PPS Arts Partnership
PPS Arts Partnership: A Visiting Artists Program
The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) is launching a new program called the PPS Arts Partnership to connect local arts organizations and Portland Public Schools students in new and more powerful ways.
The PPS Arts Partnership provides funding to schools to bring outstanding local artists into classrooms to support and enhance the curriculum through art projects or workshops over multiple sessions (five or more visits). Educators decide how to incorporate visiting artists into their curriculum, be it through a one-week stay or by bringing in artists at key times over the semester or year. All partnerships must engage students in hands-on projects in the arts with explicit learning goals, although the subject areas may vary (arts-related, other content areas, or SEL goals). In other words, the visiting artists will not exclusively be performers, and students will not exclusively be spectators.
2025-2026 will be a pilot year for the program. For the pilot, schools can select from the following list of partner organizations to ensure a high-quality experience with a teaching artist or an artist supported by a teaching artist.
- 317 Main: Has a Partnership Program to expand access to music education.
- Indigo Arts Alliance: A list of participating artists will be available in summer 2025.
- Maine Academy of Modern Music: Can work to connect teachers with musicians to enhance the curriculum through music education.
- Portland Museum of Art: Is open to customizing experiences that involve a combination of working with students in schools and museum visits (this link describes a PHS example from 2023).
- Portland Ovations: Performing artists from the 2025-26 season (announced May 29) will be available to give workshops in storytelling, puppetry, dance, etc. Antonio Rocha will be in residence March 1 to June 1, 2026, and Wabanaki Artists performing in Wabanaki Stories will be available Spring 2026.
- Portland Stage: Can expand their existing elementary PLAY Program (dramatic readings & workshops) and middle & high school Directors Lab program (Shakespeare performance & workshops) to further support your curricular goals. Portland Stage is also open to developing new programming with you.
- Portland Symphony Orchestra: Can work to connect professional orchestral musicians with students to expand upon their music education and build upon curricular connections.
- Side x Side: Uses an arts-integrated model to explore curricular content through the arts.
The PPS Arts Partnership is open to experiences in a wide range of disciplines: visual arts, music, performing arts, writing, audio, dance, crafts, etc. The program will provide new learning opportunities and will not replace existing projects. For example, working with the Portland Symphony through the PPS Arts Partnership will not affect a school’s participation in the KinderKonzerts, PSO Explorers, or Youth Concerts programs that the PSO may already have in that school. If you have a recommendation for a teaching artist or arts organization that should be added to this list, please reach out to FPPS!
Depending on the length and scope of the partnership, FPPS will provide up to $6,000 per school to contract with an organization or artist. Budgets can also include supplies.
Eligibility
2025-26 will be a pilot year with approximately five schools participating. Each school in PPS can only submit one application. Ideally, we are looking to pilot with one elementary school, one to two middle schools, and two high schools (or one high school and PAE). We will adjust the program based on the pilot year feedback and outcomes, and hope to expand it so that every school in the district can participate in the 2026-27 school year if they choose.
Expectations
- A school staff member must serve as the point person working with the partner organization to create a written, mutually agreed upon plan (FPPS will provide a template) including:
- Learning objectives, aligned with the Maine Learning Results
- Deliverables (final products, performances, etc.)
- Logistics (dates and times, space needed at the school, supplies, travel, etc.)
- FPPS will provide a $250 honorarium to the PPS staff point person for time outside of contracted hours.
- Teachers must be present and engaged during artists’ visits.
- Final arts projects must be documented either by recording performances, photographing art projects, or in some way appropriate to the art form.
- The point person will engage in a post-series debrief meeting with FPPS to thoroughly evaluate the pilot program and implement changes for future years.
- To participate, compliance with all elements of the PPS Guest Speaker Approval Process is required.
The PPS Arts Partnership aims to expand upon arts opportunities in the Portland Schools through long term, immersive arts learning with experts in the field. FPPS already has a Music & the Arts Fund—primarily used for the purchasing and maintenance of equipment (kilns, microphones, musical instruments, etc.). Funds for experiences like theater performances, concerts, or single visits from artists or authors are available through the FPPS Equity & Innovation Staff Grant Program each fall.
For more information, contact Andi Summers: asummers@foundationforpps.org | 207-400-1151 or
Michael Langenmayr: michael@foundationforpps.org | 207-842-4637