The Arts District – Neighborhood Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Tell me: What’s this place all about? Stretching from upper Congress Street toward the city's West End, this is a mishmash of art galleries (fine to conceptual), working artists’ studios, and museums like the renowned Portland Museum of Art , plus institutions like Maine College of Art (MECA), Museum of African Culture, and the Merrill Auditorium for performing arts. What’s it like being there? With so many facets, from museums and studios to schools and theaters, the area is an immersive explosion of all kinds of creative expression. Is there a guide involved? There are no guides. Who comes here? Students mill about the campus of Maine College of Art. Art dabblers and serious collectors alike browse the galleries filled with sculpture, paintings, and ceramics. And every first Friday of each month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., tourists and locals alike arrive to take part in First Friday Art Walk , a self-guided tour of the area's arts offerings. Even if you miss the actual first Friday, it's worth checking out the participating galleries (many are listed on visitmaine.com ) and paying them a visit on your own time. So then what, or who, do you think it’s best for? Lovers of the visual and performing arts will find plenty to be impressed with all around the District. But taken as a whole experience, the area is an excellent window into the kind of independent thinking that makes Portland tick, and is more than worth a look for anyone curious about its cultural mindset." - Alexandra Hall