"Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."

From Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Happy October fromExecutive Director Dinah Minot

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.

DONATE TO CREATIVE PORTLAND

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

Selected superhero design by local artist Diamond Duryea

Creative Portland is offering artists the opportunity to create arts messaging to

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

OPEN CALL GUIDELINES

ARTISTS & ARTS PATRONS:

CONTRIBUTE OR APPLY TO THE

PORTLAND ARTISTRELIEF FUNDROUND 2 IS LIVE!

LEARN MORE

APPLY TO THE PORTLAND ARTIST RELIEF FUND

SEEKING FACADE SPACEFOR ARTS MESSAGINGFOR PUBLIC HEALTH

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.

Contact katie@creativeportland.com to review samples of proposed art.

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.

C.T. RASMUSS, LONGBOAT, ACRYLIC, 40" X 60" | $1850

2020 VISION: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURECreative 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?

READY OR NOTALBUM PREVIEWPalaver 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.

IRISH NIGHTBlue

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.

WRITER'S MEET-UPPortland 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!

CONNECTING MAINE'SCAPITALS BY STAGECOACHMaine 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.

MAKERS (IN THEIR STUDIOS):AYUMI HORIEMechanics 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.

ACOUSTIC RESONANCEICA 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.

PERCEPTION OF FORMCasco 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.

SELF-GUIDED WALKINGTOURSGreater 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.

FREE PPE SUPPLIESfor Portland public-facing

Businesses & Cultural Organizations attracting patronsCity 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).

To inquire about availability of the PPE package, made possible by a Keep Maine Healthy grant award,

please send an email right away with your business’ name, address and number of employees to the

City’s Economic Development Department at edd@portlandmaine.gov. Subject line: PPE.

ECONOMIC RECOVERYGRANTS PHASE IIState 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.

IGUANA MUSIC FUNDDeadline: 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!

DAILY ARTIST SPOTLIGHTCreative 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!

The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation offices in Portland, Maine (photo by Tabitha Barnard)

Our wonderful neighbors The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation have announced nine grants to

non-profit visual arts journals. Congrats to Susan Larsen and Danielle Frye

for their hard work and a write up in Hyperallergic!

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:

ARTS.BLACK (Detroit)

BOMB (Brooklyn)

Bmore Art (Baltimore)

The Brooklyn Rail (Brooklyn)

Burnaway (Atlanta)

Glasstire (Houston)

The Maine Arts Journal (Portland)

The New Art Examiner (Chicago)

X-TRA (Los Angeles)

The grants are intended for general operating support.

David BrenermanCreative 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

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Creative Portland has a variety of part-time volunteer and internship opportunities. Send

inquiries to programassistant@creativeportland.com.

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