Neighbors, Artists, Neighborhood Organizations and City Celebrate Creative Placemaking in 4 Portland Neighborhoods in September

An Art At Work/City of Portland & Neighborhood Organization Collaboration

Portland, Maine - The yearlong Meeting Place project, funded largely by the NEA Our Town national initiative, is ‘putting creativity to work’ for the public, in four Portland neighborhoods this September. Kicking off on Saturday, September 22nd from 9am to Noon in Libbytown, each neighborhood has its own unique celebration that aims to revitalize neighborhood connections, pride, and civic engagement while also promoting diversity, collaborative cultures and greater economic vibrancy. Art at Work, in collaboration with residents, professional artists, businesses, organizations and associations have spent the year working together and organizing. Events -with art as the thread - will highlight the residents and neighborhoods themselves. A part of the country’s growing art-based neighborhood development projects, each Meeting Place neighborhood has been partnered with a professional artist (s) and art form. Meeting Place Celebrations will take place in four Portland neighborhoods: Libbytown, West End, Bayside and East Bayside. 

First, on September 22nd, from 9am to noon – Here’s Libbytown – celebration kicks off at Tony’s Donuts (image attached). Through arts & issues workshops with residents, Meeting Place realized early on that one of Libbytown’s key issues was the devastating impact of the construction of I-295 in the late 60’s, which carved up the neighborhood.  Here’s Libbytown, is Meeting Place’s attempt to put creativity to work stitching Libbytown back together.  Under the guidance of former Maine Poet Laureate Betsy Sholl, valued locations will have large and small banners displaying poetry created by long time Libbytown residents who recall Steepsie’s sliding hill, circus elephants in Douglass Park and Union Station’s Pop Tate selling donuts (poem example below).

CVS, WESTGATE MALL

CVS has seven thousand stores around the country.

But this one, is full of people, who know each other.

The event will offer the opportunity to explore Libbytown with guided walks along the Fore River by Portland Trails (10am), hear stories from Libbytown residents, ride through the Hidden Gems of Libbytown on a bike ride organized by Libbytown resident Fred Dillon (9am departs from Douglass Field), a Skate Jam at the Skatepark organized by ReSession Skate shop (10am), and of course, donuts. Meeting Place Libbytown aims to use poetry to knit the neighborhood together and help define what Libbytown is.

Later the same day, from 1pm to 4pm, the West End Snapshots Celebration kicks off at the Maine Irish Heritage Center on Grey Street (image attached).  For the past year, West End residents and organizations have worked with West End photographer Tonee Harbert to use photography to tell the story of the neighborhood, and celebrate the beauty, diversity and stories of the West End through the eyes of those who live, work, or love it. Photographs will be on display at the Maine Irish Heritage Center, and at 2.30pm West End choirs will perform “West End Sings. Guided walks, slide shows and storytelling are also planned for the day.

On Saturday, September 29th, ‘the real Bayside’ Celebration takes place at Bayside Neighborhood Association’s newly-imagined “Phoenix Square” on Kennebec Street between Preble and Elm St. from 8:30 am to 12 Noon (image attached).  Starting with a pancake breakfast ($2) at 8:30 AM, attendees can enjoy a Creative Placemaking in Action Event called “Imaging a New Public Space. ” invented and organized by Bayside Neighborhood Association. All are invited to explore the real Bayside, secret spots, history, and to view Bayside Art Cards created by artist Daniel Minter, each one highlighting the diversity of people, places, and stories in of the neighborhood.

"I've lived in East Bayside all my life. I never understood why it had such a bad reputation. We were always a tight community of neighbors who cared about each other and where we lived. We had gardens, and gatherings. We knew each other and every child knew that every adult knew their mother. Having our Meeting Place workshops in some of the businesses and buildings that I've stayed away from for years, I see that things are turning around." – Merita McKenzie

Meeting Place East Bayside, from 1 to 5pm, on September 29th, promises to be an exciting neighborhood open house and a homegrown dose of the power of art and community connections that can happen when neighbors work together on a common goal (image attached).  In addition to showcasing the four fence murals, there will be a Fox Field “Kennedy Park Community Soccer Match Youth vs. Elders,” music, cookout and many East Bayside neighborhood businesses, art galleries and nonprofits will open their doors. Peppermint Park events will include a drumming concert by two of Portland’s premier percussionists Annegret Baier and Shamou (12.30pm); the McKenzie Family Story Hour (1.30pm), a chance for Portlanders to gather round and hear family stories from five generations of McKenzie’s, a local African American family whose roots go back to Charles Eastman, one of the leaders of Portland’s Underground Railroad, and domino games (1.30pm) hosted by The Root Cellar. For those ready to explore, Annegret and Shamou will lead a procession down Anderson Street to discover East Bayside. Other events include a GreenDrinks hosted “Meeting Place Meet Your Brewer” tour; a Poetry Reading (Somali, Arabic, English) at the Maine Muslim Community Center at Anderson & Fox Street and much more.

September Meeting Place Celebration Schedule

• Libbytown, Tony’s Donuts Kick Off, 9am - 12 noon, Saturday Sept 22nd

• West End, Maine Irish Heritage Center, 1pm – 4pm, Saturday Sept 22nd

• Bayside, Kenebec Street between Preble and Elm, 8:30am – 12 noon, Saturday Sept 29th

• East Bayside, Peppermint Park & Fox Field, 1pm -5pm, Saturday Sept 29th

Meeting Place is a project of Art At Work/City of Portland and the East Bayside Neighborhood Organization Bayside Neighborhood Association, and West End Neighborhood Association.  Meeting Place partners include Portland Buy Local, Creative Portland, Portland Trails, Maine Historical Society, Portland Public Library, Portland Adult Education/School District, Portland Housing Association and the League of Young Voters. An Art At Work/City of Portland project, Meeting Place has been made possible with the generous support of the City of Portland, National Endowment for the Arts Our Town initiative, Maine Arts Commission, Maine Community Foundation, Elmira B. Sewall Foundation, and the West End Neighborhood Association, Bayside Neighborhood Association, East Bayside Neighborhood Organization and a welcome collection of Libbytown residents and businesses. For more information about the project of the events, visit http://www.artatworkproject.us/portland_index.php.