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Culture Down East
Portland’s Old Port District features winding cobblestone streets, boutiques, restaurants and microbreweries. Hilary Larson by Hilary Larson Maine’s capital is the most cosmopolitan place in northern New England, with cobblestone charm and a friendly, laid-back local culture that makes visitors feel right at home. Its high-quality yet accessible museums, boutiques featuring local and artisanal wares, and superb dining scene make Portland an ideal winter weekend destination. Skiers will find powdery slopes within a 45-minute drive of the city, at Lost Valley in Auburn or Sunday River in Bethel. A 5,000-strong Jewish community is active and welcomes visitors to its three congregations. They are Temple Beth El, which is 
Downtown Portland is such an agreeable collection of neighborhoods that strolling is a pleasure, even during the famously fierce Maine winter. This is L.L. Bean country, where locals don’t let minus-five-degree weather faze them; they simply layer on the down coats and lined boots, in time-honored Down East style. The most historic part of town is the Old Port, a waterfront neighborhood of cobblestone alleys, old brick buildings and picturesque wharfs. Brave the icy Atlantic breeze and wander down to the harbor: the reward is a soulful seascape punctuated by islands. With its boutiques, upscale seafood restaurants and sometimes-rowdy bars, the Old Port is surely touristy. But it’s also a place where locals go for an evening out at a local microbrewery or live-music venue; the scene is buzzing long after most of the city goes quiet for the night. The Arts District, in the West End of town, is anchored by Congress Square and a number of cultural institutions, including the Portland Museum of Art and the Children’s Museum of Maine. Also in the area is the Maine College of Art, which mounts frequent exhibitions at its Institute for Contemporary Art. Portland’s independent art galleries are clustered in two areas — Congress Street near the museums, and Exchange and Fore Streets near the port — making it easy to spend an afternoon browsing. Fine art is a cherished tradition in New England, and the quality of the works in many of these galleries is quite high. Reflecting both the cosmopolitanism and local pride of its community, the Portland Museum of Art balances a sophisticated permanent collection with a distinctive New England focus in many of its temporary exhibitions. The major European movements — Impressionism, Surrealism — are represented with major works by Degas, Magritte, Monet, Renoir and others, while the collection is particularly strong in American artists like Winslow Homer, Marsden Hartley and Andrew Wyeth. Current exhibitions include “Evolution: Five Decades of Printmaking by David C. Driskell,” through Jan. 17; the colorful, graphic prints take inspiration from Driskell’s summer art studio in Maine. “Charles DuBack: Coming to Maine,” through Jan. 3, showcases modernist paintings and collages from the 1950s and recent watercolors reflecting the New Yorker’s discovery of the Maine landscape, while “Moods of Nature: Jay Connaway and the Landscape of New England,” which closes Dec. 6, features the atmospheric, sometimes stormy gray rocks and foamy seas of the North Atlantic coastline. If you’re making a weekend trip, it’s worth knowing that the Portland Museum is free from 5 to 9 p.m. on Fridays. Another fun option is the fall Sunday jazz brunch: a different group performs each weekend from 10:30 a.m. to noon through Dec. 13. And if culture puts you in the mood for shopping, consider a stroll down Congress Street to the L.L. Bean outlet at No. 542. No longer does outlet shopping mean schlepping to the suburbs: This mecca of snowflake sweaters, camping gear and down jackets offers the catalog classics at a considerable discount. Portland is well known for its small but classy music scene. In summertime, at least a half-dozen music festivals fill the city’s public spaces with fare ranging from Haydn to indie pop. During the winter, Portland’s arts institutions come to the fore. The Portland Symphony Orchestra features many of New England’s finest musicians, and its programs emphasize family fare and accessible classics. This winter’s lineup includes several kids’ series, including “Brass: Under the Big Top,” circus-themed kids’ concerts featuring the Symphony Brass Quintet and ringmaster Laura Harris, as well as adult offerings such as Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto and Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Princess.” The weekend of Feb. 20 brings a revue of classic show tunes with soprano Jenn Raithel Newman; the program reads like a greatest-hits list of Jewish Broadway composers, from Lerner and Loewe to Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim. The Portland Stage Company, whose theater lies just across the square from the Congress Street galleries and museums, is the premier theater company of northern New England. Its acclaimed productions range from classics like Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” opening Nov. 27, to more modern and cutting-edge fare. This winter also brings “The Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris and “The Mystery of Irma Vep” by Charles Ludlam. Travelers’ Resources: Portland Museum of Art: www.portlandmuseum.org Maine College of Art: www.meca.edu Portland Symphony Orchestra: www.portlandsymphony.com Portland Stage Company: www.portlandstage.org Maine Jewish Film Festival: www.mjff.org
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