"Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
From Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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Happy October from
Executive Director Dinah Minot
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What surprises do we have ahead of us? I live near Willard Beach in South Portland and yesterday, my husband looked out the window and yelled “there's a moose on the loose!” I figured he was kidding. He lives in a wonderland of moose and bears (usually stuffed animals), and his wanderlust is not far from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author and illustrator of Le Petit Prince. He’s also a good actor. Yet there it was - a mighty dark buck with antlers proudly splayed, trotting up Beach Street toward Preble. Oh my! Funny how these connections with animals can reel us into a space where nothing else really matters. Phew, a moment to forget about the Presidential debate!
Six months in the thick of the pandemic and some of us are going a bit crazy. Creative Portland is focused on finding opportunities for artists. We recently installed and celebrated the installation of three creative bus shelters, and we put out an open call to commission artists to create designs to spread awareness about slowing the spread of COVID-19. The arts messaging campaign will reinforce the City’s Stay the Course Public Health campaign. We want to remind you to be mindful of safety practices while entertaining you with fun and engaging local art to delight the whole family. Before Halloween, you will be able to stroll the streets of the arts district and downtown Portland to discover superheroes wearing masks and more. Maybe you’ll even spot a moose wearing a mask! Thank you for your compliance and mindful attention to wearing a mask in public, washing hands frequently, physical distancing and avoiding crowds.
Enjoy outdoor dining and curbside pickup after you discover public art and temporary art popping up all over town. Check out the Project Project on display in Congress Square on First Friday. Unfortunately, we have cancelled the planning and organization of First Friday Art Walk until it’s safe to convene and gather in large groups. Get out and enjoy the burst of reds and yellows as you swallow the delicious October air, and participate in the cultural life of Portland by checking out our Arts Community Events Calendar.
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GREAT TURNOUT!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2020 Arts & Culture Webinar!
Creative Portland hosted the 2020 Arts & Culture Webinar (in lieu of the Annual Summit) via Zoom on Tuesday, September 22nd to an audience of 120 cultural leaders and arts community stakeholders. Panelists and presenters included Mayor Snyder, Councilor Chong and City Staff from EDD including Greg Mitchell, Dinah Minot, Nelle Hanig & Julia Trujillo. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree presented and gave remarks about Cares Act funding for the Arts through NEA and Julie Richard, Director of Maine Arts Commission, discussed Arts Engage ME grants and the Governor’s Economic Recovery Act funding. Other cultural leaders presented dire scenarios of packing up and getting out of leases, while transitioning to digital programming. Only a few like PMA offered limited hours open to the public. Nevertheless, the webinar offered a feeling of warmth, optimism and connection within the creative community. Maine Biz reports on the 'check in' and how some organizations are navigating the pandemic. Click here to view the recorded webinar or to view the full agenda.
Panelists included:
Kate Anker, CP Board President; Owner, Running With Scissors
Jeff Beam, Interim Executive Director, OLS
Councilor Tae Chong, City of Portland & Creative Portland Board Member
John Danos, Greenhut Galleries & Cove Street Arts
Kelsey Halliday Johnson, Executive Director, SPACE (or Peter M)
Nelle Hanig, Business Programs Mgr, Economic Development Department
Quincy Hentzel, CEO, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce
Kelly Hrenko, Art Department Chair, USM
Graeme Kennedy, Portland Museum of Art
Carole Martin, Facilitator
Sam Mateosian, Founder, Yarn Corporation
Dinah Minot, Executive Director, Creative Portland
Daniel Minter, Founder of Indigo Arts Alliance/Creative Portland Board
Scott Mohler, Maine Music Alliance (MEMA)
Aimee Petrin, Executive Director Portland Ovations
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree & Co-Chair, Congressional Arts Caucus
Julie Richard, Executive Director, Maine Arts Commission
Jeff Shaw, MAMM (Maine Academy of Modern Music)
Mayor Kate Snyder, City of Portland
Julia Trujillo, Director, Office of Economic Opportunity, City of Portland
Lauren Wayne, State Theatre/MEMA
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compliment and enhance the City's "Stay the Course" public health campaign.
Very quick turnaround! Send in some ideas! Click the button below for full guidelines!
DEADLINE: Friday, October 9, 2020
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ARTISTS & ARTS PATRONS:
CONTRIBUTE OR APPLY TO THE
ROUND 2 IS LIVE!
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SEEKING FACADE SPACE
FOR ARTS MESSAGING
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
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THE ASK:
The City of Portland's Office of Creative Portland is seeking high visibility facade spaces including construction zones to reinforce the City's Stay the Course public health campaign via creative arts messaging by local artists.
If you are an owner or property manager of a building or storefront and are willing to grant permission to hang temporary "ART" banners or to paint a mural, please contact katie@creativeportland.com.
THE PLAN:
Selected designs by local artists will be printed on durable materials - mesh or vinyl banners - and will be applied by a special installation team. We also have the ability to stencil designs directly on asphalt, sidewalks, plywood, brick, cement etc. Banners can be hung for a year but might be refreshed in Spring/Summer 2021, if necessary.
Partners offering facade space on private buildings will be promoted as community champions and will not be responsible for any cash investment.
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With First Friday Art Walk on hold until we can convene in large groups, visit our Community Arts Events Calendar to stay socially connected while physically apart. Please note that certain organizations are re-opening with public-facing programs, while others remain virtual.
Arts organizations, artists of all genres, and music venues promoting virtual and in-person happenings, please send us your listings! We encourage everyone to self-upload on the
Creative Portland website or send us an email.
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C.T. RASMUSS, LONGBOAT, ACRYLIC, 40" X 60" | $1850
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Creative Portland
Browse and buy local art in Creative Portland's 6th juried art exhibition, "2020 Vision," viewable online only. Artists responded to an Open Call for the Bicentennial-themed show by sharing
a personal interpretation of a moment in Maine’s history. Each artist reflected on how we are changing, where have we come from, and where do we want to go?
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Palaver Strings
Sunday, October 4 | 7 p.m.
Ready Or Not includes music by all female identifying composers from the Renaissance through present day. Pay what you wish for the livestream concert and composer conversation on YouTube; $30 suggested donation. Register.
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Blue
Wednesday, October 7 | 6:00 & p.m.
Irish Night at Blue is Traditional Irish Music streamed live on Facebook. October 7, musician and singer Clare Horgan will perform. Other concerts include Alison Perkins & Nicholas Brown 10/14; Lindsay Straw & Jordan Santiago 10/21; Baron Collins Hill & Emma Swartz 10/28.
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Portland Public Library
Thursday October 8 | 6 p.m.
Calling all writers! Meet up with like-minded locals to discuss authors and ideas, to listen to and inspire one another. If you’d like to read some of your work please keep it below 1,000 words. This meeting will be moderated by Richard Leone via Zoom. Learn more!
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Maine Historical Society
Tuesday, October 14 | 6 p.m.
Leland J. Hanchett, Jr., the author of Connecting Maine’s Capitals by Stagecoach, will lead a talk via Zoom on the building of roads and networks of taverns and stage stops during Maine’s earliest years of statehood. Free and open to the public.
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Mechanics Hall
Wednesday, October 28 | 7 p.m.
Visit with Portland based potter Ayumi Horie! She’ll discuss her work, contemporary ceramics, and a number of side projects including Portland Brick, an art installation near India Street. FREE for Mechanics’ Hall members, $8 general admission. Register via Zoom.
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ICA at MECA
On View October 2 - December 11
This exhibit highlights the vital art and music intersections at Maine College of Art, in particular the Bob Crewe Program in Art and Music. The exhibition will be accompanied by numerous public talks and sound art events. ICA Gallery hours: Wed–Sun, 12:00–5:00pm. Register for a tour.
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Casco Bay Artisans
Ongoing
Over the last year, artist Jean Wiecha has been looking at bras. Soon, these shapes started to connect to her interest in eastern philosophy and the bras transformed from functional clothing to an embodiment of ideas around form. CBA is open to the public Thurs.– Sat. 11-6pm & Sun. 11-4pm.
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Greater Portland Landmarks
Ongoing
A wonderful resource for history buffs and lovers of architecture, Greater Portland Landmarks has numerous self-guided walking tours of Portland neighborhoods including the West End, India Street, and Oakdale. All tours are free.
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FREE PPE SUPPLIES
for Portland public-facing
Businesses & Cultural Organizations attracting patrons
City of Portland
LAST DAY IS TODAY! OCTOBER 1 | 9:00 AM -12:00 PM
The City of Portland is pleased to offer free personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to small Portland businesses and nonprofit cultural organizations with 30 employees or less that physically interact with the public on a daily basis.
For as long as they last, the PPE available to each business includes:
- Four boxes of disposable masks (50 masks/box),
- One hands-free dispenser for hand sanitizer (requires 4 C batteries),
- One gallon of hand sanitizer gel for filling and refilling the dispenser,
- Three quarts of high quality surface disinfectant (hydrogen peroxide based, which kills the COVID-19 virus on surfaces in 45 seconds).
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State of Maine
Deadline: Friday, October 23, 2020
Phase Two makes $95 million in remaining funds from Phase One available and expands access for eligible businesses and non-profits. Under Phase Two, businesses and non-profits that employ up to 250 people will be eligible for grant rewards.
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Deadline: Wednesday, October 14th
For the past 12 years, the Iguana Fund has financed hundreds of projects to the benefit of our music community. Being a musician in 2020 has led to more uncertainty than ever before. What remains clear is that art helps us understand ourselves, connects us, and makes life worth living. Apply today!
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Creative Portland
Ongoing
We want to promote your work! Everyday, Creative Portland is highlighting a local artist on social media. If you are a local artist, maker, musician, or dancer who wants to be featured on our Instagram, email info@creativeportland.com and we'll try to include your work!
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The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation offices in Portland, Maine (photo by Tabitha Barnard) |
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Artists, galleries and museums are struggling to survive. Writers and editors of America’s visual art journals are also in need of our support. The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation is known for its annual individual art journalist prizes. However, writers require a venue and a platform for their work as well as a community of other active writers and editors. Non-profit entities have been especially hard hit by the pandemic and economic downturn. For this reason, the Foundation gave
nine grants of $20,000 each to the following journals:
The grants are intended for general operating support.
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David Brenerman
Creative Portland Board Member
Everybody adores David Brenerman! Born and raised in Portland, and retired from official public service, where he served as both City Councilor (2014-2017) and Mayor (1984-1985) for the City of Portland. Mr. Brenerman served three terms in the Maine House of Representatives (1978-1984) and worked in the insurance industry at Unum for 30 years, ending his time there as Vice President of Government Affairs. He served as an ex officio member of the Creative Portland board during his time as City Councilor and was appointed by an unanimous vote by the board for an additional term. He subsequently served as President for two years, grooming Kate Anker for the current role. David still sits on the Creative Portland Board and the Executive Committee and is actively engaged in editing documents like the Annual Report and other governance-related docs.
A graduate of Clark University, and a lifelong Mainer, he is a dedicated and loyal community member, passionate about Portland’s economic development. Mr. Brenerman currently consults for Martin’s Point Health Care and serves on the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce’s Economic and City Affairs Committee. With marvelous attendance and a smiling face at every [zoom] meeting, we are incredibly grateful for David's dedication.
THANK YOU DAVID!
CREATIVE PORTLAND 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Kate Anker (President), Nicole Barna, Peter Bass,
Lisa Bloss, David Brenerman (Secretary), Councilor Tae Chong (ex officio),
Gib Foltz (Treasurer), Eliza Ginn, Lindsay Hancock, Dinah Minot (Assistant Secretary) Daniel Minter, Greg Mitchell (ex officio), Gerard Salvo
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