HOW DO YOU CREATE?
CREATIVES GATHERING "OPEN MIC"
ARTIST-TO-ARTIST EXCHANGE & PRACTICE STAGE
Hosted By Marco Soulo + Signature MiMi
3rd Wednesdays of the month, 6-9PM at Mechanics’ Hall
POETS, MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, CRAFTERS, JAMMERS, DANCERS, MAKERS,
INNOVATORS OF ALL AGES & CREATIVE VARIATIONS . . .
Join us for an evening of experimenting & on-the-spot creation.
Share what you’re working on or about your creative process
and be in sweet community with inspiring local creatives.
2025 SCHEDULE
FEB 19
MAR 19
APR 16
MAY 21
JUN 18
JUL 16
AUG 20
SEP 17
OCT 15
NOV 19*
*OUR 3 YEAR CELEBRATION IS IN
ABOUT
Creatives Gathering is an artist-to-artist exchange & practice stage dedicated to uplifting and encouraging local creatives to share what’s on their hearts & minds as well as what they are working on regardless of how polished or in process it is.
We are a community of artists from various genres and generations who choose to engage with one another around our creative endeavors, practices, and aspirations. Creatives Gathering is an inspiration hub, creativity incubator, and consistent, nurturing environment that visiting and returning artists feel brave and excited to experiment and express themselves in.
Backstory:
Signature Soul (MiMi & Marco) hosted our first Creatives Gathering in 2017 (Syracuse, NY) as a way to bring our artist friends together to create, share about our processes, ask for support, and celebrate milestones in our creative pursuits.
There was dedicated time to work on individual projects, collaborate on the spot, and opportunities to share with the group what they were creating or dreaming up. Sparks of connection and collaboration naturally ignited, and people were grateful to be a part of a dedicated artist space that was chill, nourishing, and not just about performing in front of an audience.
In spring 2022, M&M hosted their first Creatives Gathering in Portland, ME. Initially, it was intended to be a pop-up open mic and has since responded to a community need for more intentional, non-performance centered, creative spaces. In August 2022, Signature Soul partnered with Mechanics’ Hall to host a few different types of events, including an open mic in their beautiful library.
In 2025, Creatives Gathering continues to be a special space of inspiration, support, and celebration in the form of a monthly “open mic” and open invitation for people to share what they’re working. to create on the spot by bringing in their own projects and/or engaging with the creative stations available. This monthly gathering of creatives is a vibe. It has evolved and expanded into other parts of the building and into the heART of the Portland Arts District.
Creatives Gathering is made possible with support from our community partner Mechanics’ Hall, individual donors, and all of the local artists who come out each month.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Creatives Gatherings is a multi-generational & culturally inclusive space dedicated to local artists
Stations and materials are set up around the building for making along with invitations to create with other artists present. There is also a dedicated quiet space and a movement space. You are encouraged to create on the spot, and you are welcome to bring your own supplies and pieces to share. At the end of the evening, feel free to take your creations with you or add them to our “community refrigerator”.
People who attend Creatives Gathering identify as a creative or artist. They are willing to share who they are and how they create and engage in the space by sharing a piece or making on the spot.
This is a participatory event, no spectators.
Here’s a general flow of the event:
- 6-7pm Snacks & Crafts
- 6:45pm Sign-up begins
- 7-9pm “Open Mic”
Snacks & Crafts is a drop-in making session that happens an hour before each open mic.
You are invited to come in early to ground into the space, mingle with other artists and get to making.
Prompts are available, if you need them.
Our “Open Mic” is available for people to share what they are working on regardless of how polished or in progress it is. Participants also have the option to receive a recording of their pieces. The open mic list is divided into two halves with an intermission in between. Musicians, beatmakers, singers, freestylers are invited to jam during the intermission. The open mic list is selected at random with priority to first timers, marginalized voices, and original work. You can sign-up in person or by filling out the online sign-up form.
poetry; raps; songs; short stories; writing snippets, reflections; comedy; creative processes; dance; instrumentals; live music & beat making; aerial arts; short films; pottery; pinatas; puppetry; paintings; drawings; children’s books; textile creations, metalsmithing; fire art, digital art, virtual reality & AI pieces; old ish, new ish, unfinished pieces; and more…
WAYS TO SUPPORT
Creatives Gathering is FREE to attend
Any donations received go towards enhancing the space
by purchasing materials, supplies, equipment, storage,
and paying artists at our Annual Showcase in November.
Other ways to support:
1. Invite people you know who are craving a creative outlet
2. Donate materials & supplies for the art stations
3. Volunteer to help with setup/takedown
4. Be a featured artist at an upcoming Snacks & Crafts session
5. Become a donor/sponsor to help with our long-term goals and Annual Showcase
WHEN WE GATHER
A note from Signature Soul:
We believe in the power of voice and honor the various ways people express themselves. We acknowledge that multiple perspectives and experiences live simultaneously within each of us and that what is shared in a Creatives Gathering space is only but a small piece of who any one of us is. We remind people to be present with each other and to contribute to the space’s collective care.
Whatever is openly expressed in a Creatives Gathering space is up for curiosity and conversations as needed with intention rooted in compassion and understanding. We do not censor people’s truths on the mic. With that said, we do not tolerate hate speech, violence or any other forms of harm directly or indirectly expressed at anyone present or otherwise. We reserve our right to remove people who intend to be disruptive or who have caused harm in any way.
Creatives and artists come in different shapes, sizes, and ages
Arriving with a multitude of identities, cultures, making styles, genres and generations
Offering insight into various realms of personal practice, professionality, hobbies and stages
When we gather, we honor ourselves, each other, and all of our creations
When We Are Together
FAQs
coming soon
