Our Story

Building a public art program for Portland

TEMPOart celebrated its ten-year anniversary in 2026, but that is the short story. Artist and visionary Alice Spencer dedicated thirty years of steady, passionate, hard work to make her city a more vibrant place.  

In the 1990s, Alice was a force for creating community, both as a leader and community supporter of Portland Trails and the Maine College of Art and Design. At the time, she was making art but found it inherently isolating. "Working alone in a studio to have private individuals put your art on their living room walls? Art alone just doesn't move us towards a better world."

Alice remembers Portland at the time boasted “an incredible, ancient collection of white male bronze elevated statues. And that's what people considered public art.” While museums offered more, they also presented financial and social barriers.

"Seeing a piece of art on a walk through your city is a surprise, and a delight, both more social and more personal - woven into your day."

She just knew that residents could experience Portland differently through public art. 

In 1993 Alice was invited to serve on the public art committee. Even with a strong team that included a city staff member with a PhD thesis on public art, it was not easy. "It was just not in the spirit of the city at that time. Not enough money, too much red tape, and sooo many thresholds for approval.”

Alice and a growing group with a diverse skill set (art, architecture, legal) began discussing how to brighten up the Portland landscape on their own. “None of us knew much or had the tools yet to start a program. We thought, how do we do this? We invited people to join the board, and all just muddled along with our shared skills and ideas.” 

Learning about Public Art in other cities helped hone their vision: To bring Portland a new piece of public art every year, each to stay for two to three years and overlap with subsequent commissions placed throughout the city, presenting opportunities for community programming. 

After three years of organizing and fund-raising, in 2016 TEMPOart installed its first piece, The American Dream by Judith Hoffman! Since then, TEMPOart has commissioned 10 works of art, ranging from the a carousel of whimsical creatures to  towering pinkies. 

To build community, and to provide artists with support to experiment and create in public space, was ultimately a means to an end – art has made Portland a more colorful and connected place. In bringing temporary public art to Portland, TEMPOart has shaped the collective experience of this small and mighty city. 

With an enthusiastic team of supporters, and decades of knowledge and sweat equity between them, TEMPOart is at the beginning of an exciting new chapter, forging ahead on a path that centers on belonging and joy. Join us!