Maine Humanities Council
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We’re a statewide nonprofit that uses books, poetry, and big ideas to bring people together to discuss issues of importance.
We’re a program partner, grant-maker, and connector of people and communities. In this complex world the Maine Humanities Council uses old-school tools – books, poetry, history, big ideas – to foster meaningful connection and positive change in communities throughout Maine. Our work takes the long view, takes humanity seriously, and requires commitment and delight.
06/17/2026
So many beautiful moments from this weekend at Gather, and this doesn’t even scratch the surface! For now, we’d like to thank everyone who attended! The energy was lovely.
Thank you to Katahdin Kitchen for the absolutely delicious food!
Thank you to our musical guests, Samuel James and Michael Kebede, Firefly The Hybrid (especially for driving all that way to be with us), and the Al-Mashreq Ensemble.
We couldn’t have done this without our expert partners Chocolate Church Arts Center! Their hosting skills are off the charts! They made so many moments throughout the night possible and we couldn’t have done without them.
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Thank you to our Core Corporate Sponsor, HeadInvest Wealth Management.
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This event is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
As we gear up for our Gather event this coming Saturday, we had to ask Jeremy Eaton, the Art Director at Chocolate Church Arts Center, about folk art!
We are low on tickets! You may be too late for Jazz Tintor’s incredible cooking, but you can still get tickets for the music portion of the event, starting at 6pm, with Firefly the Hybrid, Samuel James, and Al-Mashreq Ensemble. Head over to the link in our bio or the Chocolate Church Arts Center website for details.
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Thank you to our Core Corporate Sponsor, HeadInvest Wealth Management.
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This event is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
We are so proud to be partnering with Chocolate Church Arts Center for our upcoming program, Gather: Folklives and Foodways, this coming Saturday. To show how much we love what they’re up to, here’s Art Director Jeremy Eaton on one of their many offerings, the Community Art Lab!
Join them in the annex on Mondays & Thursdays 2-5pm, ALL AGES, Wednesdays 5:30-7:30 Adults 18+
The studio is stocked with everything you need to dive into painting, sewing, fabric arts, small-scale sculpture, collage, gel printing, linocut printing, drawing, and so much more. Whether you’re trying an art form for the first time, honing your skills, or sharing your expertise with others, the Art Lab is here to inspire and support you.
What happens when people come together to break bread? We posed this question to our Executive Director, Samaa Abdurraqib, to prepare for our upcoming event, Gather: Folklives and Foodways.
Join us for food, music, dancing, and discussion on June 13th, 5-8pm, at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath!
Music in this video courtesy of Samuel James ()
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Thank you to our Core Corporate Sponsor, HeadInvest Wealth Management.
—
This event is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
How are folklives an expression of our place in the world? We asked this question Courtney McDonald, Performance and Hospitality Manager at Chocolate Church Arts Center, to prepare for our upcoming event, Gather: Folklives and Foodways.
Join us for food, music, dancing, and discussion on June 13th, 5-8pm, at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath!
Music in this video courtesy of Samuel James ()
—
Thank you to our Core Corporate Sponsor, HeadInvest Wealth Management.
—
This event is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
This is the best time to check your local library for our Read ME books! Happy Summer Reading everyone!
What an amazing night it was at ! Thank you to Bayo Akomolafe for coming all the way to Maine. Thank you to for giving us space to process this lecture with musical interludes. Thank you to everyone who join us for this magical evening!
(Music in this video courtesy of Kafari, and was recorded live at the event!)
06/02/2026
Happy Pride Month! Today, we want to uplift the wonderful speakers apart of our Maine Speaks program who are sharing personal experience and history with communities across our state.
If you're interested in bringing these talks to your community, head to our website to apply for a Maine Speaks program!
06/01/2026
Don't miss this Maine Speaks talk this week!
Gray Cox teaches philosophy, peace studies and language learning at College of the Atlantic and is a cofounder and Clerk of the Quaker Institute for the Future. His book, _Smarter Planet or Wiser Earth? Dialogue and Collaboration in the Era of Artificial Intelligence_, is on display at the library. Plus he will be selling copies after his presentation at a 10% discount. Gray is also a singer/songwriter and lives with his wife at the edge of Acadia National Park where they garden and go adventuring with their grandchildren. Maine Speaks is a program from the Maine Humanities Council that supports individuals and organizations all over Maine who want to bring people in their community together to learn from and talk with a speaker who will share their expertise and lived experience in engaging ways. Maine Humanities Council
05/29/2026
We made the papers! Check out this wonderfully written article by Matthew Glassman, Executive Director at Chocolate Church Arts Center.
"As Samaa Abdurraqib explains, 'It’s our hope that ‘Gather’ brings people to joy and connection. Some of the most beautiful and transformative avenues for cultural sharing are through food and music. When we gather to share meals and rhythms with one another, we have the opportunity not only to learn about different traditions, but also to discover where our own stories overlap.'"
Bath arts center, Maine Humanities team up for Smithsonian initiative | Column Annual festival honors cultural heritage across the nation.
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Address
674 Brighton Avenue
Portland, ME
04102
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |