Musician Samuel James and dance choreographers Riley Watts and Heather Stewart were among the recipients of commissions from Portland Ovations meant to put artists to work.
Portland Ovations mourns the recent passing of artist, advocate and activist dee Clarke. Ovations was first introduced to dee during our 2014 presentation of Who’s Hungry, an artistic residency focused on pushing back the veil of food insecurity. dee lent her voice to this project as an expert with personal experience of poverty. Further evidence … Read more
In January, we were in conversation with Starr Kelly to begin to share the partnership that Portland Ovations and the Abbe Museum are building in order to create a performance for young people that centers Wabanaki storytelling and the artists that tell these stories. We see this partnership and the performance as an opportunity for Wabanaki storytellers … Read more
Everyone has a story. The urge to share our story, to connect with others, is at the root of human nature. Taking one’s own story and making the personal universal is the sacred role of artists. Weaving tales of family, personal journey, cultures, folklore and immigration – SoulRoar is the creative endeavor of poet/lyricist Kerem … Read more
“What we’re doing,” playwright and SurvivorSpeakUSA founder dee Clarke said in regard to THE LAST GIRL, her play-in-development, and her advocacy work, “is putting the last girl first. And we’re survivors leading the way.” The Last Girl: the one whose life is unseen by others. The girl who, due to her gender, race and class is … Read more
After nearly a decade on the road touring internationally with the Forsythe Company, dance artist Riley Wattsdecided it was time to come home to Maine. For Riley, moving back to Maine was the right thing to do. It’s meant time and space: to heal, to pursue a different lifestyle for his body and mind and, … Read more
We’ve been lucky to get to know musician, storyteller and writer Samuel James this year as one of our Commissioned Maine Artists. This has included winding conversations about music, culture, home and justice, along with impromptu performances over Zoom. And now, through this series, we hope some of you are getting to know this marvelous … Read more
This year, we’ve been building a Bridge. And now that Bridge, with its strong Towers and gleaming Trusses, is standing solid. The story of this Bridge began last March, when, along with the rest of the world, Ovations found ourselves teetering on the edge of a perilous precipice. On Friday, March 13, 2020, as we … Read more
There’s nothing better than a Merrill Auditorium full of young people chatting and wiggling in their seats as they wait for one of our Family Performances to begin. We so miss these moments. We know it’s important for Ovations to continue to offer young people and their families chances to enjoy the performing arts during … Read more
Last week we held a series of conversations around the five projects Ovations is commissioning by Maine-based artists. From dance to music and theater, from traditional to the contemporary – these five projects deeply explore a wide range of the creativity that makes Maine such a special and innovative place. You can still experience these … Read more
We are a non-profit performing arts organization in Maine connecting artists and audiences through diverse arts experiences. Be thoroughly entertained by live performances spanning the traditional to the contemporary, the popular to the unexpected. Learn from and be inspired by artists who openly share with us their passion and craft.
Email: info@portlandovations.org
Phone: 207.773.3150
Office: 120 Exchange St, Portland, ME 04101
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