Creative Portland Corporation — Portland, ME
Date: 2025-09-03
Time: 15:30

84 Free Street | Portland, ME | 04101 | 207-370-4784


 Board of Directors Meeting
 Wednesday, September 3, 2025
 3:30 PM
 Via Google Meet
 https://meet.google.com/ksu-brdm-xfs?hs=224

 AGENDA


1. Welcome and President's Comments
 A. Consent Agenda: July financials & minutes
 VOTE: to accept consent agenda
2. Executive Director Update
 A. Arts District Banner Update
 B. FFAW - Sept 5 - 40+ participants - Ideal Maine (Social Aid Sanctuary) Band
 C. Maine Music Weekend Festival (Sept 5-7, 2025)
 D. Hear Here 3 UPDATE (9/7 - Board attendance/voluteers)
 E. Arts Activation Fund (5k balance)
 F. Fiscal Sponsorship Request - Maine Tech Week October 21-23 - Liam Sullivan
 G. Grant Pursuit - Amazon-sponsored grant through GP Regional Chamber - due Sept 11
 H. Justin Alfond - 92 Parris Street building/lot - CP application discussion
3. Board Business
 A. Sponsorship plan & update for FFAW
 B. Governance & Board Recruitment
 i. Recommendations for Board/update
 C. Board Share
 FY26 Board Meeting Dates: October 1, Nov 5 (annual mtg), January 7, 2026, Feb 4,
4.
 April 1, May 6, and June 3.

84 Free Street | Portland, ME | 04101 | 207-370-4784


 Board of Directors Meeting
 Wednesday, September 3, 2025
 3:30 PM
 Via Google Meet
 https://meet.google.com/ksu-brdm-xfs?hs=224

 AGENDA


1. Welcome and President's Comments
 A. Consent Agenda: July financials & minutes
 VOTE: to accept consent agenda
2. Executive Director Update
 A. Arts District Banner Update
 B. FFAW - Sept 5 - 40+ participants - Ideal Maine (Social Aid Sanctuary) Band
 C. Maine Music Weekend Festival (Sept 5-7, 2025)
 D. Hear Here 3 UPDATE (9/7 - Board attendance/voluteers)
 E. Arts Activation Fund (5k balance)
 F. Fiscal Sponsorship Request - Maine Tech Week October 21-23 - Liam Sullivan
 G. Grant Pursuit - Amazon-sponsored grant through GP Regional Chamber - due Sept 11
 H. Justin Alfond - 92 Parris Street building/lot - CP application discussion
3. Board Business
 A. Sponsorship plan & update for FFAW
 B. Governance & Board Recruitment
 i. Recommendations for Board/update
 C. Board Share
 FY26 Board Meeting Dates: October 1, Nov 5 (annual mtg), January 7, 2026, Feb 4,
4.
 April 1, May 6, and June 3.




 Page 1
 Creative Portland Board Meeting Minutes (short version)
 Wednesday, July 23, 2025 (via zoom)

Attendance:
Board Members:
Kate Anker (Immediate Past President), Tae Chong, Lucy Comaskey (AI), Gib Foltz, Lindsay
Hancock, Clare E. Hannan (Vice President), Herb Ivy (President), Zsofia McMullin, Dinah Minot
(Assistant Secretary), Daniel Minter, and Matt Schwach (Secretary), Greg Watson (ex officio)​
Absent: Kirstie Archambault, David Brenerman, Eliza Ginn, Councilor Regina Phillips (ex
officio), Dawn Reshen-Doty (Treasurer)
Staff: Dinah Minot, Walks Tall Keith

Board Meeting Summary

1. Welcome & President’s Comments (3:33pm)

Herb Ivy called the meeting to order and welcomed attendees.

2. Consent Agenda (3:35pm)
June Minutes, June Financials

Action: Vote to approve the Consent Agenda:

Motion first by Clare and seconded by Gib.​
Unanimously approved.

Dinah explained that although we show a $7500 profit for FY25, since we operate on an accrual
basis, there will be FY26 expenditures on upcoming programs, with funds raised from the
previous fiscal year.

3. Executive Director Update (3:35pm - 4:50pm)

First Friday Art Walk

 ●​ FFAW will resume on August 1, 2025 with over 30 orgs and 50-60 street vendors from all
 all over the state.
 ●​ We did not have an official art walk on July 4 due to the holiday.

Arts District Banner Update

 ●​ Reviewed current version of the banner map.
 ●​ We shared the current version of the press release.
 ●​ Creative Portland met with Portland Downtown to discuss banner placement.
 ●​ We are very grateful to PMA for sponsoring this project.
 ●​ We are very close to a greenlight and ordering the banners.




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Arts Activation Fund

 ●​ We currently have $5,000 in the fund but will wait till we raise 15K total to activate a plan

Maine Music Weekend Festival / Hear, Here III

 ●​ Soft launch to focus on the local arts ecosystem. Year 1 as a Maine Music Weekend
 Festival will promote music clubs & venues in Portland, much like the Restaurant Week
 promotion.
 ●​ Maine Music Weekend Festival will support the goal of ⅓ of each local venue for
 community passes.
 ●​ Hear, Here III (culmination of the Maine Music Weekend Festival) produced by CP will
 take place at Merrill Auditorium on Sept 7, 2025.
 ●​ We would like the board to attend. Everyone gets two comp tickets.
 ●​ We will be asking for other sponsors.
 ●​ Goal: ⅓ of room will be community passes. Of those passes, ⅝ will be underserved
 populations.
 ●​ Goal: 700+ audience
 ○​ Ticket sales proceeds will benefit an account for Hear, Here IV, or for more Arts
 Activation programming.
 ●​ The after party will be at SPACE plus SPACE board will attend to celebrate their 10 year
 anniversary.
 ●​ Hear, Here 3! tickets are on sale now at PortTix.
 ○​ $20-$30
 ●​ Establish a sales force of volunteers to offer blocks of tickets to different orgs.
 ●​ We will be introducing our AR Markers at Hear, Here 3 in the programs.
 ●​ Maine Music Weekend Festival draft map (photo and video versions) shared

Grant Pursuits

 ●​ The Maine Office of Tourism denied our Enterprise Marketing Grant for the Creative
 Portland App for $10,000.
 ○​ Dinah spoke with them and they may reconsider and give us a grant from an
 alternative source of funding. They didn’t realize that the app takes a few years to
 get off the ground.
 ●​ Maine Arts Commission (MAC) denied our Organization Grant pursuit in the fall.
 ●​ We applied for a second creative communities MAC grant in the spring to put up two
 more Creative Bus Shelters. Did not receive award.
 ●​ MAC is considering us for another grant next year.
 ●​ In the works:
 ○​ Levitt Music Series grant for music / temporary street closure on Free Street in
 front of PMA. Invitation for Round 2 pursuit will be announced around August 6.

Sponsorship Deck




 Page 3
 ●​ Draft of Sponsorship Deck for First Friday Art Walk presented by Herb and Matt.
 ○​ Stats include:
 ■​ Over 30 participating galleries & exhibition sites
 ■​ Over 3000 visitors
 ■​ Up to 100 street vendors
 ○​ Sponsorships Types:
 ■​ Naming Rights ($7,500 - $10,000)
 ●​ Sponsors would need on site visible logo and presence on our
 map & newsletter.
 ●​ Consider pop-up events at Creative Portland Gallery for sponsors
 to create their own events.
 ■​ Experiential Event ($2,500)
 ●​ Branded swag
 ●​ Different art walk “experiences”
 ○​ Branded Art Walk Shuttle
 ○​ Branded/interactive public mural
 ■​ “Pop Up” or “Targeted” Sponsor ($500)
 ○​ Tae suggested Spring & Summer / Fall & Winter season sponsorships.
 ■​ Detailed amount of exposure / demographic for each package.
 ○​ Work with The Chamber to promote First Friday Art Walk at Eggs & Issues
 meetings. They may be able to help us get sponsors.

Staff

 ●​ The CP App / Outreach Coordinator we hired did not work out due to scheduling
 conflicts. We are back to hiring for this position.

4. Board Business & Board Share (4:50pm – 5:05pm)

 ●​ Kirstie is leaving Visit Portland. Hopefully the marketing director at Visit Portland will be
 her replacement to join our board.
 ●​ Board members will continue looking for new recruits. They will pass their information to
 Herb and Dinah. ExCom will be involved in vetting.
 ●​ In October we will present nominees/candidates for the board. our board.
 ●​ Print Jam this Saturday from 10am - 5pm at Running With Scissors.

Next Board Meeting: September 3rd, 2025 at 3:30pm.​
Motion to Adjourn: Lindsay​
Seconded by: Clare​
Unanimously approved.​
Meeting Adjourned: 5:05pm​
Meeting minutes submitted by Walks Tall Keith.




 Page 4
Accrual Basis Creative Portland
 Statement of Activity
 Profit & Loss
 Budget vs. Actual
 July through July 2025

 $ Over
 Jul 25 Budget % of Budget
 Budget
 Ordinary Income/Expense
 Income
 4100 · Operations (unrestricted) 5,052 250,300 -245,249 2.02%
 4200 · Programs - 121,500 -121,500 0.0%
 Total Income 5,052 371,800 -366,749 1.36%
 Cost of Goods Sold
 5000 · Cost of Programs 147 120,000 -119,853 0.12%
 Total COGS 147 120,000 -119,853 0.12%
 Gross Profit 4,904 251,800 -246,896 1.95%
 Expense
 6000 · Marketing 337 7,250 -6,913 4.65%
 6100 · Personnel 12,500 175,900 -163,400 7.11%
 6200 · Occupancy Expenses 573 7,800 -7,227 7.35%
 6300 · Travel 0 3,000 -3,000 0.0%
 6500 · Professional Services 2,468 34,600 -32,133 7.13%
 6600 · Operating Expenses 950 15,290 -14,340 6.21%
 Total Expense 16,828 243,840 -227,012 6.9%
 Net Ordinary Income (11,924) 7,960 -19,883 -149.8%
 Other Income/Expense
 Other Income
 7000 · Other Income-Expense 8 60 -52 13.95%
 Total Other Income 8 60 -52 13.95%
 Net Other Income 8 60 -52 13.95%
 Net Income (11,915) 8,020 -19,935 -148.57%




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 Page 5
Accrual Basis Creative Portland
 Statement of Financial Position
 As of July 31, 2025


 Jul 31, 25 Jun 30, 25 $ Change % Change
 ASSETS
 Current Assets
 Checking/Savings
 1010 · Creative Portland Checking 84,610 94,911 (10,301) -10.9%
 1011 · GSB Savings 5265 98,592 98,584 8 0.0%
 1015 · Petty Cash 1,858 1,558 300 19.3%
 Total Checking/Savings 185,060 195,053 (9,993) -5.1%
 Other Current Assets
 1220 · Other Receivable - - - 0.0%
 Total Other Current Assets - - - 0.0%
 Total Current Assets 185,060 195,053 (9,993) -5.1%
 Fixed Assets
 1400 · Fixed Assets 33,993 34,294 (300) -0.9%
 Total Fixed Assets 33,993 34,294 (300) -0.9%

 TOTAL ASSETS 219,054 229,347 (10,293) -4.5%
 LIABILITIES & EQUITY
 Liabilities
 Current Liabilities
 Accounts Payable
 2000 · Accounts Payable - - - 0.0%
 Total Accounts Payable - - - 0.0%
 Other Current Liabilities
 2100 · Payroll Liabilities 5,674 - 5,674 100.0%
 2500 · Fiscal Sponsorship Liability 75,758 79,809 (4,052) -5.1%
 Total Other Current Liabilities 81,431 79,809 1,622 2.0%
 Total Current Liabilities 81,431 79,809 1,622 2.0%
 Total Liabilities 81,431 79,809 1,622 2.0%
 Equity
 3100 · Unrest'd Net Assets 149,538 143,524.36 6,013 4.2%
 Net Income -11,915 6,013.43 (17,929) -298.1%
 Total Equity 137,623 149,538 (11,915) -8.0%

 TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 219,054 229,347 (10,293) -4.5%




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