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### **We are the City of Portland’s Nonprofit Arts Agency**

**Mission:**
Creative Portland's mission is to support the creative economy through the arts by providing essential resources, fostering partnerships, and promoting our city's artistic talents and cultural assets. 


**Purpose:**
As the official nonprofit arts agency, we support economic development efforts by nurturing and strengthening our workforce, creative industries, and enterprises. 


**Goal:**
Our goal is to sustain and nurture emerging and established local talent including visual artists, performing artists, writers, and creatives. 

"[Cultural Plan Update of 2018: A Living Action Plan](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AvlyyB1FbiPuxB5kbQRDootqkOlnmvIj/view?usp=sharing)" helps to guide our strategic priorities with the implementation of [programs](/programs) to attract patrons to Portland as a world-class arts destination.






## History

Incorporated by the City of Portland in 2008, Creative Portland is the City’s official arts agency: a municipal organization and 501(c)(3), with a board capacity of 21 members, half appointed by the city and half by the Board of Directors, all Creative Portland programming is recommended and funded by the non-profit.
 
Signature programs include [First Friday Art Walk](/first-friday-art-walk), the annual [Portland Arts & Culture Summit](/arts-and-culture-summit), and other programs that provide direct services to the arts community including [fiscal sponsorships](/fiscal-sponsorship), professional development workshops, and an annual [concert](/hear-here) to promote local talent. 

Providing public art opportunities to local artists is a top priority for Creative Portland. The Creative Bus Shelter Initiative, made possible in part by a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town grant, is an arts-based community initiative in partnership with GP METRO, Portland's public transit, and the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), uses the canvas of existing bus shelters to create permanent public art add-ons. 

During COVID-19, we created a grassroots fundraising campaign and raised over $95,000 for the [Portland Artist Relief Fund](/artist-relief-fund) to disperse unrestricted emergency grants to local artists in need. 

We believe the momentum is building in celebration of Portland as a world class arts destination. Our goal is to sustain and nurture the diverse and exceptional local talent including visual artists, performing artists, writers, and creatives. 

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Having joined Creative Portland in 2016 as Executive Director, Ms. Minot, featured in Maine Magazine's 2021 inaugural issue of '[25 Mainers of the Year](https://www.themainemag.com/mainers-of-the-year/)', produced and directed Hear Here, a talent showcase, and spearheaded the [bus shelter initiative](https://www.creativeportland.com/creative-bus-shelters) from concept to fruition. She is the lead project manager of the [Cultural App](https://www.creativeportland.com/creative-portland-cultural-app), which launched on April 1, 2023, to promote Portland's artistic talents and cultural assets in a 24/7 digital marketing tool. At the helm of Creative Portland, her focus is on convening and nurturing the arts community. She oversees open call processes, assembles curatorial teams, convenes & collaborates with community partners, encouraging artist engagement and soliciting sponsorships. 

Dinah Minot has over 25 years in film and television production experience, arts administration, political campaign fundraising, marketing, public relations and social media strategies, event planning, talent booking, and nonprofit management, including Executive Director of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports in the state of California, under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. A designer, artist, and community organizer, Ms. Minot has curated municipal art exhibits in Los Angeles County and served on several arts education committees in the Santa Monica public school system, the PTSA, and public art committees. She has also been a coach in music production, filmmaking, tennis, and roller hockey at parks & recreation departments. Her film production credits include Co-Producer on Paramount Pictures’ films including Wayne's World, Black Sheep, Tommy Boy, Coneheads, Kids in The Hall: Brain Candy, and Lassie, as well as Associate Producer at NBC's Saturday Night Live, where she was in charge of talent, including cast recruitment, talent relations, and talent booking for hosts and musical guests. Civic engagement and arts advocacy are Minot's lifelong passions. 



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Dinah Minot, Executive Director

Originally from San Diego, Walks Tall Keith (they/them) moved to Maine in 2020 and joined Bourgeois Guitars, a premier luthier in Lewiston and Maine’s Manufacturer of the Year in ‘23. As an artist themself, Walks Tall not only composes music and plays a variety of instruments but is also a professional luthier. Previous experience includes a variety of roles in California & Chicago nonprofit organizations including stage management, technical exhibit direction, master woodworker, and festival planning, 


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Walks Tall Keith, Program Assistant

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

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