creative economy steering committee

Portland has a vibrant arts and cultural community, and Portland is seeing tremendous growth in creative enterprises such as architecture, advertising and marketing, specialty products manufacturing, engineering, and design. Portland is also fortunate to have several institutions of higher education that serve as engines for this creative economy, including the Maine College of Art and the University of Southern Maine.

But as Portland grows and storefronts fill in, rents have risen and artists have struggled to remain in Portland. A recent study by the Muskie School of Public Affairs confirmed that “erosion” was Portland’s greatest challenge to maintaining its creative economy.

In an effort to address these concerns, on May 31, 2006, Mayor Cohen convened Portland’s Creative Economy Summit. Over two hundred members of the Creative Economy attended the event, which was held in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall. After extensive discussion, the participants settled on several key action steps for Portland's Creative Economy; and Mayor Cohen indicated that a steering committee would be established to advise the City Council on how to move forward. For the following months, the Mayor met with a nominating committee comprised of Summit participants to evaluate nominations for the Steering Committee; and this agenda item contains a list of members arising from that nomination committee process. In addition, in early November, the final report from the Summit became available to the public.

The Creative Economy Steering Committee is tasked with moving Portland's creative economy and the Portland creative community forward to the next level. The charge of this talented and diverse Steering Committee is to implement the ideas contained in the Summit Report, starting with the three top opportunities determined by the more than two hundred participants at the Summit.

City Council Committee Members

James Cohen, Chair

Committee Members

Adam Ayan
James Baker
Thomas Blackburn
Gillian Britt
John Edwards
Douglas Green
Alice Kornhauser,
Pandora LaCasse
Kristen Levesque
Rose Marasco
Daniel Minter
Marc Shepard
Anita Stewart
Scott Teas
Joseph Wood

Staff Members
Nelle Hanig
Alex Jaegerman
Carrie Marsh
Lori Paulette
Lee D. Urban

Meeting Schedule
The Committee meets fourth Wednesday of the month, from 7:30 a.m. to 9;00 a.m. in Room 209 at City Hall.

Contact Us

For more information call the Lee Urban at (207) 874-8683.