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The Maine Technology Institute is sponsoring Creative Portland’s first 2 Degrees event of 2012 on Thursday, February 16, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. in the fourth floor offices of Kepware, a software development company, at 400 Congress Street in downtown Portland.

Launched in January 2011, 2 Degrees Portland is a growing, free referral and networking program of Creative Portland that proactively welcomes, via online tools and in-person events, potential entrepreneurs and skilled professionals “from away” who are attracted to lively creative communities.

“We are delighted that the Maine Technology Institute and Kepware recognize the power of 2 Degrees to help motivate skilled entrepreneurs and workers to consider moving to this area,” said Jennifer Hutchins, executive director of Creative Portland. “One reason people love this community is because it’s two degrees of separation not six. 2 Degrees Portland finds friendly, helpful connections between people who are interested in living and working here with those who already do.”

“As the economy is starting its recovery, more Maine companies, particularly in specialized industries such as information technology and manufacturing, are growing and looking to fill new positions with skilled workers from Maine and from away,” noted Betsy Biemann, MTI president. “ Events like this can make it easier for Maine entrepreneurs to secure the talent they need and build their workforce so they can accelerate their growth.”

The 2 Degrees event on February 16 will provide newcomers to Portland a chance to connect with the creative community as well as a chance for the existing community to get to know each other better. There will also be a presentation about how people can participate in the program.  This is one of many events taking place across Maine during National Entrepreneurs Week.

The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) is an industry-led, publicly-funded, nonprofit corporation that offers early-stage capital and commercialization assistance in the form of competitive grants, loans and equity investment for the development of new technology products, processes and services, generating high-quality jobs across Maine.  MTI works with start-ups, established businesses and institutions to accelerate their progress to the market, leverage additional private and public investment, and ultimately, support their success while expanding their economic impact in Maine. 

Creative Portland was founded in 2008 by Portland City Council to support the City’s efforts to grow and support the creative economy. More information about 2 Degrees Portland can be found online at www.liveworkportland.org.

Creative Portland has today released a preliminary feasibility report (ArtSpace PF Report for Creative Portland) from Artspace, a national nonprofit real estate  developer specializing in live/work studios for artists, indicating that Portland has strong potential for successful projects. The report provides findings from their two-day visit to the city last September. While in Portland, Artspace visited five potential sites, and in the report highlight two as possible candidates for further consideration for an Artspace project: the Hampshire/ Federal Block in the India Street neighborhood and the city-owned General Store site on Hanover Street in the West Bayside neighborhood. A third site, an empty lot on Newbury Street, was also listed as “having merit.” The other two sites visited were the St. Lawrence Arts Center and a J.B. Brown building on West Commercial Street. The report notes that the primary purpose of the first visit was to assess Portland’s overall readiness to pursue a live/work development not to select a specific site, so other sites are likely to emerge as viable in the future. The report recommends that Portland undertake a professional survey to identify the most suitable project for its precise demographic. “Portland is more than ready for the next phase of the process,” says the report. “It’s high time for Creative Portland and its collaborators to quantify the need so that serious discussion can begin, so that others whose support will ultimately be needed can have reliable information about the market for affordable live/work artist housing, studio space, and facilities for arts organizations in Portland and the collective economic power represented by that market.” “I’m not surprised by the findings of this report”, said Andy Graham, Creative Portland president. “It confirms again that the art community is a valued and valuable part of the Portland community, and that we need to invest time and resources in making sure that artists can afford to live and work here. Otherwise, our arts community will continue to decamp for more affordable places like Westbrook, Biddeford, and Lewiston. Portland without its artists would be a sad place.” Creative Portland is currently seeking funding for an artist market survey with Artspace. For more information, contact Jennifer Hutchins, Executive Director, Creative Portland, 207-772-6828. # # #

On Wednesday, January 11 @ 5PM at SPACE Gallery, the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance and Creative Portland are co-hosting a “Meet the Mayor” event for the local arts and cultural community. Portland’s first elected mayor in 88 years, Mayor Michael Brennan was sworn into office on December 6, telling Portlanders: “My success will also be your success, and I can only be successful with you.” Expressing an interest in working across sectors to address community issues, Mayor Brennan also acknowledged the significant value the arts, culture, and creative economy add to the city. This event will provide Portland’s arts and cultural community an opportunity to meet the mayor, hear briefly about his priorities in the months ahead and to ask questions.

PACA’s sister org, Creative Portland, is hosting a presentation by Artspace—a nonprofit based in Minneapolis, Minn. that specializes in the development of artist live/work space—on Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. in the Rines Auditorium of Portland Public Library. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The 30-45 minute interactive presentation will include information about Artspace’s model for developing artist live/work space and examples of their projects throughout the country. Following the presentation, attendees will be invited ask questions, provide feedback and contribute their views on community needs and interest in such a project in Portland.

This meeting is part of a two-day visit by representatives from Artspace to provide a preliminary assessment for the development of artist live/work space in the city. During their visit, Artspace will meet with a variety of stakeholders, including developers, city officials, community members, funders, artists and cultural institutions to ascertain the needs, issues and interest in this type of project.

While in Portland, Artspace will visit potential development sites, including the St. Lawrence Arts Center on Munjoy Hill, the Portland Public Works garage at 55 Portland Street, and several properties at the corners of Hampshire and Federal Streets in the India Street neighborhood. They will also participate in a driving tour of the city to view properties in the Bayside neighborhood and along Commercial Street.

Join PACA and the Portland Music Foundation on Monday, October 3, 2011, at 6:00 (doors open at 5:00) at the State Theater on Congress Street for a mayoral forum on arts, music and culture, where the candidates will be asked questions about the issues that affect this vital community in our city. This event is free and open to the public. Please submit suggested questions for the candidates to info@portlandarts.org. Let’s show Portland’s next mayor how much we care about arts and culture in our community! Bring friends!