Meeting Place

Meeting Place was a multidisciplinary arts project to help four Portland neighborhoods deepen and diversify their networks of connection by tapping into the transformative power of the arts through year-long partnerships with local artists. Conceived and designed by Art At Work director Marty Pottenger, Meeting Place asked artists to lead monthly arts-based workshops on neighborhood-relatedContinue reading “Meeting Place”

Board

Marty Pottenger (she/her/hers)Board PresidentExecutive & Artistic Director, Art At Work Marty Pottenger is a theater artist, playwright, activist, and pioneer of arts-based civic dialogues. She is the founder of Art At Work, a national initiative that puts creativity to work strengthening city governments’ ability to meet challenges of inequity, partisanship, and climate emergency. Marty receivedContinue reading “Board”

Necessary Work

Necessary Work was an exhibit at the Chambers Gallery at City Hall that showcased some of the art, stories, photographs, and poems created during Portland’s first four years with Art At Work. Specific projects represented by the artwork include Forest City Times, LINES Portland, Public Works, Ties That Bind, Thin Blue Lines, and the CityContinue reading “Necessary Work”

Projects

Current Projects Blessing of the Creatures A public celebration and call-to-action on behalf of all the creatures here in Maine. MAINEUSA On behalf of the planet, all living creatures, and each other, Mainers are coming together to create an intimate, funny, inspiring spectacle about the brutal, beautiful history of Maine from the Ice Age tilContinue reading “Projects”

Press

Read more about Art At Work at the links below. Fabric of Portland’s neighborhoods stitched stronger by arts (Portland Press Herald) Skits aim to bridge ‘gap’ between Portland police, youth (Portland Press Herald) City Workers Explore Diversity Through Art (Portland Press Herald) Art Project Helps Reveal Unseen Side of Officers (Portland Press Herald) Cop couplets:Continue reading “Press”

Keynotes & Presentations

A significant element of the mission of Art At Work – originally an Arts & Equity Initiative – was to introduce and inspire folks around the country to embrace the concept of arts-projects designed to address tough if not impossible municipal and community challenges. Between 2006 and 2015, Marty shared stories and guidance gleaned fromContinue reading “Keynotes & Presentations”

Buried Treasure

A live performance of interviews about Fresh Kills Landfill. Buried Treasure: A Fresh Kills Reclamation Project began in response to the agreement reached by the Mayor, the Governor and the Borough President to close the landfill on Staten Island. One of the only two man-made structures visible from outer space, Fresh Kills Landfill offers aContinue reading “Buried Treasure”

Thin Blue Lines

Poetry, photographs, civic dialogues, readings, and exhibits created by and with employees of the Portland Police Department. Thin Blue Lines was a multi-year program that brought poetry and other strategic arts projects to the Portland Police Department. The morale of Portland’s 160 police officers was at a historic low – so low that they crossedContinue reading “Thin Blue Lines”

Dialogue Workshops

During February of 2002, The Working Theater and Snug Harbor convened a series of three workshops in New York City led by project artist Marty Pottenger in partnership with an extensive network of collaborating organizations. Each workshop group included approximately fifteen participants, and each met twice during a one-month period. The dialogue was grounded inContinue reading “Dialogue Workshops”

Portland Works

Collage, poetry, storytelling, chorale singing, and discussions. Portland Works employed art-making as a catalyst to build enduring, authen­tic relationships which are essential to meeting the increasing challenges facing cities. Created in response to civic and social tensions between city employees, elected officials and the immigrant and refugee communities, Portland Works partnered municipal participants – city councilors,Continue reading “Portland Works”