Artist Daniel Minter, One of the Artists to be Honored in the Upcoming Banner Project Hails  From Georgia.  He Received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the Maine College of Art & Design in 2019.  Mr. Minter is Co-founder of Indigo Arts Alliance, 60 Cove Street, Portland.

Beginning in mid-August, newly designed banners will be installed along Congress Street – the cultural spine of the arts district according to a detailed press release issued by Creative Portland, the city funded art agency, on August 1, 2025..  Created by the Portland Museum of Art and inspirted by works from its world-class collection, the banners will feature artwork by renowned Maine artists such as Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth, Daniel Minter, Marguerite Thompson Zorach, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Dahlov Ipcar, Rodney Smth and Katherine Bradford.

To amplify Portland’s diverse cultural identity, the banner project will feature logos of local arts and cultural orgaizations displayed at their locations along Congress Street – from nonprofit incubators like SPACE to independent music venues like the State Theatre.  This highly visible display is part of Creative Portland’s broader mission to promite the creative economy and expand access to the city’s cultural assets.

Although 60 new banners will be printed and installed as part of the “Art is the Heart” initiative in the Arts District, a dozen plus banners that celebrate important milestones and institutions including the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s 100th anniversary, The Roux Institute and the Longfellow Garden anniversary will continue to frame the streetscape.

The City of Portland’s Department of Public Works (DPW) will oversee the installation of the new banners as part of its ongoig public space activation strategy, helping ensure that the Arts District remains a welcoming and inspiring environment for art walks, cultural touristss, local businesses and residents alike.

“This ‘Art is the Heart’ banner project is a shining example of what’s possible when Portland’s cultural leaders and institutions come together with a shared purpose,” said Dinah MInot, Executive Director of Creative Portland.  “We’re not just celebrating great art – we’re elevating the visibility of the local organizaations that fuel our creative economy and enrich life in our city every day.  The arts community is a bright light that we collectiely need to nurture and sustain.”

Mark Bessire, Director of the Portland Museum of Art, said:  “This project reflects the spirit of the neighborhood – collaborative, colorful, creative, and people-focused.  These banners are about creating a sense of place and encouragimg exploration.”

Is this banner rollout part of Creative Portland’s effort to “revitalize” the downtown as detailed in a press release issued on June 24, by city hall?  In that press release, Dinah Minot called the Monument Square/Congress Street area a “foreboding zone along the Congress Street spine.”    In that same press release, the city said that a temporary, policing center would be installed in the Monument Square area.  However, that idea appears to have been scuttled or permanently delayed by the city.  For ,more background information on that, please visit post herein dated June 24 issued by the city’s spokesman.

For more on Daniel Minter’s show at the Lewis Gallery at the Portland Public Library, please visit post herein dated October 13, 2022.