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In response to the pandemic and ensuing shutdowns, the City of Portland enacted a Public Health Campaign to remind Portlanders to "Stay the Course." Creative Portland answered the call by hiring local artists to create flagpole banners, street barricades, and murals to positively reinforce COVID-19 preventative safety measures.

In 2021, as the pandemic's intensity lessened, Creative Portland again sent out an open call for artists to design flagpole banners that answered the theme "Reopen and Revive." Colorful banners by 10 local artists were installed along Congress Street and Free Street in Spring 2022.



### Creative Portland is adding local flavor to the City’s “[Stay the Course](https://staythecourse.squarespace.com/)” public health campaign, funded by a Keep Maine Healthy Grant. Over eighteen Maine artists and graphic designers were hired by Creative Portland via an open call to create images and designs that positively reinforced COVID-19 preventative safety measures. During the pandemic, we want to remind patrons and business owners alike to wear masks, wash hands frequently, stay physically distanced and to avoid convening in large groups. Most of the selected designs are impactful without words. Designs range from whimsical images to attract children, such as masked bears and superheroes, to those targeted at retail shoppers, restaurant patrons, and others who want to interact safely at downtown businesses. A map of the artwork and artists can be accessed [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/10hrCOL02Y-gZuOHeXpnG3cIelT3MtcVp/view?usp=sharing). 

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Campaign

Portland Artists Liven Up Downtown Street Closures

We joined forces with the City of Portland to beautify several street closure barricades downtown. Five local artists were hired to add friendly arts messaging on the barricades, brightening the safety features and furthering the City’s COVID-19 public health messaging. The artists include Angela Adams, Pam Chévez, Ebenezer Akakpo, Tamara Jones, and Nora Tryon. “I want to thank our staff from several departments -- Planning, Economic Development, and Public Works -- for working together to coordinate the efforts of implementing these street closures in order to assist our small business community during this trying time,” said City Manager Jon Jennings.  “We are in this together, and I want to thank the artists in our community for making our downtown streets brighter with their creative and vibrant designs.” Portland-based artist Angela Adams, an international leader in contemporary design, and one of the artists whose work is featured on the barricades agreed: “We’re all in this together.” 

“Our community is really coming together to support the City’s public health campaign. Over two dozen developers, businesses and property managers downtown have given approval to use their facades to get out the public health message to be mindful of others during the pandemic,” announced Dinah Minot, Executive Director of the Office of Creative Portland at the City of Portland. 
 
“Throughout the Fall and Winter months, cheerful reminders by artists will be sprinkled throughout the City, high up on buildings like the Franklin Towers, the Westin Hotel and Mechanics Hall, as well as on flag banners, all along Congress Street from Monument Square to Longfellow Square. Hiring local talent and spotlighting artists during the pandemic is vital to celebrating our creative community when public-facing events are rare.The artists’ impactful designs personalize Portland’s efforts to make a positive difference during this challenging time,” she adds.

In addition to the Westin Hotel and Mechanics Hall, community partners include Chris Dimillo, Steve Kalisz of MHR Management, Dana Totman of Avesta, Maine Medical Center, One Longfellow Square, Maine Historical Society, Coffee by Design, Coal’s Pizza, Ed Gardner, Dunham Group, Jim Brady/Fathom, Chris Rhoades/TT Maine Venture LLC, Portland Housing Authority, Portland Water District, Nathan Szanton, Opus Consulting Group, Liquid Riot Bottling Company, University of Southern Maine, JB Brown, Gateway Garage, GP METRO and even homeowners, like Dan St. Peter. The office of Historic Preservation has approved the installation of the temporary banners at various locations throughout Portland, to be displayed during the pandemic.
 
 
Although Creative Portland has established the Portland Artist Relief Fund to help artists make ends meet, patrons are encouraged to buy local art online or commission new works. Donate to Creative Portland to allow community public art projects, such as the Creative Bus Shelter initiative, to build and grow.
 
“The Arts are an integral, necessary and vibrant part of Portland’s culture - a real engine for our creative economy. Art also feeds the soul. During the pandemic, artists are still creating and still available to be hired,” reinforces Minot.
 
 
Arts Messaging in this public health campaign is provided by the following selected Maine artists who responded to an open call. Artists include:
 
Kifah Abdulla • Ebenezer Akakpo • Alexander Barrett • Pam Chévez • Pat Corrigan • Titi De Baccarat • Diamond Duryea • Jared Goulette • MMH Studios • Cole Hurley & Lisa Ciampa-Hurley • Oakley Jackson • Tamara Jones • Calla King-Clements • Olga Merrill • Susan Minot • Renu O’Connell (ARRT!) • Hannah Rosengren • Abigail Swartz • Nora Tryon (ARRT!) • Elsie Widing • Jaime Wing

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Gallery

[Portland Press Herald, "Artists Bring Beauty to the Barricades"](https://www.pressherald.com/2021/05/10/artist-bring-beauty-to-the-barricades/)

[CBS Channel 13, "Portland Hires Artists to Decorate Street Closure Barricades"](https://wgme.com/news/local/portland-hires-artists-to-decorate-street-closure-barricades)

[WMTW Channel 8,  "Artists Beautifying Barricades"](https://www.wmtw.com/article/artists-beautifying-barricades-blocking-roads-for-outdoor-dining-in-portland/36213633)

[This Banner Is How We Do Social Distancing – Portland, Maine Style!](https://wcyy.com/this-banner-is-social-distancing-portland-maine-style/)

[WMTW Channel 8 "Art Helps Spread Covid Safety Measures in Maine"](https://www.wmtw.com/article/art-helps-spread-covid-10-safety-message-in-maine/34684757)

[Portland Forecaster "Creative Portland Using Art to Remind Public of Health Protocols"](https://www.pressherald.com/2020/11/04/creative-portland-using-art-to-remind-public-of-health-protocols/)

[Sun Journal "Creative Portland Hires Local Artists For Public Health Messaging"](https://www.sunjournal.com/2020/11/03/creative-portland-hires-local-artists-for-public-health-messaging/)

Press

![collage.png](https://creative-portland-api-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/collage_03e9f74809.png) 

**PORTLAND, Maine** -- Creative Portland, the official arts agency for the City of Portland, is encouraging Mainers to embrace Spring, and to “Reopen and Revive” with banners that reflect a welcoming message of hope, inclusion, and respect, as we enter a new phase of living with the pandemic and the new variants to unfold. These new banners, which will replace the City’s “Stay the Course” public health campaign banners, were created by 10 Maine artists and graphic designers who were selected by Creative Portland on a work for hire basis, via an open call. Colorful images and simple yet powerful text encourage resilience and inclusion, and will reinforce that we are all in this together. Diverse artistic designs reproduced on large scale banners and applied to flagpoles throughout downtown will target tourists and locals who are patrons in the arts district and downtown Portland. 
 

The arts community came together to support each other during the pandemic. The original art banners, installed in October of 2020, reinforced COVID safety measures and focused on masking up, social distancing, and mindfulness behaviors to support the City’s public health campaign, made possible by Governor Mill’s Keep Maine Healthy grant. Over two dozen developers, businesses, and property managers downtown participated by offering their facades to hang banners to get out the public health message.
 

 “Hiring local talent and spotlighting artists during the pandemic kept artists relevant and employed during a stressful period of shutdowns. The artists’ impactful designs personalized Portland’s efforts to make a positive difference during the challenging period of uncertainty,” added Dinah Minot, Executive Director of the Office of Creative Portland at the City of Portland. “Now that we are learning to live with COVID, the new art banners installed this week present a warm and colorful message of unity and inclusion, made possible in part by grants from the Maine Community Foundation and the Maine Arts Commission. The Arts are an integral, necessary and vibrant part of Portland’s culture - a real engine for our creative economy. Art feeds the soul.”
 

“We are glad to once again partner with Creative Portland. As Pandora’s Lights come down, our crew is replacing them with the colorful & creative banners reminding us that downtown is a place for everyone,” said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown. 
 

During the pandemic, Running With Scissors Studios welcomed new artists that moved to the Portland area. Banners all over town inspire new artists to participate in other public art and temporary art initiatives. 
 

“Employing local artists to design the banners shows the viewers, including tourists and potential new Mainers, that our city supports a diverse and creative solution to community concerns. Their message lifts everyone, encouraging us to participate in our community, through local art as well as becoming active in our civic life. They visually show our collective strength and compassion.” RWS Owner, Kate Anker, Board President, Creative Portland. 
 
Angela Adams, an internationally recognized artist and designer who was born and raised in Maine, offered an in kind donation and customized design services with four print variations. Pandora Lacasse’s team generously offered their in-kind services to help install the flagpole banners, when she took down her seasonal winter lights.
 

Arts Messaging in the new round of spring revival banners are provided by the following Maine artists who responded to an open call and outreach from Creative Portland. 
Local Maine Artists, in addition to Angela Adams, include:
 

[Cyril Bennett](http://www.cybennett.design/), Buffcat, [Gloria DiIanni](http://www.gloriadiianni.com/), [Sarah Hiers](http://www.sarahhiersdesign.com/), [Bevin Holmberg](http://mermaidmeadow.com/), [Anastasia Inciardi](https://www.instagram.com/inciardi/), [Spenser Macleod](http://spensermacleod.com/), [Stacy Mitchell](http://stacykmitchell@gmail.com/), [Rebecca Volynksy](https://www.rebeccavol.com/aboutcv)

Art Banners for Public Health