B&W Holga photos - Art Walk 5/4

Frank Poole

Holga black & white photographs

Opening May 4, 2012 First Friday Artwalk

Portland Photo Works

Portfringe 2012

"Fringe theatre is traditionally innovative, obscure, new, subversive and edgy. Projects that mix media, push boundaries, and expand the idea of theatre. It is compact and portable. Fringe is theater on the outskirts of normal. 

Portland Theater Collaborative is a group of local designers, actors, directors, and administrators, committed to creating a focal point for ongoing collaboration in the southern Maine theater community. PORTFRINGE 2012 will be our first event, June 26 – July 1, 2012."

Portfringe 

Coast City Comicon - Kickstarter drive

Help support Portland's 2012 Comicon

"In summer of 2011, we decided to put on a comic convention in downtown Portland, Maine -- something that had never really been done before. Knowing that we wanted to have the first ever Coast City Comicon in November, we spent the summer planning, booking venues, and contacting creators, vendors, and guest speakers. With virtually no budget, we put on an amazing convention featuring 50 vendors, video game tournaments, the east coast premiere of Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, the release of The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick, and panels by special creative guests, including Todd Dezago,Craig Rousseau and Renae De Liz. See this article by the Bangor Daily Newsto see photos and highlights from last year's convention.
Why Kickstarter?
Although the response from our 700 attendees was resoundingly positive, we knew we could do even better. The theme for this year's convention? More. We want more vendors, more guests, more panels, more special events, and we know you do, too. That's where Kickstarter comes in. By donating through Kickstarter, you have the opportunity to contribute to our next convention's success."

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/382061767/coast-city-comicon

Quimby Bails on Portland

"After merging her Portland-based artists' colony project with the Maine College of Art last month, Roxanne Quimby is now selling 769 Congress St., the brownstone where the artists' residency program operated for less than two years. It will be the third building in Portland's arts district that the co-founder of Burt's Bees has bought and sold related to her idea for an artists' colony. The 8,000-square-foot building, which she has restored and renovated, is on the market for $1,295,000."

- PressHerald

Portland Performing Arts Festival

A four day performing arts festival is scheduled for this summer.  portlandfestival.org:

The Portland Performing Arts Festival is a new summer festival presenting nationally-renowned performances in music, dance and theater. Join us June 28 – July 1, 2012 for a range of performances presented at venues all over Portland Maine’s Arts District. Featuring music, dance, theater, and performance art, the Festival will transform Portland’s Arts District into a hotbed of creative activity for four days

Design the Next Buy Local Directory Cover

Portland Buy Local is accepting submissions for the cover of its 2012-2013 Directory. The annual directory is distributed throughout Greater Portland and reaches tens of thousands of residents and visitors.  The organization’s board of directors will select the winning design in March, and the directories will be distributed in June.  The winning artist will receive a prize of $250 and will be credited inside the directory.

More details here.

Time Dollar Silent Auction

"Hour Exchange Portland is proud to announce its annual Spring Into Summer Online Silent Auction! HEP, formerly Portland Time Bank, has always been about celebrating gifts… the uniquegifts and talentswithin each oneof us…the gifts of our love and time spent with others. In this season of giving and celebration, we remind ourselves of the opportunity to reflect on the abundance in our lives, and the tapestry of people that enrich our experiences.

That is why the items in our auction were chosen-- to help us appreciate the gifts all around us-- our family, our friends and our community. The Portland area boasts a wide array of generous and innovative businesses, which is why our auction highlights Buying Local and Maine’s abundance."

One weekend left

for a Chorus Line, a two hour marathon of a show. 

"A Chorus Line is rarely done in community theatres because of the difficulty of the material. This cast is doing over 90% of the original choreography of the Broadway show."

Seventeen dancers are vying for eight spots in a Broadway chorus.  The original Broadway run garnered 12 Tony nominations with 9 wins,  plus the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  Don't miss this Broadway classic!  Appropriate for ages 13 and up.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts drop-in clinic - 3/4

Where: Constellation Gallery at 511 Congress Street 
When: Fri. 3/4 from 5:30-7 PM.

During March 4th's First Friday Art Walk, we will be hosting a drop-in clinic at our office in the Constellation Gallery at 511 Congress Street from 5:30-7 PM.
Interested artists and arts organizations will be able to spend 15 minutes speaking with a Maine VLA volunteer lawyer Brad Lawwill about a law-related issue of concern to them.  Depending on the issue, the Maine Attorney Law may point the artist or arts organization in the right direction to find an answer on their own, or assist in arranging for a volunteer lawyer to get involved. Appointments will be made on a first come, first serve basis, starting at 5:30 PM.

More info at MEVLA

bloggers wanted

LiveWorkPortland.org wants you! We have a daily PortlandNow blog that covers as many of the corners of the creative economy in Portland as we can get our fingers into, but we know we're missing a lot. We want to open up the blog to the creative community and are hoping that you would consider becoming a contributor. We will be having a meeting at Space Gallery on Wednesday, June 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 to talk about how we are using LiveWorkPortland to increase the visibility of the creative economy here, and what we could be doing better. Our goal is both to make Portlanders more aware of what's going on in their own communities and to attract more talent to Portland from other creative metros. We are looking for bloggers and photo bloggers who want to keep us informed about interesting events, intriguing people, great food, unique products, cutting edge technology, mind bending art, unseen places and fleeting moments. Anything, in short, that you think your fellow creatives would want to know about and pass along. We are also looking to build reciprocal links with your blogs or projects and to trade links and build relationships with design, photo, food, music (etc.) blogs based in other places. We hope to see you there.

Panelists: Creative Portland's Andy Graham, Anthony Kosner, and Emily Straubel

Where: SPACE Gallery
When: Wednesday, June 30th, 5:30PM
Why: To explore collaboration between the LiveWorkPortland.org's PortlandNow blog and local bloggers, photographers, videographers, audiographers, and other sources of interesting content.

Blink: Pinhole & Plastic Camera Exhibit

Blink: an exhibit by Portland Pinhole & Plastic Camera Group

Opening: Thursday March 25 5-8 pm; runs Friday March 26 11-6 pm Saturday March 27 11-4 pm

Rise Galleries on Broadway at Elm St., South Portland

Images by Portland Pinhole & Plastic Camera Group members Sharon Ames, Michael Heiko, Johanna Moore, Hayes Porterfield, and Dennis Stein.

Art Stolen from A Fine Thing Gallery

Edward T. Pollack had three prints stolen from his gallery.   Jeff Inglis points to the report with details and pictures of the pieces.

Portland Press Herald : "The three prints, valued at a total of more than $7,000, were taken from Edward T. Pollack Fine Arts on Forest Avenue. The gallery’s owner, Ed Pollack, said he believes the paintings were taken Feb. 4 by a couple who was browsing in the gallery while he was busy with other customers."

Portland's Who's Who

According to the Phoenix:

"We started with a simple question: Who are the people without whom Portland would be the poorer? But that's not the only criterion. Who is making Portland, and Maine, great for all of us to live, work, and play in today, and even better for tomorrow? Who is spending their time and energy really contributing deeply, in a way we should all notice and appreciate (even if they're too modest — and busy — to seek that publicity themselves)?"

Mayo Street Arts Opens

Munjoy Hill News reports on the opening of the new Mayo Street Arts center.

"The Mayo Street Arts officially opened its doors today, said Blainor McGough, Director, in a press release. It’s located at 10 Mayo Street and the building is owned by wealthy businesswoman Roxanne Quimby.

The Mayo Street Arts is a “new non-profit arts center located in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood. The center will be hosting ongoing gallery exhibits, music and dance performances and other art-related events."

Portland Neighborhoods 'Map'

by Corey Templeton

Art Beats Housing

Quimby will not have to pay for the housing units she is eliminating.

"The Portland City Council early this morning voted 6-3 to allow Roxanne Quimby to renovate a run-down apartment building on Congress Street into studios for an artist-in-residence program without having to pay more than $400,000 in city fees earmarked for affordable housing.

The vote at approximately 12:30 a.m. followed the “heart-wrenching” testimony of roughly 50 people divided equally between housing advocates who opposed the exemption and supporters of the arts who favored it, according to City Councilor David Marshall, chair of the council’s Housing Committee.

Councilors John Anton, Kevin Donoghue and Nicholas Mavodones Jr. voted against allowing the exemption."

- Portland Press Herald

Councilors Split on Artists Studios Plan

Roxanne Quimby's plan to renovate 660 Congress St. into artist studios will eliminate seven apartment units. Under City law that requires either replacing those housing units, or a payment of $57,850 per unit. Quimby's request for exemption from that as a "Project of Special Merit," was before the Housing Committee last night. Councilor Donoghue voted against it, while Councilors Marshall and Coyne voted in favor.

"The need for housing in the city, especially affordable housing, should not be shortchanged, said Dee Clarke, an advocate with Homeless Voices for Justice. 'I think the vision is awesome,' she said, 'but to give it special treatment, to not put money in housing replacement, is not fair.'

Councilor Kevin Donoghue voted against the exemption, saying the goal of preserving the city's housing stock is too important to waive, even for a desirable project.

Committee Chairman David Marshall said it is difficult to choose between important community goals like housing and the arts. 'I know many artists that struggled to find housing that is affordable and artists that are homeless,' he said. But he said he feels the project meets the community benefit required for the exemption."

“Project of Special Merit” -  A project may not be designed as a project of special merit unless the council determines that:

a. The project is consistent with the comprehensive plan of the City of Portland.

b. The project will provide significant public and civic benefits, including without limitation, social or other benefits which are significant to the community, and particularly desirable at the location proposed; and

c. Notice of the hearing before the Council shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Portland not less than seven (7) days prior to final action and notice shall also be sent to all persons who would receive notice in the case of an appeal for a variance.

First Friday Art Walk (or Trolley Ride)

Time again to check out Portland's amazing diversity of art. Of course I recommend some superb photography. If you can't handle the actual walking part, there is a free trolley available tonight.

PACA is pleased to announce that the trolley run by Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours will run from 4:30pm until 8:30pm during the next First Friday Art Walk.


The trolley will run, free of charge, making stops along the following route: Longfellow Square, Congress Square, Monument Square, Washington Avenue & Congress Street, India Street & Middle Street, Exchange Street & Middle Street. The trolley will begin boarding passengers at 4:30pm at Longfellow Square and will repeat the route at 5:30pm, 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Five minutes will be allowed for boarding at each of the stops - look for the trolley at the bus stops!

New Playhouse

Bob Keyes:

"Portland's theater scene gets a little more crowded in October. On Oct. 9, co-artistic directors Michael J. Tobin and Jeffrey Caron will open the Old Port Playhouse, a 70-seat venue that will house a non-Equity professional theater, concerts, special events, classes and an art gallery."

PICNIC Saturday

PICNIC music and arts festival:

"This year’s event will be held on September 12, 2009, from 11am to 6pm, in Lincoln Park at Congress Street and Franklin Arterial. The festival will feature local crafters selling unique handmade items, live indie rock on stage all day, plus plenty of space to relax on the grass and have a picnic. Come spend the day with us!"