Portland Harbor Park Public Art Commission
$150K public art commission for new Portland Harbor Common Park. Open call for artists to submit qualifications for maritime-themed artwork.
The City of Portland Public Art Committee has announced an open call for artists to submit qualifications for a new public artwork commission at the forthcoming Portland Harbor Common Park. The park will be located by the Ocean Gateway terminal and Maine State Pier near India Street, with construction beginning in March 2026 and an anticipated opening in September 2026.
The Public Art Committee is seeking a work that honors, reflects, and celebrates Portland's distinctive sense of place. Given that the city is surrounded by water for millennia, the commission is intended to reflect Portland's maritime heritage and the connection between water, land, and people, considering the past, present, and future.
The commission budget is set at up to $150,000 and includes the artist's design and fee, fabrication, transportation, installation or installation oversight, and any artwork-specific lighting. This substantial budget provides artists with resources to create a significant public artwork that will serve as a centerpiece for the new park.
The Public Art Committee's mission includes preserving, restoring, and enhancing Portland's public art collection, while promoting the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the city and its residents. Public art is incorporated whenever possible to complement and enhance city infrastructure projects.
The city is also preparing to undertake a naming process to rename the park, presenting an opportunity for the commissioned artwork to become integral to the park's identity.