Arts
317 Main Community Music Center, 30 minute concerts featuring teaching artists at 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays on Instagram, Facebook and Vimeo, and at 317main.org under “Listen.” Open mics every other week on Zoom. Sign up at openmic@317main.org. Free and open to the public. Spring session classes will also be online.
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, entire collection searchable online and over half of the entries are accompanied by images in the online database. Selected exhibitions are also online. bowdoin.edu/art-museum/.
Chocolate Church Arts Center Live From Home Series presents online concerts with Peter Alexander at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 3, and Lauren Crosby at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 4. The concerts will be streamed via the Chocolate Church Arts Center’s Facebook page and are free to watch.
Nature of Craft 2020 applications due April 5. “The Nature of Craft: Maine Artisans at Maine Audubon” is a fine art and craft show scheduled for Aug. 29 and 30 at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. Apply online at maineaudubon.org/art/craft-show/.
Palaver Strings: Palaver Solo Sessions, 10-week live-streamed series every Thursday from April 2 to June 4 at 7 p.m. on Facebook or Instagram, Visit palaverstrings.org for more information and to see a line-up of performers.
Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum on the Bowdoin College campus is offering collections and exhibitions to view online at bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/.
Portland Museum of Art offers browsable collections online, as well as videos and podcasts. Visit portlandmuseum.org and scroll down to “Stay Connected!”
PSO: Notes from Home, digital video series by Portland Symphony Orchestra musicians, who perform, demonstrate their instruments and talk about their professional careers. Available on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the PSO website.
Benefits
Creative Portland has set up a fund to aid local artists who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Grants of $500 will be given to 100 local artists facing hardship. Courtesy / Creative Portland
Creative Portland has created the Portland Artist Relief Fund. The goal is to raise $50,000 to distribute $500 each to 100 artists. Applications available online. Check creativeportland.com/Artist_Relief_Fund for more information.
United Way of Maine has started an Urgent Needs Fund to help local initiatives and agencies at unitedwaysofmaine.org/covid/.
Call for Volunteers
Independence Association in Brunswick, a nonprofit supporting residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, houses clients with health vulnerabilities and is preparing in case anyone develops COVID-19 symptoms. A list for needed items has been posted on amazon.com.
Dining In
Freeport Community Services Food Pantry is offering people in need prepackaged bags of food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Visit fcsmaine.org/covid-19-update/ for more information.
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick, is offering to-go lunches and pre-packed boxes outside the eastern entrance and the food pantry. Visit mchpp.org/covid/ for details or call 725-2716.
Health
People Plus in Brunswick is offering free exercise videos online. Follow the link at peopleplusmaine.org/article/people-plus-free-exercise-videos.
The Dempsey Center in South Portland has suspended all in-person group activities and individual services. Some virtual services are available. Call 877-336-7287 or visit dempseycenter.org for more information.
YMCA locations in Bath, Brunswick, Freeport, Portland and South Portland are closed, but offer online workout videos. ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/videos and ymca360.org/.
Kids
Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department is using Facebook to share stories nightly at 7 p.m. with young readers at facebook.com/PortlandMainePRF. Also included on FB and Instagram are games, songs, links, videos, outdoor places to visit, craft ideas and more.
Learning
The Telling Room in Portland is open virtually to support teachers, instructors, parents and students with distance learning, including daily writing prompts for young writers on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. tellingroom.org/stories.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H has created Learn at Home for parents, caregivers and students to utilize during the disruption in school schedules. 581-3877 or extension@maine.edu for more information. extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home/.
Virtual Science Cafés for Teens, hosted by University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H for in grades 7–12 each Tuesday from 3–3:45 p.m. Learn about science in action in an informal discussion format. Registration required for each session at For more, contact Jessy Brainerd, 581.3877, jessica.brainerd@maine.edu. More information on additional sessions also is available on the UMaine Extension 4-H Learn at Home resource webpage.
STEM and Minute-To-Win-It style challenges Tuesdays and Thursdays, Yarmouth Community Services Facebook page and yarmouthcommunityservices.org.
Libraries
Curtis Memorial Library, cloudLibrary is accessible to check out eBooks from Brunswick. Visit curtislibrary.com/cloudlibrary-ebooks-audiobooks/ for instructions. Similarly, Flipster can be used to access digital magazines at curtislibrary.com/flipster-downloadable-magazines/.
Thomas Memorial Library, cloudLibrary and TumbleBooks are accessible to check out eBooks from Cape Elizabeth. Kanopy (streaming service partnered with public libraries) and the Digital Maine Library are also accessible at thomasmemoriallibrary.org.
Prince Memorial Library, email and phone requests (829-2215) to check out books 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday in Cumberland. princememorial.org.
Cundy’s Harbor Library, wi-fi accessible outside the Harpswell building. Visit the library’s Facebook page for updates.
Portland Public Library, cloudLibrary is accessible to check out eBooks. Visit portlandlibrary.com/highlight/cloudlibrary/ for instructions.
Topsham Public Library, Wi-Fi is still accessible outside the building. Visit topshamlibrary.org/stay-at-home-mega-list/ for a long list of resources to eBooks, online courses, cloudLibrary and more.
Scarborough Public Library, digital services including cloudLibrary, TumbleBooks, Flipster and Kanopy, are available at scarboroughlibrary.org.
South Portland Public Library book drops at 482 Broadway and 155 Wescott Road are open. The library offers access to the the Digital Maine Library. Visit southportlandlibrary.com for details.
Merrill Memorial Library, has free access for Yarmouth residents to the virtual library TumbleBooks at yarmouthlibrary.org/library_event/tumblebooks/.
Parks and Nature
Bath Trails, Parks and Track at McMann Field are open beginning Monday, March 30. For more information, visit the Bath Parks & Recreation Department’s Facebook page.
Brunswick Parks and Trails are open unless otherwise marked. Use of playgrounds is discouraged. Visit brunswickme.org/191/Parks-Recreation for updates.
Cumberland Town Parks are open. Visit cumberlandmaine.com/parks for a full list.
Harpswell Parks and Trails are open. The town asks that rules, such as keeping pets under control, are strictly followed. View the Harpswell Guide at harpswell.maine.gov.
Maine Audubon sanctuaries in Freeport, Scarborough and West Bath are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk. Buildings are closed. No pets. Virtual bird watching with nest and feeder cams at maineaudubon.org/news/connections-nest-and-feeder-cams/. Check maineaudobon.org for more events as they are added.
North Yarmouth Town Parks are open. Visit northyarmouth.org/parks-and-recreation-committee/webforms/town-parks for a full list.
Portland Parks and Trails are open, but use of playgrounds is discouraged. All permitted events for use of of public space and all public assembly venues are canceled until April 13.
South Portland Parks and Trails are open, but recreation facilities are closed and programs are suspended. Visit southportlandme.myrec.com for more details.
Topsham Parks and Recreation activities and programs have been suspended, but public parks are still open. All playing fields and playgrounds are not in use, and park facilities such as restrooms are closed.
Yarmouth Parks and Trails, except for the West Side Trail, are open. All playgrounds are closed. Visit yarmouthcommunityservices.org/open-spaces-1 for a full list.
Support
Freeport Community Services Thrift Shop is taking requests via phone and email for emergency clothing and household items. Contact Sarah Lundin at 865-3985 ext. 205 or slundin@fcsmaine.org. Visit fcsmaine.org/covid-19-update/ for more information.
Clapping for Workers at Hospitals, Nursing Homes is a nightly Deering Center neighborhood event in Portland. At 7 p.m., participants social distance on doorsteps and sidewalks and clap to say thank you. See Deering Center Neighborhood Association Facebook page for details.
Deering Center Neighborhood: Step Outside Your Doorstep and Sing with Your Neighbors, every Saturday at 9 a.m. in Portland.
OUT Maine, a nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ youth throughout the state, canceled Rainbow Ball Weekend in May, but staff is connecting with at-risk youth through the phone and social media. More information at outmaine.org.
Workshops/Talks
Fast Forward Maine Virtual Conference, 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 7 and 8. For business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs interested in growing their company. Watch presentations live or on demand. Free. Visit fastforwardmaine.com/conference for agenda and to register.
“Garden Chats: Growing Resilience from the Ground Up,” hosted by University of Maine Cooperative Extension 9 a.m. each Monday, 12 p.m. Wednesdays and 6 p.m. Thursday through April 23. Contact Caragh Fitzgerald at 622-7546 or cfitzgerald@maine.edu for schedule of topics and instructions for joining the Zoom sessions.
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