The Gallery Association of Portland Maine

The purpose of the association is to promote, advocate for and create a community among professional art galleries in Portland, Maine.
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Click here for meeting notes

"Professionalism, ethics and arts advocacy make up as much of our focus as advertising or anything else."
Shannon Smith
Nielsen Smith Metalworks

PORTLAND ART DEALERS ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF GALLERY ASSOCIATION
(12.5.7: Portland, Maine) As the numbers and quality of the art galleries in Portland have continued to expand, the community of art dealers decided to form an association to address shared concerns and goals. Through the spring and summer of 2007, the galleries began to meet about how working together would benefit their individual goals and businesses. In the autumn of 2007, the group finalized its 16 founding members and announced the formation of The Gallery Association of Portland Maine.
In its purpose statement, the association explains it has formed "to promote, advocate for and create a community among professional art galleries in Portland, Maine." The group has launched a web site – www.galleriesportlandmaine.com – and has published a gallery map.
One of the association's main goals is to promote Portland as an art gallery destination. With its recent rank by Frommers in the top 12 world travel destinations, Portland indeed has a great deal to offer. While the city's culinary arts received a great deal of press in 2007, Portland has been quietly, but quickly, developing a major gallery presence. It was ranked #7 on the 2005 list of the 100 Best Art Towns in America (The Countryman Press, April 2005). In summer of 2007, ARTnews – the nation's most circulated fine art magazine – ran its first dedicated section on the galleries of Portland, Maine.
Galleries in Portland have coordinated in the past to agree upon opening nights such as first Thursdays and first Fridays. "This is not the first foray into the idea of a Portland gallery association, but this is a different landscape than before," notes Suzanne L.F. Gagnon, owner of the newly-formed Cooper Jackson Gallery and the group's first elected president. "There are as many or more galleries in Portland than ever; the owners have a great deal of professional experience and are bringing a much wider range of art to Portland than what we have had in the past. The benefits of our working together far outweigh any notions of competition."
"In many ways, this is a very casual group," explains Shannon Smith of Nielsen Smith Metalworks, "since we are not forming a 501-c-3 or charging membership dues. But it is an extremely serious organization: when we sit down together, we have over 200 years of combined gallery experience. Much of our message can be summed up as 'distinction and diversity in the visual arts,' but professionalism, ethics and arts advocacy make up as much of our focus as advertising or anything else."
In no small part, The Gallery Association of Portland Maine was formed to help the art galleries show off their individual differences and strengths. "I kept hearing about a gallery renaissance here in Portland," reports Clay Atkinson, an owner of Domaine Gallery, "and the more I talked to the other gallery owners, the more I realized we were all reaching out in different directions. I was surprised and impressed by the ingrained sense of community among them – it was very clear that we would be able to work well together. Portland's galleries have a sense of vital energy. Between the range and quality of work and the scale of Portland, this is like no other gallery destination in the country."
The 16 founding member galleries range from the oldest and most-established to the newest and freshest faces on the block. Peggy Golden opened the Greenhut Galleries in 1977, while Julie Kuceris open Four Walls Gallery just a few months ago.

Publication-quality images and additional information are available on request
Contact:
Suzanne L.F. Gagnon, President
Tel: 207+772.2108
Email: Suzanne@cooperjacksongallery.com

Logo design by Dani Fazio
Web site by www.Kany.net

The purpose of the association is to promote, advocate for and create a community among professional art galleries in Portland, Maine. Click here to return to the main page Click here for gallery map Click here for meeting notes		"Professionalism, ethics and arts advocacy make up as much of our focus as advertising or anything else." Shannon Smith Nielsen Smith Metalworks
PORTLAND ART DEALERS ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF GALLERY ASSOCIATION (12.5.7: Portland, Maine) As the numbers and quality of the art galleries in Portland have continued to expand, the community of art dealers decided to form an association to address shared concerns and goals. Through the spring and summer of 2007, the galleries began to meet about how working together would benefit their individual goals and businesses. In the autumn of 2007, the group finalized its 16 founding members and announced the formation of The Gallery Association of Portland Maine. In its purpose statement, the association explains it has formed "to promote, advocate for and create a community among professional art galleries in Portland, Maine." The group has launched a web site – www.galleriesportlandmaine.com – and has published a gallery map. One of the association's main goals is to promote Portland as an art gallery destination. With its recent rank by Frommers in the top 12 world travel destinations, Portland indeed has a great deal to offer. While the city's culinary arts received a great deal of press in 2007, Portland has been quietly, but quickly, developing a major gallery presence. It was ranked #7 on the 2005 list of the 100 Best Art Towns in America (The Countryman Press, April 2005). In summer of 2007, ARTnews – the nation's most circulated fine art magazine – ran its first dedicated section on the galleries of Portland, Maine. Galleries in Portland have coordinated in the past to agree upon opening nights such as first Thursdays and first Fridays. "This is not the first foray into the idea of a Portland gallery association, but this is a different landscape than before," notes Suzanne L.F. Gagnon, owner of the newly-formed Cooper Jackson Gallery and the group's first elected president. "There are as many or more galleries in Portland than ever; the owners have a great deal of professional experience and are bringing a much wider range of art to Portland than what we have had in the past. The benefits of our working together far outweigh any notions of competition." "In many ways, this is a very casual group," explains Shannon Smith of Nielsen Smith Metalworks, "since we are not forming a 501-c-3 or charging membership dues. But it is an extremely serious organization: when we sit down together, we have over 200 years of combined gallery experience. Much of our message can be summed up as 'distinction and diversity in the visual arts,' but professionalism, ethics and arts advocacy make up as much of our focus as advertising or anything else." In no small part, The Gallery Association of Portland Maine was formed to help the art galleries show off their individual differences and strengths. "I kept hearing about a gallery renaissance here in Portland," reports Clay Atkinson, an owner of Domaine Gallery, "and the more I talked to the other gallery owners, the more I realized we were all reaching out in different directions. I was surprised and impressed by the ingrained sense of community among them – it was very clear that we would be able to work well together. Portland's galleries have a sense of vital energy. Between the range and quality of work and the scale of Portland, this is like no other gallery destination in the country." The 16 founding member galleries range from the oldest and most-established to the newest and freshest faces on the block. Peggy Golden opened the Greenhut Galleries in 1977, while Julie Kuceris open Four Walls Gallery just a few months ago. Publication-quality images and additional information are available on request Contact: Suzanne L.F. Gagnon, President Tel: 207+772.2108 Email: Suzanne@cooperjacksongallery.com