Arts and Entertainment
Portland is a mecca for creative individuals and endeavors, and the arts and cultural scene in our city reflects that. Any night of the week there’s a variety of events going on around town, from gallery openings and independent film screenings, to lectures, concerts, and live musical and dance performances. We’re never bored here, and don’t think you will be either.
Arts Organizations and Nonprofits
Portland Arts & Cultural Alliance (PACA) is a nonprofit dedicated to “strengthening Portland by strengthening the Arts.”
Portland Downtown District is a nonprofit committed to the economic vitality of Portland’s downtown. Their website features guides to events, tours, arts, dining, and shopping in Portland.
Portland Music Foundation‘s mission is to organize, support, nurture, and promote the thriving music scene in Portland.
MENSK‘s mission is to inspire and support personal, local, and regional action for the development of creative and sustainable communities.
Maine Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts‘ mission is provide effective legal council for artists and organizations with limited financial resources and educate broadly about arts-related business and legal issues.
City of Portland’s Public Art Committee is responsible for administering the Public Art Program, and preserving, restoring, and enhancing the City-owned public art collection.
Creative Portland Corporation is a nonprofit organization established by the City to support economic development efforts that capitalize and grow Portland’s creative economy, create employment opportunities, and foster arts district development.
Mayo Street Arts is a nonprofit arts center with a gallery, artists studios, music and theater performances, and classes.
The Society for East End Arts (SEA) is s a Munjoy Hill-based organization of artists that seeks to promote awareness of the arts in the East End of Portland through networking and community.
Maine Arts Commission is Maine’s state-run arts and cultural agency.
Maine Humanities Council promotes literature, history, philosophy, and the arts in Maine.
The Telling Room is a nonprofit writing center in Portland, Maine, dedicated to the idea that children and young adults are natural storytellers. Focused on young writers ages 6 to 18, we seek to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide real audiences for our students’ stories. We believe that the power of creative expression can change our communities and prepare our youth for future success. Contact Heather Davis to find out more.
St. Lawrence Arts Center is a nonprofit community arts space featuring theater, dance, music, film, and workshops.
Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance is a thirty-five year old nonprofit whose mission is to enrich the cultural life of Maine by supporting writers and the literary arts.
Quimby Colony is an urban artist residency in Portland.
Add Verb Productions is a nonprofit program of the University of New England that provides health and wellness education through provocative theatre performances with the goal of building stronger, healthier communities.
AIGA Maine, Maine’s chapter of the design community’s professional networking group, has a robust chapter based in Portland. The organization hosts regular events for members and non-members.
For a comprehensive list of Maine-wide arts organizations, check out this list on Maine Art Scene.
Event Calendars
On the first Friday evening of every month, the city’s artists, galleries, and arts venues open up the doors and welcome in the public during Portland’s thriving First Friday Art Walk.
Maine Art Scene‘s events calendar has listings for exhibits, performances, classes, lectures, and concerts across the state.
Maine Gallery + Studio Guide has a calendar with gallery openings and other arts events in Portland and beyond.
Portland Downtown District‘s events calendar provides a comprehensive list of goings-on in downtown, from Portland Stage and Portland Symphony Orchestra performances, to job fairs and Preble Street benefit events.
HillyTown, a local music blog, has a comprehensive list of live shows in and around Portland.
The Portland Phoenix has listings for movies, concerts, bands, and music performances around town.
The Bollard has listings for music and theater in Portland.
Space Gallery, a nonprofit contemporary art space in Portland, guide to current exhibits and upcoming events.
Maine College of Art (MECA) news and event listings and schedule of current and upcoming exhibitions.
Portland Symphony Orchestra upcoming performances calendar, and online video library showcasing past and future performances.
Upcoming performances calendar for Portland Stage, the city’s leading professional theater.
One Longfellow Square events calendar, featuring live musical performances, film screenings, theater and dance productions, and community events.
Portland Ovations features a variety of performances including classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theater, and Broadway, all listed on their upcoming events calendar.
Portland Museum’s current and upcoming events and exhibitions.
Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine calendar of events, including story hours and science challenges for the younger set, and guide to current exhibits.
Museum of African Culture’s guide to current events and exhibitions.
Guide to current and upcoming movies playing at the Nickelodeon.
The Portland Buzz provides a very comprehensive listing of arts and community events one their event calendar.
Venues
Portland Symphony Orchestra is the largest performing arts organization in Maine, and is regarded as one of the top symphony orchestras of its size in the country.
Portland Ballet houses both a ballet school and a professional dance company, performing both classical and contemporary works.
Space Gallery is a nonprofit contemporary arts space featuring visual arts, live music and performance, lectures, films, and more.
One Longfellow Square features live musical performances, film screenings, theater and dance productions, and community events.
Portland Ovations features a variety of performances including classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theater, and Broadway.
Port City Music Hall is the frequent host of well known and lesser-known-but-should-be musical acts, including the Spin Doctors, Brown Bird, The White Stripes, and Fiona Apple.
Theaters
Portland Stage is a top-notch professional theater with recent productions ranging from David Sedaris’ The SantaLand Diaries to Julius Caesar.
Saint Lawrence Arts Center is a nonprofit community arts space featuring theater, dance, music, film, and workshops.
The Nickelodeon is a six-screen movie theater located in the heart of the downtown. Here’s what’s playing now.
Museums
The Portland Museum of Art showcases fine and decorative arts from the 18th century to the present. The museum hosts special traveling exhibitions and its own Biennial. Its permanent collection includes the work of artists from Pierre-Auguste Renoir to Pablo Picasso, from Wassily Kandinsky to Winslow Homer.
Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine is the largest children’s museum in Maine.
Portland Harbor Museum features exhibits and events on the maritime history of the Portland harbor.
The Maine Historical Society museum collection includes more than 15,000 artifacts from five centuries of Maine living.
The Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow House is the historic home of the Portland-born nineteenth-century poet.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. has a museum dedicated to the railroad’s history and offers rides on the historic railroad.
Cryptozoology is the study of hidden, legendary, non-existent or fictitious creatures (depending on how you look at it), and the International Cryptozoology Museum here in Portland features many one-of-a-kind cryptozoological artifacts, including a lifesize Bigfoot model.
The Museum of African Culture’s permanent collection includes an expansive display of African masks, some dating back to 1600 AD, as well as cast figures and utilitarian objects.
Want more? Check out Portland Downtown District’s comprehensive directory of Portland museums and galleries.
Maine Art Scene features a list of museums in Portland and across the state.
Galleries
Maine Gallery + Studio Guide has a directory of galleries across the state and a calendar with gallery openings and other arts events. Check out their blog, Cafe des Artistes, for the latest Maine art news and information.
Maine Art Scene features a statewide list of galleries.
9 Hands Gallery is a cooperative gallery of four local artists working in metal, wood, clay, and stone. Featuring jewelry, sculpture, and tableware.
Aucocisco Galleries is a contemporary fine art gallery in the Old Port.
Bridge Gallery is both a gallery and the working studio of artists Rhonda Pearle and Gary Perlmutter.
Fore River Gallery features metalsmithing, jewelry, ceramics, and paintings.
Fore Street Gallery features original works of fine art, photography, and limited edition prints.
Foundry Lane is a contemporary crafts and jewelry gallery.
George Anderson Gallery features contemporary nautically themed acrylic paintings by George Anderson and Scott Tubby.
Gleason Fine Art features 19th century through contemporary paintings, sculpture, and photography, with a Maine emphasis.
Greenhut Galleries exhibits contemporary art and sculpture by Maine artists.
Heron Point Glass Gallery features the work of a local Maine glass artist and visual artists in rotating shows.
Holly Ready Gallery is run by Maine landscape artist Holly Ready.
Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA features exhibitions of student work and showcases new perspectives and trends in contemporary art.
June Fitzpatrick Gallery exhibits drawings, paintings, prints, and sculpture by established artists and selected newcomers.
Mayo Street Arts is a nonprofit gallery, music venue, performance space that also hosts artist studios
R.N. Cohen / Exchange Street Gallery features original watercolors, oils, and limited editions of the Old Port, Portland, and coastal Maine.
Sarajo features antique textiles, costumes, furniture, tribal art and jewelry from around the world.
Salt Institute for Documentary Studies has ongoing exhibits featuring the work of professional photographers and student work.
Space Gallery is a nonprofit contemporary art space in Portland.
Susan Maasch Fine Art features prints, photography, paintings, sculpture, and ceramics.
Sylvia Kania Gallery is an artist-run cooperative, focused on culture, outreach and conversation.
Two Paths Gallery features photography by Jeff Swanson and the Mainely Labs Studio, original paintings of Labradors by Jim Williams.
Whitney Art Works features contemporary art from emerging and established artists in all media.
Zero Station is a framing, printing, and lamination studio that hosts photography shows and other events.
Arts Education
Maine College of Art (MECA) offers both degree and continuing education programs in the Arts.
Salt Institute for Documentary Studies offers intensive fifteen-week programs in documentary writing, radio, and photography.
Oak Street Studios is an art institute for young people in Portland.
Maine Art Scene has a directory of Maine-based arts educators, including individuals and institutions.
Blogs and Publications
Maine Art Scene is an online magazine featuring arts and culture news and events, artist interviews, and a directory of Maine artists and arts organizations.
Art Maine is Maine Magazine’s Facebook hub of all things art-related in Maine. “Like” the page to stay appraised of the latest going ons in the art scene.
The Maine Arts Commission blog has the latest news on grant opportunities and programs sponsored by the organization, such as Poetry Out Loud.
There’s nowhere quite like downtown Portland, the blog of Portland’s Downtown District, has postings about arts and cultural events in downtown Portland and the latest downtown district news.
Maine Magazine covers the whole State from its home base in Portland including food, recreation, travel, music, art, style and notable people.
Maine Home + Design, also based in Portland, has everything you’d want in a local “shelter” magazine, beautifully photographed homes from all around the State and resources for finding architects, interior designers, builders and decorative artists.
Portland Magazine is our glossy “city” magazine featuring personality profiles, arts news, food and local flavor, reviews, events listings, and original fiction.
The Portland Phoenix has its finger on the cultural pulse of Portland, with articles, reviews, and editorials about the latest news, music, movies, art, and places to eat and drink in Portland. Be sure to check out their Arts & Entertainment Best of 2011 list.
The Bollard is a monthly independent news and arts publication, featuring news, reviews, and music and theater listings.
Hillytown is Bryan Bruchman’s blog about Portland music and shows, and is the winner of the Portland Phoenix’s Best Blog of 2010 award.
WaryMeyers is the blog of Portland-based artists, designers, and yard-salers John and Linda Meyers.
PTLDME is the blog of Portland-based men’s clothing company Rogues Gallery.
The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies’ student blog features student work and reflections on documenting Maine people and places.
Maine College of Art student blog has photographs of in-progress student work and musings on current projects.
Maine Architecture is a blog focusing on town planning and architecture in Maine.
Portland Daily Photo posts almost-daily photos of in and around Portland.
Unseen Portland is another Portland photo blog, describing itself as “Portland, Maine, stripped of pretense.” This blog documents the unromantic and unexpected of Portland.
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