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.

Join us for our monthly Button Club in the Teen Library to design and make your own wearable buttons!
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Extended! Visit the Children’s Library at the Downtown library November 28, 2022-February 28, 2023 for our annual exhibit from Art Quilts Maine!
Learn More »The Noonday Concert Series returns to provide free access to live performances by Maine’s most talented musicians throughout the academic year.
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biblio+ is a new streaming service that partners with libraries to provide communities with unlimited access to an exciting, ad-free catalogue of groundbreaking film and captivating television. Currently only available on mobile phone or tablet, content can be streamed, mirrored, or cast to a compatible TV.
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The sixth annual Reading Challenge is here! 24 books in 12 months: will you accept the challenge?
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From September 15–October 15, 2021 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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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 »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:
From the PPL blog:
Special screening of the Stanley Nelson film The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords More »
Teen Library art exhibit features colorful comic books and Manga characters More »