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.
How are you weathering the challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic?
We’re interested in archiving your thoughts, images, art, writings and more! Click HERE for more information!
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*Very Special Thanks to the Maine State Library, for hosting and funding our Omeka page
From September 15–October 15, the Congress Street windows of the Library’s atrium will be displaying images of artwork created by current inmates in Maine.
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MAPS – Maine-Aomori Printmaking Society. Exhibit in the Lewis Gallery September 3 – 25, 2021.
Learn More »Hear about a book! Talk about the book you’re reading! Let’s get together and talk about books. Every other Thursday at noon in Congress Square Park starting May 13th.
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Poetry lovers, come explore the web with us! Here’s a list of resources and links to poetry. We include favorite websites where you can find fantastic poems, videos of great poetry readings, links to some of the best podcasts today, and more.
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Isolating Together 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!
Learn More »How do you show and receive love, affection, and intimacy right now? We’re accepting submissions that answer this question.
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The Portland Poet Laureate is an honorary position given every 3 years to a resident of the Greater Portland area who is both an accomplished poet and an excellent ambassador within the community. Portland’s current poet laureate is Linda Aldrich.
Learn More »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:
Freedom & Captivity: The Soundscape of American Hyperincarceration
First Friday Art Walk: Art in Captivity and Teen Street Art
From the PPL blog:
Banned Books Week considers the freedom for everyone to read - including prison residents. More »
Our staff dives into reading ideas from our Children’s, Teen, and Adult Nonfiction. More »