ART IN THE PARK 2023 WILL TAKE PLACE ON:
AUGUST 12, 2023
2023 Artist Application is available HERE
Artists can also download and turn in the new paper application HERE
Hello to all of our artists and fine art enthusiasts!
The show is on! Please join us on Saturday, August 13 2022 for the best outdoor show in Maine!
About Art in the Park
South Portland's annual Art in the Park Show & Sale is a summer favorite of participating artists and the public. Held on the second Saturday in August in beautiful Mill Creek Park, the show features original art and photography by up to 170 artists, a food court, and music in the afternoon. Admission is free. The show opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m.
Prize winners are announced at noon at the gazebo. Prizes range from Best in Show ($800.00) to Merit Awards (five at $150.00 each) and include Best Photo in Show ($500.00). The Judges' Tent, with one submission by each artist in the show will not be open to the public so as to allow the artists to retrieve his/her artwork and allow it to be shown at their individual stands.
The Food Court, located in the Broadway/Ocean Street corner of the park features a variety of food from hot dogs and ice cream to international cuisine. The Food Court is open between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Costs of the show are paid for by artists' fees and donations from sponsors. All committee members are volunteers, as are almost all show day workers. Revenues over and above costs are used for park improvements. Past improvements have included the gazebo, the fountain, a contribution toward holiday lighting, as well as to the city's Greenbelt Walkway and the re-design of the park itself. A new sound system was donated in 2013.
Art in the Park also awards a $1000.00 scholarship every year to a student graduating from South Portland High School who is going on to study art in college.
Upcoming Show Dates:
Art in the Park is always held on the second Saturday in August (unless storms arise). There is NO rain date for this event. The following are the upcoming show dates:
August 12, 2023
August 10, 2024
August 9, 2025
August 8, 2026
August 14, 2027
Kids in the Park and Shows



KIDS IN THE PARK
* This year's theme has yet to be determined. Please check back for updated information.
There will be free arts and crafts activities as well as face painting from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM!
Food Vendors 2022:
Past food vendors have included:
Totally Awesome Vegan Food Truck
Seas Catering
Paleta Guy
Mainely Burgers
Mainely Treats
Bamboo Bistro
PB+ME
Falafel Mafia
Open from 11am - 3pm, the food court features good things to eat ranging from sandwiches and hamburgers to ethnic cuisine to frozen treats. Located in the Broadway/Ocean Street area of the park near Kids in the Park, the food court offers tables and chairs for you to enjoy your meal, or you can relax on the grass under a tree and listen to musicians.
Scholarship:
Every year Art in the Park gives a $1000.00 scholarship to a student graduating from South Portland High School who is going on to study art in college. Arthur Hahn, for whom the scholarship is named, was one of the founders of Art in the Park and a well-known promoter of the arts in the Greater Portland area.
Students:
Art in the Park is proud to showcase art by students in South Portland schools. The students' work will be on exhibit from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM in the Student Tent across from the Judges' Tent
Every year, the Committee chooses student art works to use in promotional materials for the show: posters that are distributed throughout the community, the show T-shirt, the cover of the program, and ads in the Portland Press Herald.
The show also exhibits works by students in the Student Art Tent. Each art teacher selects and mattes works for the exhibit. The judges select six student prize-winners from among the art by high school students exhibited at the show.
In lieu of individual awards for elementary and middle school students, Art in the Park gives a $50 Class Award to each art teacher to supplement class supplies.