Looking for a Teaching Artist?
Explore Maine teaching artists through CreativeGround by artistic discipline:
Teaching artists are critical partners in keeping Maine’s communities creative, connected, and vibrant.
The Maine Arts Commission works to strengthen opportunities for teaching artists through professional development, training, residencies, resources, and connections with schools, organizations, and communities. We also collaborate with regional, state, and local partners to expand access to opportunities and support teaching artists working throughout Maine.
How We Support Teaching Artists
The Maine Arts Commission works to increase the visibility of teaching artists, connect them with communities, and expand access to professional development and teaching opportunities throughout Maine.
- Encourage Maine teaching artists to create and maintain profiles in CreativeGround, a free searchable directory for creative people and organizations across New England.
- Direct schools, organizations, community partners, and others seeking teaching artists to CreativeGround through our website, programs, partnerships, and communications.
- Listen to teaching artists across Maine to better understand where they are working, what resources they need, and how they want to grow their practices.
- Build partnerships that create opportunities for teaching artists in schools, libraries, community centers, programs for older adults, veterans’ services, after-school programs, correctional facilities, recovery and re-entry programs, and other community settings.
- Offer and share professional development, training, networking opportunities, residencies, and other resources for teaching artists.
About the former Teaching Artist Rosters: The Maine Arts Commission retired its legacy Teaching Artist and Creative Aging Rosters in January 2025. CreativeGround is now the primary public directory we use to help people discover teaching artists working throughout Maine.
What Is CreativeGround?
CreativeGround is a project of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), a Maine Arts Commission partner. It is a free, community-generated directory that connects New England’s creative people and organizations and helps artists make their work more visible.
For Maine teaching artists, a CreativeGround profile provides a way to share information about artistic disciplines, teaching experience, programs, and services with schools, organizations, communities, and others looking for teaching artists.
Who’s on CreativeGround?
Are You Listed?
A complete CreativeGround profile can help schools, organizations, communities, and other partners find and learn more about your work as a teaching artist.
Need help? Book time with Martha Piscuskas ⇒
Help strengthen Maine’s creative network by keeping your CreativeGround profile complete and up to date. A strong directory makes it easier for schools, organizations, communities, and collaborators to connect directly with teaching artists throughout the state.
Upcoming Opportunities
Creative Aging Maine
Creative Aging Maine is a statewide initiative of the Maine Arts Commission in partnership with the Maine Council on Aging, with Lifetime Arts serving as a training partner. The program is building a statewide network of trained teaching artists and community host sites that create meaningful, skill-building arts experiences with older adults.
For Teaching Artists: Creative Aging Maine offers professional development, training and certification, connections with community host sites, and eligibility for Creative Aging Maine grant opportunities.
To become a Certified Creative Aging Maine Teaching Artist, participants complete two complementary trainings:
- Creative Aging Foundations, provided by Lifetime Arts, introduces creative aging practices, adult learning principles, and approaches for developing inclusive, sequential arts programs.
- Creative Aging Maine Training, provided by the Maine Council on Aging, focuses on ageism, age-positive practices, connection, belonging, and implementing programs in Maine communities.
Training opportunities are being offered during 2026 and 2027. Certified teaching artists may also apply for Creative Aging Maine grants to support programs developed in partnership with community host sites.
Teaching artists interested in creative aging are also encouraged to create or update their CreativeGround profile and identify themselves as a Teaching Artist and Creative Aging practitioner when those categories apply to their work.
Explore Creative Aging Maine, Training and Grant Information ⇒
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For questions about Creative Aging Maine, contact Program Director Khristina Kurasz at vog.eniam@zsaruk.anitsirhk.
Additional Resources
Creative Aging Collaborative (Co-Lab)
Lifetime Arts’ Creative Aging Collaborative is an interactive community for teaching artists, arts and community organization staff, and others seeking to deepen their creative aging practice. The Co-Lab offers opportunities for continued learning, connection, and peer exchange.
New England Teaching Artist Collaborative (NETAC)
NETAC connects teaching artists and partners across the six New England states with a focus on strengthening the sustainability, visibility, professional development, and practice of the teaching artist field.
Teaching Artists Guild
Teaching Artists Guild is a national practitioner-led network supporting the visibility, professional development, and sustainability of artists who teach.
Side x Side
Side x Side is a Portland-based nonprofit that supports arts-integrated learning in Maine schools and communities. Teaching artists are central to its classroom programs and professional development work.
Maine Creates
Maine Creates is a statewide initiative developed by Side x Side in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission to train teaching artists, strengthen community connections, and expand opportunities for arts-based learning and engagement throughout Maine.
Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation
The Bartol Foundation offers professional development and resources for teaching artists, including training in trauma-informed arts education and approaches that support safe, responsive, and engaging learning environments.
Assets for Artists
Through the Maine Arts Commission’s partnership with Assets for Artists, Maine artists can access free online and in-person professional development covering topics such as finances, project planning, marketing, wellness, and career development.
Questions?
For questions about teaching artist services, resources, and opportunities, contact Program Director Martha Piscuskas at vog.eniam@saksucsip.ahtram.
For questions about Creative Aging Maine, contact Program Director Khristina Kurasz at vog.eniam@zsaruk.anitsirhk.