News and Notes

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
2026 Artist Call for Art Activations in Public Space
Budget: $10,000 per artist/artist team

TEMPOart, a non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning temporary public artwork in Portland, Maine, is turning 10. To celebrate, TEMPOart seeks artists to create multiple interactive artwork activations in public space for the 2026 calendar year. For this tenth year of engagement in public space, TEMPOart is excited to work with a range of artists and creators to bring temporary moments of impactful cultural connection to Portland. We want to celebrate, play, and find joy in our shared spaces. 

Expanding the bounds beyond object-based work, artists of any medium (visual, performing, experimental, community-practice) with an interest in creating a site-responsive, joyful moment for the Portland community are encouraged to apply. Selected artists and TEMPOart will work with the City of Portland, and other partners, to determine sites for the activations, with a priority placed on the Congress Street district of downtown Portland. Duration of artwork will depend on the medium and intention of the artist(s). 

To highlight our artist community, the 2026 call is open to artists residing in Maine only. Artists who would be working in the public realm for the first time are encouraged to apply.

OVERVIEW

TEMPOart was founded by artist and visionary Alice Spencer. The American Dream by Judith Hoffman was the first artwork installed in 2016. The sculpture was based on the Sears Home Kits of the early 1900s, exploring the concept of the “American Dream home.” Since that first project, we’ve supported artists to create for the community in areas throughout Portland. Each project invited our community into a dialogue and inspired our collective imagination. With our community, we’ve danced, shared meals, meditated, built towering pink creatures, explored, and more. 

Specific sites and durations for the 2026 activations will be determined in collaboration with the selected artists. We are prioritizing downtown Portland’s Congress Street; this corridor has been highlighted by TEMPOart collaborators as an area that could benefit from artistic intervention. However, should one of the activations be better suited for another Portland site, the possibilities are open. 

BUDGET
$10,000 per selected artist/artist team, inclusive of materials, artist fee, and costs associated with producing the final activation. TEMPOart will provide additional funding for permitting fees for public space utilization. 

SELECTION PROCESS
A Selection Panel consisting of Portland-based art professionals and advocates will select finalists to interview. Criteria for selection is based on the artist’s experience in their respective artistic medium and interest in the project. Artists must be willing to interact with, and respond to, a site and its community. Finalists will be paid $150 for the interview process, where they will be asked to expand on how their artistic practice could be highlighted and how their artistic practice would benefit from being realized in public space. 

Should the Selection Panel require additional information from finalists, another round of interviews will be conducted. Applicants, nor finalists, should submit a proposal for a concept.

SCHEDULE
● RFQ released: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
● Virtual Artist Information Session: Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Recording of Artist Information Session
A recording of the Zoom info session will be linked at tempoartmaine.org
● In-Person Application Support: Schedule a 30 minutes, one on one with the TEMPOart executive director to ask questions and receive feedback on application materials. Link to schedule.
● Submission Deadline: Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET
● Finalist interviews: Week of September 8, 2025
● Artists selected by September 19, 2025

Schedule subject to change, especially as it relates to the final selection of the artists or artist teams. The Selection Panel can move forward with additional finalist interviews should it be necessary for consensus.

Artist activations will be scheduled with the TEMPOart team through the 2026 calendar year. TEMPOart will work with all selected artists to ensure activations do not overlap. 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
RFQ Materials shall include:
1. Letter of interest: Include interest in creating a joyful, site-specific activation in public space and why it would be a good fit for your artistic practice. (Limit to 2000 characters)
2. CV/Resume: (2 page limit)
3. Two references who can speak to your work as an artist and ability to complete a project.
4. Media: Up to 10 digital images of relevant completed artwork. Artist(s) may submit up to two videos of relevant artwork, if it is essential to understanding the work. Label images/media: last name of artist, artwork title, installation date. JPGs only. 1 MB limit in size per image. If submitting a video longer than two minutes, please indicate the time stamps for the selection panel to watch.
5. Media script: Short description of each completed artwork submitted as media. The
media script should include the title of the artwork, the budget of the project, the location, and the artwork intent. (Limit to 100 words per artwork).

Applications must be received via email, with documents saved as PDFs and media shared through a Google Drive or Dropbox link. Subject line: “2026 Artist Submission.” For more information and help with applying, artists can attend the virtual information session or the in-person application review session. Additionally, artists can schedule a one-on-one with the TEMPOart executive director by emailing Laura at director@tempoartmaine.org with the subject “RFQ assistance.”

Application will be disqualified if: 

1. The required materials are not submitted; 
2. Directions for submission are not followed; and/or
3. The artist includes a specific proposal for the activation.

ELIGIBILITY
The call is open to all artists residing in Maine, ages 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin,gender identification, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental cognition. Should the applicant be applying as a team, at least one member of the team should be a Maine resident.

TEMPOart
TEMPOart commissions temporary public art that sparks dialogue, builds community, and inspires our collective imagination.Each year new projects from TEMPOart enliven Portland’s public spaces. We believe that art can be a catalyst to connect communities and inspire meaningful thought and conversation on timely issues. Our projects and events help people see their world in a new way, or just go through their day with a new found energy–feeling less alone, alive with wonder, and knowing more is possible.

This guide is designed to enrich the experience of “Dancing for Joy” by The Myth Makers, a public art installation that invites learners of all ages to explore its layers of meaning. Through this guide, educators and students are encouraged to engage deeply with the installation—observing its artistic elements, discovering the flora and fauna that inspired it, and reflecting on its personal and collective significance.

If you would like to request a completed art kit for your organization or program as a partner, please reach out via email to info@tempoartmaine.org! Art kits come with all the supplies to complete the below activity, along with a Dancing for Joy coloring page and crayons. We have a limited number of art kits available to offer in February 2025.

Welcome to the “Dancing for Joy” Arts Integration Guide

This guide is designed to enrich the experience of “Dancing for Joy” by The Myth Makers, a public art installation that invites learners of all ages to explore its layers of meaning. Through this guide, educators and students are encouraged to engage deeply with the installation—observing its artistic elements, discovering the flora and fauna that inspired it, and reflecting on its personal and collective significance.

The materials provided here aim to assist educators and learners in decoding the installation and connecting it to broader curricular goals. By incorporating activities and exercises that promote engagement before and after visiting the site, this guide transforms the installation into a dynamic learning tool. These activities foster critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity, enhancing not only students’ understanding of this specific artwork but also their appreciation of arts and culture in public spaces as lifelong learners.

Public art installations like “Dancing for Joy” offer a unique opportunity to bring the Maine Department of Education’s vision for visual and performing arts education to life. Aligned with the Maine Learning Results: Visual and Performing Arts Standards, this guide helps educators integrate the installation into their curriculum, creating meaningful connections between the arts and the world around us.

This guide was developed through a collaborative effort led by TEMPOart and teaching artists Jessica Muise, Heather Livingstone, and Victoria Gordon.

We hope this guide inspires you and your students to explore, question, and celebrate the transformative power of public art.

“Dancing for Joy” T-Shirts On Sale!

We are happy to share that Victoria Gordon has designed this stellar t-shirt to benefit TEMPOart inspired by The Myth Maker’s Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People).

This design has been beautifully hand screen-printed onto cotton t-shirts by Creation Lab in Windham, ME! Adult and Youth Sizes available. The price of $25 includes 5.5% Maine Sales Tax. Local pick up only.

Victoria Gordon is a multidisciplinary creative based in Biddeford. She brings a sharp eye, insatiable curiosity, a collaborative spirit, and out-of-the-box thinking to eye-catching illustrations, standout graphic design, memorable branding, or captivating photography.Learn more about her work and offerings at her website.

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m. ET

CONTACT: Allison Hill, hilla@arts.gov, 202-682-5037

National Endowment for the Arts Supports the Arts with

Nearly $36.8 Million in Funding Nationwide

Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is pleased to announce 1,474 awards totaling $36,790,500 to support the arts in communities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. Funding for organizations is recommended in the categories of Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, Research Grants in the Arts, and Research Labs, and for individuals through Literature Fellowships in creative writing and for translation projects.

“The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place—those that address our past and help us consider our future, integrate arts and culture in new ways into our lives and communities, and provide powerful opportunities for people throughout our nation to come together through a shared arts experience.”

• View a state-by-state listings of the grants announced in this release.
• View a listing of awards by discipline / grant category
• All current grants and additional project details can be viewed through the recent grant search

Challenge America

Challenge America grants are awarded in all artistic disciplines and offer support primarily to small organizations for a wide variety of arts projects that extend the reach of the arts underserved groups and communities that may have limited access to the arts relative to geography, ethnicity, economic status, and/or disability. This includes communities that have limited grant funding opportunities and/or have been underserved by national arts funding; small organizations that may face barriers to accessing grant funding; and organizations that may benefit from enhanced technical assistance resources. This program is often an entry point for organizations that are new to applying for federal funding.

The National Endowment for the Arts reviewed 563 eligible applications for Challenge America funding this year, which were submitted in April 2024, and will award 272 grants for a total of $2,720,000. Each grant is for $10,000 and requires a minimum $10,000 cost share/match.

TEMPOart is thrilled to be recommended for a $10,000 Challenge America Grant to support our upcoming temporary public art commission at City of Portland’s City Hall Plaza to open in June 2025.

The next Challenge America application deadline is Thursday, April 24, 2025. Visit arts.gov for guidelines and application resources and register for the FY26 Challenge America guidelines webinar on Wednesday, February 27, 2024, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET.

We’re thrilled to share a year end message from TEMPOart board member Susan Lambe. With a rich career in public art, public space design, and creative placemaking, Sue brings a unique perspective to the importance of public art in our lives.

Thank you for your support!
TEMPOart

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After a career in public space design, public art and creative placekeeping, I am so proud to support the work of TEMPOart.

I find TEMPOart’s work as a leader in public art, supporting the arts and culture ecosystem in Maine, highly inspirational, and I encourage you to make a gift to TEMPOart Portland this year!

Public art is a reflection of its place and time, and in this time when loneliness is at an all-time high across society, public art can promote social health, enhance personal wellbeing, and demonstrate civic vitality. Public art brings art directly to the people, inspiring conversation through a sense of curiosity, challenge, illumination, or delight. To some extent, every public art project is an interactive process involving artists, visual arts professionals, designers, community residents, civic leaders, elected officials, approval agencies, funding agencies, and fabrication teams, buoying Portland’s creative economy.

I encourage you to support TEMPOart, an essential arts nonprofit in Portland’s creative economy ecosystem and the only organization devoted to enlivening public space with temporary art available to everyone, every day, for free. As we continue this vital work, we thank you for providing the funding that makes everything we do possible.

Susan Lambe (she/her)
Board Member, TEMPOart
Public Art Consultant
Founding Member, Public Art Exchange

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Thank you for reading Sue’s inspiring message. Please consider making a gift today to double your impact. Together, we can continue to bring free, temporary public art to Portland’s shared spaces.

Dear Friends,

As the year comes to a close, we wish you a season full of joy, reflection, and connection. On behalf of TEMPOart, we are grateful for your support in bringing public art to life here in Portland. Together, we’ve created opportunities for exploration, creativity, and community—none of which would be possible without you.

As we reflect on this past year, we are reminded just how transformative public art can be through our partnership with The Telling Room. At their Nature: Science, Art & Writing Camp, 16 young writers, ages 8-12, spent a week exploring Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People), the monumental installation by The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein. Guided by teaching artist Amy Kimball, the campers wove art, science, and creative writing into a dynamic experience—resulting in some extraordinary reflections, including the first chapter of a story written by young writer Laura, age 11. Laura’s writing can be read below!

Thank you for being part of our vibrant community. Your support brings art into public spaces, fuels learning experiences for all ages, and inspires joy throughout Portland.

Wishing you a season filled with creativity and hope,

Meg Adams, Board Chair
TEMPOart

Star Dance, chapter one

Laura,  age 11

A small ray of moonlight shown through the bars of a bird cage. Two parakeets sat in the cage looking at the stars. 

“Tell me that story again, Mom,” the young parakeet chirped.

“Okay, one more time,” her mother laughed. And she began:

“Once there was a bird. Not just any bird, but a beautiful silver peahen. She was glorious and immortal, but lonely. No one would hear her for her feathers glowed too bright. Eventually her loneliness became too strong and she began to float. The higher she floated, the more lonely she became, and eventually she rose so high that she became the moon. She was finally happy, but she thought the night sky needed more light so she made the parakeets. The parakeets were glorious and colorful in life, but when one died it would become a star, not gone, just brighter and higher. They are grateful for the moon’s light so they dance, swirling and twinkling, forever dancing through the cosmos.”

The little bird looked at her mom. 

“Now go to bed, Cascade, tomorrow’s a busy day.”

Hi I’m Donna Dodson and I’m Andy Moerlein. We’re The Myth Makers. 

We are standing in front of Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People).

Thank you so much TEMPOart and Portland for bringing us here!

This piece does not have a bad picture. Thousands of instagram people, if you have not gotten your picture taken, please come by. 

We are so proud to be a part of Portland’s topography

Help Extend Dancing for Joy at Back Cove Trail this Giving Tuesday

Dear public art lovers,

We have an incredible opportunity to extend Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People), a stunning 20-foot bamboo sculpture by artists The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, through June 2026—but we need your help. A generous donor has offered to match the first $5,000 in donations toward this goal, which means your contribution can have twice the impact!

Dancing for Joy has brought joy to thousands along Back Cove Trail, transforming our  landscape and creating a gathering place that celebrates nature and creativity. With your support, we’ll continue offering free, public events around the sculpture – from hands-on workshops to family days and storytelling events in partnership with organizations like Portland Trails and Maine Audubon.

Your donation will help keep this magnificent artwork in Portland for another year. Together, let’s raise $10,000 by December 31, 2024!

To give, visit tempoartmaine.org/donate —and remember, every dollar you give will be matched!

Thank you for making Portland a more vibrant, creative community.