Portland, Maine Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Portland Maine museums supplies classes your area

Over the next few minutes we will be breaking down everything we know about art in Portland, Maine in full detail and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

Jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Portland art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

You can look through more of our posts on cities around the Northeast here.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Portland

If you want to visit the best art galleries and museums in Portland, Maine you can go to:

Many would consider the cultural heart of this city to be the The Portland Museum of Art which is open from 10am to 6pm Wednesday through Sunday while staying open until 8pm on Friday and who has nearly twenty thousand unique items on display as well as a really cool sculpture park. Many of you may already know about the Youth Art Month they host each March that we will mention again in a future section.

Back in 1977 the Greenhut Galleries were established and since then they have been called the best gallery in town by Down East Magazine, the Maine Sunday Telegram, and Portland Press Herald. Greenhut Galleries are open from 10am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday and every month they put up new exhibitions by regional and local artists to help them get some shine.

Another great place that has helped many from the region in various mediums like puppetry, painting, dance, music, and theater is Mayo Street Arts where you can find some of the best performances at the National Night Out and they also have summer programs for art students in your area. Head over from noon to 4pm on Friday and Sunday to check out all they have to offer.

You will find a rotating mix of five different exhibitions each year at The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art which is open from 11am to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday and until 7pm on Thursday. The Institute of Contemporary Art is also a great place to see a diverse series of public events, visiting artist talks, art history lectures, and panel discussions.

Maine Craft Portland is a gallery and resource center located in Mechanics Hall that opens at 10am daily. On site they exhibit and sell the work of over a hundred Maine Craft Association members.

You will find works from over seventy international artists at Casco Bay Artisans which is open from 10am to 7pm Wednesday through Saturday and 10am to 6pm Sunday through Tuesday and they do private viewings if that is what you are after.

Materials & Supplies Near You

There are quite a few stores to buy art supplies and materials in your area like:

Art Mart has been voted the best Arts and Crafts Store in Portland before.

There is a very gracious 60 day return policy at Maine Portland Pottery Store.

Shows & Events

Our favorite shows and events on the local calendar are:

National Youth Art Month has been presented by The Portland Museum of Art and the Maine Art Education Association for almost three decades and every March they present exhibitions by local Maine kids from around the state in grades K-12.

In August you can check out the National Night Out when the streets of East Bayside get over run by a parade with giant puppets and a variety of performers and live musicians.

There are multiple Guild Fine Craft Shows including in July at Camp Beech Cliff, in August at the United Farmers Market of Maine, in September at the Camp Ketcha, and in October at the Fort Andross Mill Complex.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

Whether you want to check a pieces value, have a consultation, find an auction or get some other assistance you can go to art dealers and appraisers near you like:

Susan Maasch Fine Art provides art consultations for businesses, homes, or to local artists who are trying to get a foot into the door.

One of the best places to go for fine art auctions near you is the Barridoff Galleries who can do quick or more in depth appraisals, put on auctions for valuable works, or help with fine art storage.

Other places we discuss on this page that also sell art in your area are Maine Craft Portland, Casco Bay Artisans, Mainely Frames & Gallery, Art House Picture Frames, and Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery.

Walking Tours

The First Friday Art Walk which starts at 84 Free Street will take you through this cities Arts District on the First Friday of each month from 5pm to 8pm. There are generally thousands of people in attendance and the event features live music, gallery tours, and local street artists showing off their latest pieces.

Sculptures & Statues

Framing art supply stores Portland ME lessons near you studios

You can also find some really cool statues and sculptures around the area:

  • Our Lady Of Victories Monument at 456 Congress St
  • John Ford Statue at 4 Pleasant St
  • Maine Lobsterman at Canal Plaza at Middle and Temple St
  • Michael at One City Center Plaza
  • Link at 1001 Westbrook St
  • Fireman Statue at the Corner of Congress St & Pearl St

Monument Square is the home of the Our Lady Of Victories Monument which was created and produced by Franklin Simmons and Morris Hunt.

Back in 1998 George Kelly dedicated the John Ford Statue in Gorham’s Corner.

The Maine Lobsterman was originally created to be a part of the New York World’s Fair in the late 1930’s.

One City Center Plaza is home to The Sculpture Michael which was designed by John Raimondi in the 1970’s.

A unique sculptural experiment of modular interlocking forms is how one could describe Jesse Salisbury’s Link Series.

The Fireman Statue was originally created before the turn of the 20th Century and was moved to the Central Fire Station in 1987.

Portland Art Classes

We are all at different levels and sometimes a lesson or two can give us the boost that we need. Some of the best Portland art schools and classes can be found at:

There are art classes for kids near you aged 6-16 and adults available at Portland Pottery Studio where students can get studio access 7 days a week and they also can host corporate events.

If you want oil painting lessons, private courses, painting workshops, or concierge services you will find them at Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery.

At the Still Life Studio they like to focus on small group classes or giving private painting lessons for all ages.

Studios For Rent Near You

When you are ready to get your next project started consider renting an art studio in your area at:

Maine Portland Pottery Store from our art supplies list and Still Life Studio from the art schools list might also have studio space for rent available.

Framing

A frame can take a normal looking picture a long way, and some of the best places for art framing in Portland are:

If you want custom framing with a wide selection frames and mats or handling art for shadowboxing head to Grapheteria.

You will find ready-mades frames, shadowboxes, and frame restoration services available at Art Picture House Frames.

Casco Bay Frames & Gallery has been helping local Portland artists for nearly 40 years.

Greenhut Galleries and Joann from our prior lists also do custom framing in your area.

You might want to look through more of our posts on:

Have Fun Enjoying The Portland Art Scene

We just listed the best galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in your area. If you made it all the way to the end then you probably love the art near you as much as we do.

You can let us know about any of your own local tips and tricks in the comments at the end of the post, or please also let us know if we got anything wrong or if anything we posted is no longer accurate. Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies, or doing anything that has to do with art in Portland, Maine!

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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