Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Portland Public Library is the City’s cultural center and is the most visited cultural institution in Maine offering print, film, music, and online collections to showcase the arts and creativity.
We offer materials in the arts and humanities, a wide variety of programming in partnership with local cultural organizations, and a place where creative organizations and individuals can share their work with others. We celebrate the broad diversity of our community’s creative expression, and are committed to building awareness and appreciation of the arts around us.

The fifth annual Reading Challenge is here! 24 books in 12 months: will you accept the challenge?
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Portland Contemporary Archive is Portland Public Library’s digital archive where we collect stories from you, our community members, about how COVID-19 is impacting your life. Browse the collection and learn about how YOU can submit!
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The Portland Poet Laureate is an honorary position given every 3 years to a poet who resides in the Greater Portland area and wishes to connect our shared community to the wonderful world of poetry. Portland’s current poet laureate is Maya Williams.
Learn More »Join Portland Public Library the first Friday of each month for Portland’s First Friday Art Walk. Enjoy shows in the library’s Lewis Gallery and Lower Level exhibit area in addition to the occasional performance!
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Museum Passes Available
Portland Public Library offers free passes to several local Museums and cultural sites including Portland Museum of Art, Portland Observatory, Southworth Planetarium, and the Maine State Museum. To request a pass for a specific date, with your Library card, call or visit the Lending Desk at any of our locations.
Up Next at the Library:
Spotlight Lecture: Reza Jalali and Phuc Tran talk about “Dear Maine” at Bunker Brewing
Poetry Across: Maya Williams & Myles Bullen
Poetry Across: Maya Williams & Myles Bullen
From the PPL blog:
Library staff members share April Staff Picks: books on poetry, nature, and more! More »
To those who knew Ashley, his energy and creativity was a joy. One of those people lucky enough to More »