
The countdown to the unveiling of the new PMA begins at 6 p.m. on February 3 with Lights Across Congress, a special event that will bring together more than 20 community organizations, businesses, and supporters to present a massive 130-foot-wide cinematic projection on the museum’s façade, promising to be the Maine arts event of the year.
Lights Across Congress will serve as a public countdown to the reopening of the PMA, and at the end of the projection the museum will open its doors and welcome visitors to the entirely new and reimagined PMA, for free.
Lights Across Congress will include one of the largest multidimensional projections in Portland’s history, made possible through generous support from Unum as well as through partnerships with Headlight AV, p3, and the City of Portland. To celebrate the reopening of the museum, the projection will light up the façade of the PMA with an exciting and colorful animated sequence that people will remember for years to come. With support from the city of Portland and to provide as many viewing angles as possible, Free Street at Congress Street will be closed to traffic on the evening of February 3.
Many more community partners will be involved—including ice sculptors, food trucks, and the Friends of Congress Square Park—to make Lights Across Congress a festive winter carnival environment and a true party to mark the reopening of the PMA.
Lights Across Congress is a moment of celebration for the Portland Museum of Art, as well as an opportunity to showcase the economic and social power of Maine’s arts and culture for a wide array of organizations, community partners, and businesses. From leading corporations such as UNUM to creative agencies such as p3 and The VIA Agency, and from community organizations such as Creative Portland to state agencies such as the Maine Office of Tourism, Lights Across Congress and the reopening of the PMA provides a moment for the city of Portland and the state of Maine to rally around the arts.
Dominique Ostuni’s solo exhibition, “Would an Angel Apologize for Spilling Champagne,” is on view through Oct. 3 at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland. A centerpiece of the exhibition is “Excess Comes Naturally,” an elaborate mirror standing more than 8 feet tall. The work begins with an ordinary functional object, then overwhelms that function with porcelain, […]
Waterfall Arts will invite the public inside more than 40 artist studios during the Lincoln Street Center Fall Open Studios from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 17 at 24 Lincoln St. in Rockland. During the free event, artists will open their studios and welcome visitors into their creative spaces. Guests can explore Rockland’s historic former […]
“Made in Maine,” the Maine Art Gallery’s annual member show, features more than 100 works of art across two floors of the historic Old Academy building in Wiscasset. The exhibition is on view through Oct. 18. Sara Stites of Thomaston, a new member, is showing at the gallery for the first time. Her oil painting […]
High Peaks Artisan Guild in Kingfield features Western Maine watercolor artist Karen Jordan Paul throughout September. Paul draws inspiration from wildlife found throughout Maine, particularly wild birds and fish. The guild celebrated Paul as its featured artist of the month during the Sept. 4 Kingfield Art Walk. High Peaks Artisan Guild is at 245 Main […]
Turtle Gallery in Deer Isle presents “Material Storytelling,” a three-artist exhibition featuring new work by Sheep Jones, Michele Ratté Delphin and Barbara Sullivan, through Oct. 11. The three artists use distinct materials and techniques to explore narrative, light and the quiet poetry of everyday objects. Jones brings her signature combination of oil and cold wax […]
Photographer Melonie Bennett will discuss her exhibition and debut monograph, “Holy Cow!,” from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts in Portland. The event will include an interview, reading and book signing. Photographer and writer Robert Diamante, a friend and fellow photographer, will interview Bennett. “Holy Cow!” presents an […]
Centre Street Arts Gallery in downtown Bath will open its fall show during the Bath Art Walk from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18. The gallery represents 20 local artists and will feature new work in its fall exhibition. Visitors can meet the artists, explore the show and enjoy refreshments during the reception. Centre Street […]
Maine artist Daryne Rockett will present “Restoring Liberty,” an exhibition of monotypes and mixed-media work, from Oct. 2 to Nov. 24 at the McDade Gallery at Bangor Public Library. The exhibition brings together two interconnected bodies of work examining freedom, democracy, justice and hope. In a series of layered monotypes, the Statue of Liberty appears […]
Maine Craft Weekend, an annual statewide celebration of craft, community and creativity, will return Oct. 3 and 4. The free, self-guided tour invites visitors to discover the people, places and stories behind Maine’s craft communities. Hundreds of participating artists and locations will host open studios, workshops, pop-up markets, exhibitions, fairs, artist talks, special events and […]