University of Southern Maine (USM) alumnus and honorary degree recipient David Shaw ’76, ’15H will establish a new outdoor sculpture park adjacent to the Crewe Center for the Arts, the USM Foundation announced today. Shaw initiated the project with a gift of $500,000 to the Crewe Center as well as the donation of his signature bronze sculptures, The Amaras, which will anchor a dynamic new space for artistic expression on campus.
Shaw’s gift also serves as the opening contribution to the USM Foundation’s recently launched Crescendo Campaign, a celebratory fundraising initiative designed to elevate the Crewe Center for the Arts as one of New England’s premier destinations for creative education and performance. The campaign marks the final phase of fundraising for the Crewe Center, which has already inspired more than $25 million in philanthropic support. The $5 million Crescendo phase will focus on naming several of the Center’s most iconic spaces while building momentum around the Crewe Center’s growing role as a cultural hub for Maine and Northern New England.
Shaw’s partnership with USM on the new David E. Shaw Family Sculpture Park reflects his longstanding commitment to public art and education. His bronze Amara sculptures—installed at universities and public spaces across Maine and New England—are known for their open forms and powerful symbolism, representing the boundless possibilities of human creativity.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve appreciated sculpture’s ability to express ideas and evoke emotions—especially outdoors, where it coexists with nature and sends a human message in a natural setting,” said Shaw. “The Amaras grew from that idea. What began as a single form became a group, because together they better express the sense of joy and freedom I wanted to convey.”
The new sculpture park will be located alongside the Crewe Center for the Arts, one of New England’s most comprehensive integrated arts facilities. The placement is intentional: Shaw’s long-held belief in the accessibility of fine art echoes the Crewe Center’s role in cultivating artistic excellence at a public university where more than 40 percent of students are the first in their families to attend college.
Shaw, the CEO of Black Point Group, is a prominent American businessman and social entrepreneur. He co-founded and led IDEXX Laboratories, Ikaria Pharmaceuticals, and Covetrus, among many other businesses. His career has also included extensive public service in science, conservation, the arts, and public policy. He has served on the faculty of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the advisory board of the Center for Public Leadership, and as chair emeritus of The Jackson Laboratory, among many other leadership roles.
“David’s gift is a reflection of our vision for the arts and humanities at USM,” said USM President Jacqueline Edmondson. “The Crewe Center was never meant to simply be a building. It was meant to become a living creative force for Maine, and one that continues to grow, evolve, and inspire new acts of generosity. This sculpture park will communicate that creativity thrives when it’s shared, when it’s visible, and when it invites others to be part of it.”
Shaw’s connection to Maine and to USM runs deep. An entrepreneur, philanthropist, and artist, he has supported a wide range of initiatives spanning science, conservation, and the arts. His investment in public sculpture reflects a belief that art should be accessible, experiential, and woven into everyday life.
Shaw’s connection to art began in college, where a sculpture course introduced him to a new form of expression inspired by the cultural themes of the time—music, movement, love, and freedom. Years later, he rediscovered one of his early works, Amara, and began reimagining it as a series. Today, groups of Amara sculptures inhabit landscapes across the Northeast, each installation reinforcing a shared message of joy and possibility.
The Shaw Sculpture Park will serve as a gathering place for students, faculty, and visitors—an open-air extension of the Crewe Center that blurs the boundary between campus and community, art and environment.
Shaw’s contribution marks the first in a series of major arts-focused philanthropic announcements connected to the Crescendo Campaign, which aims to rally support around the next phase of investment in the Crewe Center and its future as a cultural hub for Maine.
Installation of The Amaras is expected to begin this year, with the sculpture park envisioned as a growing destination for art, learning, and connection in the years ahead.