Feeling the love
Shop For A Cause raises $3,500 for Frannie Peabody Center
It was all smiles Monday morning as Portland Downtown handed over a big check to the wonderful Frannie Peabody Center.

Frannie was selected by downtown merchants as the beneficiary of our most recent Shop For A Cause Day – a biannual shopping event that raises money & awareness for local nonprofits. Thanks to our participating downtown businesses and to  Camden National Bankour Presenting Sponsor – we were able to raise $3,500!

Frannie Peabody Center provides compassionate care to those affected by HIV/AIDS in Maine. To learn more about the work and impact of this important organization, please click here .

Did you know? In the past five years alone, Shop For A Cause has raised over $40,000 for local nonprofits including Preble Street Resource Center , Milestone Recovery , Amistad , Portland Trails , The Locker Project , and Frannie Peabody Center . We feel incredibly lucky to be a part of such a giving community!
Spotlight on Güven Gallery
Words and Photos By Nora Ibrahim

One of Portland’s charms lies in the diversity of thought that is presented in many forms of artwork. Not only that, but the core structure of this community is founded on the appreciation of color, culture, and verity.

Güven Gallery , located at 399 Fore Street, has the most ornate collection of glassware and rugs that represents the beauty of Mediterranean aesthetics. This family business has been open since 2010, with the current owner being a fifth generation artist, Zafer Güven.
Güven said that the design of the handmade ceramics are “our own designs" which combine modern traditional art with the classics of Turkish, Persian, and Israeli artistry.
The glassware presented in the gallery are ceramics made in Maine by a Turkish crew. The crew designs each plate, teacup, and bowl with an inspiration of ancient crafts that are centered around the use of a vibrant color palette and fine details.

As for the exquisite rugs, they are made by the traditional methods of using natural dyes and handwoven. Their designs vary from simple and modern to elegant and intricately patterned.
For more information about the Güven Gallery, please click here .
How do you feel about transportation in Portland?
Take a quick survey to share your thoughts!
As you may have heard, Portland Downtown is partnering with the City of Portland , as well as a few local partners – Greater Portland METRO , Portland International Jetport , Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority , and Bicycle Coalition of Maine – on a multi-modal transportation marketing campaign.

If you have something to say about transportation in Portland, we'd love to hear from you! Whether you like to bike, bus, walk, carpool, or just drive – we want to know what you think about existing transportation opportunities and infrastructure – and what you'd like to see improved.

Click here to take our survey (it should only take 5-7 minutes). Thank you for your time and feedback!