Maine foundation to sell artist Robert Indiana’s former home, other property on Vinalhaven
A Vinalhaven resident rides a bike past Robert Indiana's former Vinalhaven home in May 2018. The Star of Hope Foundation founded by Indiana before his death is planning to sell the building. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
The Star of Hope Foundation is selling the majority of its properties on Vinalhaven, including the former home of the late artist Robert Indiana.
The foundation was established in 2016 by Indiana, who died in May 2018 at 89. The acclaimed artist, best known for his iconic and widely reproduced “LOVE” sculpture, moved to the Maine island in 1978.
The foundation announced its plan to sell the properties Wednesday.
“We’ve made the decision to sell our property holdings so we can put those resources to work where they matter most: directly into artistic and cultural initiatives on Vinalhaven,” foundation board Chair Emily Lane said in a news release.
The properties include the Star of Hope Lodge at 46 Main St., which is listed for $1.4 million, and 10 Main St., listed for $210,000. Indiana purchased the then-Odd Fellows Lodge in the 1970s for $10,000.
“The Foundation has a long history on Vinalhaven, and we’re proud of that history,” Lane said. “The Lodge has been vacant for nearly a decade, and we’re hopeful that its sale will create an opportunity for new energy on Main Street while allowing us to put our resources to work in the community in a different way.”
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The lodge was placed on Maine Preservation’s list of most endangered historic places months after Indiana’s death in 2018.
Indiana’s will directed the lodge to be turned into a museum, but a flurry of legal battles ensued in the wake of his death, including over his estate. A federal court has ruled that some artwork attributed to him late in life was fraudulent.
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Plans for the museum began to move ahead in 2019, and the foundation eventually had the lodge stabilized and refurbished. In 2021, it was used to exhibit the art of local students, viewed through the lodge’s once-shuttered windows.
But its future has since remained uncertain. Some community members have expressed interest in it becoming a center for the arts or other public meeting space.
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Tagged: art, maine preservation, robert indiana
Drew is the night reporter for the Portland Press Herald. He previously covered South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth for the Sentry, Leader and Southern Forecaster. Though he is from Massachusetts,. More by Drew Johnson
