie, Havey Quarry, Wheeler Brothers Mica Mine and more.
The map serves as a visual representation of both historically significant and present-day sites, including mines and locations that shaped Maine’s mineral legacy. Some are accessible to the public, while others are preserved as places to remember, clearly noted within the map’s legend.
At the center of it all sits the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum, positioned not just geographically, but symbolically, as a hub for preserving Maine’s geological past while advancing research and public understanding of the natural world.
“These sites aren’t isolated points; they’re part of a connected geological story that defines Western Maine,” said Myles Felch, MMGM Curator and Staff Geologist. “Together, they show how the region’s geology developed and how ongoing discovery continues to refine our understanding.”
“This piece makes history tangible,” said MMGM Executive Director Kristy Griffin. “It brings together the landscape, the discoveries, and the human stories in a way people can really see.”
The project includes a 16” x 22” original watercolor painting, a high-resolution digital version for web and print use, and a limited run of 25 signed and numbered fine art prints available through the museum.
The Geological Heritage Map is now available online at mainemineralmuseum.org. A limited number of prints will be for sale at the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum Store in Bethel later this year.
Watch the Stones & Stories short series here.
About the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum
Nestled in the heart of Bethel, MMGM is home to the most significant collection of Maine minerals and gemstones in the world. A one-of-a-kind destination where geology, history, science, and education come to life, the museum also boasts one of the rarest displays of meteorites in the world, including Moon and Mars rocks. Through hands-on exhibits, expert storytelling, and cutting-edge research, MMGM inspires curiosity in visitors of all ages. Inviting them to explore the incredible story of our planet — and beyond.
For more information, visit mainemineralmuseum.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mainemineralmuseum.
