Creative Portland Corporation — Portland, ME
Date: 2026-06-03
Time: 15:30

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


 Board of Directors Meeting
 Wednesday, June 3, 2026
 3:30 PM
 IN PERSON ONLY at CP HQ
 84 Free Street, Portland ME

 AGENDA


1. Welcome and President's Comments (Herb Ivy)
 A. Consent Agenda: May minutes (April financials previously approved on 5/4/26)
 VOTE: to accept consent agenda


2. Executive Director Update (Dinah Minot)
 A. First Friday Art Walk - June 5
 B. Monday Morning Drop By recap - June 1st
 C. 500 for the Arts - new pilot program - Third Wednesdays 4-7pm- art activation in Arts District
 D. July 17 - Road to Everywhere Screening at PMA to benefit CP
 E. September 22 Arts & Culture Summit (Board roles)
 F. Hear Here 4 - February 14
 G. FY27 Work Plan & Budget Discussion
 VOTE: to approve Work Plan & Budget
3. Board Business
 A. Discuss Executive Committee slate for November ‘27
 B. Discuss Sustainability & Fundraising strategies

 1. Board Challenge
 2. Board Recruitment/Governance
 3. Board Retreat in January 2027
 4. Advancement/Fundraising Committee

 C. Volunteer schedule
 1. PPAC rep
 2. FFAW host volunteers
 3. Arts Summit on 9/22

 D. Board Share
 2026 Remaining Board Meeting Dates: (no meeting in August or December) July 1,
4.
 September 9 (note: 2nd wed), October 7, November 4 (in person annual meeting)

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


 Board of Directors Meeting
 Wednesday, June 3, 2026
 3:30 PM
 IN PERSON ONLY at CP HQ
 84 Free Street, Portland ME

 AGENDA


1. Welcome and President's Comments (Herb Ivy)
 A. Consent Agenda: May minutes (April financials previously approved on 5/4/26)
 VOTE: to accept consent agenda


2. Executive Director Update (Dinah Minot)
 A. First Friday Art Walk - June 5
 B. Monday Morning Drop By recap - June 1st
 C. 500 for the Arts - new pilot program - Third Wednesdays 4-7pm- art activation in Arts District
 D. July 17 - Road to Everywhere Screening at PMA to benefit CP
 E. September 22 Arts & Culture Summit (Board roles)
 F. Hear Here 4 - February 14
 G. FY27 Work Plan & Budget Discussion
 VOTE: to approve Work Plan & Budget
3. Board Business
 A. Discuss Executive Committee slate for November ‘27
 B. Discuss Sustainability & Fundraising strategies

 1. Board Challenge
 2. Board Recruitment/Governance
 3. Board Retreat in January 2027
 4. Advancement/Fundraising Committee

 C. Volunteer schedule



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 1. PPAC rep
 2. FFAW host volunteers
 3. Arts Summit on 9/22

 D. Board Share
 2026 Remaining Board Meeting Dates: (no meeting in August or December) July 1,
4.
 September 9 (note: 2nd wed), October 7, November 4 (in person annual meeting)




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 Creative Portland Board Meeting Minutes
 Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (google meet)

Attendance:
Board Members:
Mike Bove, David Brenerman, Tae Chong, Heidi Dikeman, Gib Foltz, Elyse Grams, Lindsay
Hancock, Sam Hamilton, Lee Hartman, Zsofia McMullin, Dinah Minot (Assistant Secretary),
Dave Page, and Matt Schwach (Secretary)​
Absent: Kate Anker (Immediate Past President), Haj Carr, Clare E. Hannan (Vice President),
Herb Ivy (President), Daniel Minter, Councilor Regina Phillips, Greg Watson (ex officio)
Staff: Dinah Minot, Walks Tall Keith Guest: Ronnie Wilson, CP volunteer and PPAC rep

1. Welcome & President’s Comments (3:34pm)

Secretary Matt Schwach called the meeting to order and welcomed attendees.

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

Action: Vote to approve the Consent Agenda:

Motion first by Mike Bove and seconded by David Brenerman.​
Unanimously approved.

3. Executive Director Update (3:35pm - 4:51pm)

 ●​ Walks Tall is moving to California but will hopefully stay engaged as a remote contractor.
 ●​ We are looking for a part-time office coordinator to handle office management and
 customer service.
 ●​ Board members are invited to volunteer to “housesit” at the office during regular
 business hours, as well as First Friday Art Walk.
 ●​ June 10 is proposed for our next board meeting (in lieu of June 3), in-person.To be
 confirmed after a tally with seven absent board members.

Programs

 ●​ Creative Portland Gallery
 ○​ We hosted the artists’ opening reception for our ninth juried art exhibition
 Resistance on April 30, 2026. The event was very well attended. A public
 opening was held the following day on First Friday, May 1.
 ○​ Monday Morning Drop By was held on May 4th. 2 ½ dozen participants attended,
 including artists and venue owners. Lots of connections made.




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 ●​ We will be collecting testimonies to show how our programs build capacity and
 strengthen the local arts ecosystem.
 ●​ Lee Hartman has offered to submit a Data Innovation Project (due June 5th), a year-long
 subsidized fellowship to collect the data that best serves our needs.
 ○​ All board members, please send any data suggestions to Lee Hartman.

City Arts Issues and Amendments

 ●​ The City passed an order to correct the original .5% of CIP to PPAC, elevating the
 budget to $230,000 from 50K capped PPAC funding. Councilor Sykes proposed this
 amendment that was passed 5-4.
 ○​ This will be a significant increase for Portland public art if it manages to be
 approved in the FY27 budget.
 ●​ The City passed an amendment 5-4 to extend a buffer zone from 100 feet to 750 feet
 between music venues, thwarting the development of the Live Nation proposed Music
 Hall location across from Merrill Auditorium.
 ○​ The MMA advocacy against Live Nation got the attention of City Councilors and
 motivated their decision.
 ●​ Ronnie Wilson, PPAC rep for CP reported that the PPAC has commissioned a new
 sculpture at the base of India St. called Portland Harbor Commons.
 ○​ The vetting process in response to an open call - or RFP -has been narrowed
 down to three artists, Gabriel Frey, Celeste Roberge and Isabel Catherine Kelley.
 ○​ On May 20th, at 4pm at City Hall, the PPAC will hear presentations from the
 three contenders. This is a public meeting.
 ○​ CP is looking for a volunteer to be the PPAC rep for a two-year term. Meetings
 are on the third Wednesday at 4pm.

Arts & Culture Summit

 ●​ September 22, 2026 at USM
 ●​ Reception location TBD - possibly outdoors on the patio by theCrewe Center, then move
 to McGoldrick Center with breakouts there and in Abramson Center.
 ●​ President Jacqueline Edmonson will provide the welcome and elected officials will be in
 attendance.
 ●​ May 11th, 2026 steering committee meeting.
 ●​ Possible Topics
 ○​ Policy Changes
 ○​ Public Art
 ○​ Cultural civic infrastructure; Arts Advocacy discussion

Work PIan FY27 draft

 ●​ We added “Community Civic Outreach” as an initiative




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 ●​ Discussed our Arts Activation Program to add vibrancy in Arts District and to include
 lights, projections and performing artists to the 500 block.



Other community news

 ●​ Dinah is the juror for the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust “Paint for Preservation” and the
 Boys & Girls Club show on May 29th.
 ●​ All Roads Music Festival May 15 & 16.
 ●​ SPACE has joined the UAW Local 2110 union.



4. Board Business & Board Share (4:51pm – 5:04pm)
 ●​ Lee Hartman shared growth in only one year at the USM Crewe Center
 ○​ Ticket sales - 18,000 last year, 42,000 this year (no increase in ticket price)
 ○​ Ticketed patrons - 1,900 last year vs 4,500 this year

​
Motion to Adjourn: David Brenerman​
Seconded by: Mike Bove​
Unanimously approved. Meeting Adjourned: 5:04pm​
Meeting minutes submitted by Walks Tall Keith.




 Page 5
 FY27 Work Plan
500 for the Arts

Annual Report to the City (November 2027)

Arts Activation Partnerships (ie PMA Pavillion, vacancy storefronts)

Arts & Culture Summit - Sept 22, 2026 (USM campus)

Board Development & Governance

CP Gallery - Resistance Show + new opening May 1, 2027

Community Civic Outreach / Government Affairs

First Friday Art Walk

Fiscal Sponsorship Program

Fundraising/Advancement Projects

Hear Here 4 - Feb 14th

In-house Marketing, Public Relations & Outreach for CP programs

Marketing Wheel (newsletter, website, CP app, socials)

Monday Morning Drop By (Open house/convening)




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