New Bedford’s Big Blue Door at Custom House Square, Explained

If you haven't noticed, there is a rather large blue door in the park at Custom House Square in downtown New Bedford, but where did it come from and why is it there?

Doors seem to be a common theme with me these days since I recently reported on a small red door on a tree in Blackstone Boulevard Park in Providence. I still haven't figured out what that is all about.

The big blue door downtown is a bit easier to understand; it's art. It's called "Threshold," and according to Design Art Technology Massachusetts (DATMA), it's the brainchild of Mark Reigelman.

"Constructed mainly of steel and wood," DATMA says, "the 17" tall sculpture also includes colored mirrored acrylic incorporated into the facade, creating a reflective sheen and unique lighting effect."

DATMA says, "Threshold is a public artwork celebrating the principles of egalitarianism and community-building that have been integral to the history of New Bedford, Massachusetts."

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Threshold was "inspired by the Religious Society of Friends who inhabited the city in the late 17th century, as well as the aesthetic of New England's archetypal colonial doorways."

DATMA says, "The artwork beckons viewers towards its partially opened door, shining down on Custom House Square from its 17-foot-tall perch."

Threshold "draws on the unique architecture of the federal doorway of the oldest building in Central New Bedford's Abolition Row Historic District that has been associated with concealing self-emancipated people."

DATMA says the artwork "pays homage to New Bedford's history as a major whaling port, as well as its historical role in abolitionism and the Underground Railroad."

Threshold will be displayed at Custom House Square until October 23, 2023.