Tinseltown serves as inspiration for the Portland Museum group’s gala midsummer bash.

“It’s Tinseltown meets lobster town,” said Contemporary Sean Wilkinson, chuckling as he gestured toward the outdoor movie screen, the red and white striped bags overflowing with popcorn and the partygoers savoring sliders, hotdogs and Casablanca-themed cocktails.

It’s that time of year again. Welcome to the annual Contemporaries Midsummer Bash. Borrowing on last summer’s urban block party theme, Wednesday evening’s soiree, held outside in the Portland Museum of Art’s staff parking lot, sported some Hollywood buzz to fall in line with its current exhibit, titled “Directors’ Cut: Selections from the Maine Art Museum Trail.”

“This is inspired by Hollywood,” explained Wilkinson, a founding principal of Portland design firm Might & Main, “but as you look around, it’s really a great introduction to Portland’s creative crowd.”

Indeed. This congregation of revelers is young, exceedingly stylish and driven. Doctors, lawyers and analysts mingle with entrepreneurs, scholars and civic leaders.

Graeme Kennedy, director of brand management at the museum, took in the celebrations with Lizzy Jones, director of audience engagement and communications and Jennifer Cook, the museum’s new director of media and civic relations.

“It’s always wonderful to celebrate the summer with the future leaders of the Portland Museum of Art,” said Kennedy, gazing around at the savvy crowd, each guest adorned with a VIP laminate resembling a backstage pass.

“It’s great,” exclaimed Nate Huckel-Bauer, a lawyer with Drummond & Drummond, who attended with his wife, Elizabeth Eisenhardt, an internist at Maine Medical Center. “The weather always clears up just in time, and the Summer Bash is a wonderful midpoint to say, ‘It’s finally summer in Maine!’ ”

Tricia and Michael Pirone, optometrists who own Eyes on Rosemont on Brighton Avenue in Portland, recently joined the Contemporaries.

“One night last year, we walked by and there were food trucks out here and people were having a great time,” said Michael Pirone, recalling his first introduction to the event. “We became members during a First Friday Artwalk, and a year later, we’re at the party.”

Luc Walker, the COO of Rich Exterior Solutions, attended with Falmouth artist Carrie Lonsdale. Portia Clark of Portland chatted with Katie Hogan of Falmouth, who attended with her husband, Kevin. Portland painter Kevin Tacka was joined by his wife, Jannette. Spencer Thibodeau, a lawyer with Verrill Dana who is running for Portland City Council in District Two, enjoyed the company of Betsy Critchfield, donor events coordinator at the museum.

Bryan and Jennifer Shumway of Scarborough visited with Kate Anderson of Windham, whose sister Liz Cartland is director of development at the PMA.

“This is such a great night,” said Anderson. “This is old-school fun.”

For more information about the Contemporaries, visit portlandmuseum.org/leadership-circles/contemporaries.

Margaret Logan is a freelance writer who lives in Scarborough. She can be reached at:

mlogan@maine.rr.com

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